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The Power of Perceptions in Shaping Customer Satisfaction
>> by Adele Sommers, Ph. D
Is the glass half empty or half full? The definition resides in your
customers' eyes..
Isn't it interesting how our perceptions rule our beliefs
and actions? So much of the brain research today seems to support the idea that
what we perceive defines our reality. This article examines the role that
perception plays in the minds of consumers.
People Perceive
Quality in Many Ways
Regardless of how good you believe your
offerings or project solutions are, your clients and customers will be
responding to "quality in perception" even more than "quality in
fact."
Quality in fact refers to the features that we believe we're
paying for, such as how much something weighs, how fast it runs, or various
other characteristics.
Quality in perception pertains to things like
special considerations, courtesies, a caring and personalized attitude, and many
other subtleties that can lead us to believe we're receiving more than what
we're paying for. Effective quality in perception can help compensate for any
gaps in quality in fact that could otherwise irritate or inconvenience
consumers.
Often, Perceived Value Is Not about Cost
Some years ago, I was a volunteer mediator in the Small Claims Court
system. During my involvement in the court system, I became fascinated with the
number of cases involving alleged wrongdoing or incompetence. People were suing
businesses such as termite services and auto body painters, and even former best
friends and health care providers over a variety of grievances! The suits often
sought fairly small amounts of compensation, which meant that the financial
aspects were not the primary concern.
What repeatedly emerged in the
mediation sessions was that each plaintiff felt that the vendor, service
provider, health care provider, or ex-friend had not listened to his or her
concerns. Many of the plaintiffs believed that their concerns about shortcomings
in services, products, or communications had simply been
ignored.
However, if the defendants in these cases had earlier offered a
simple, sincere apology -- and had they made a concerted effort to communicate
while also taking timely remedial action -- I believe the resulting quality in
perception could have prevented many of these lawsuits, even if the quality in
fact still left something to be desired.
New Proof of the Power
of Apologies
The New York Times recently reported that sincere,
heart-felt apologies coming from doctors, surgeons, and hospitals who made
serious medical mistakes have the effect of greatly reducing the likelihood that
patients will sue for malpractice. In addition, patients who are willing to
settle out of court often accept lower settlement payments than when doctors
become defensive and deny what happened.
"Deny and defend" is the advice
that malpractice lawyers and insurers typically give to doctors in the U.S.,
according to the Times. Studies that show that as few as 30 percent of medical
errors are ever disclosed to patients. However, since malpractice claims have
helped fuel skyrocketing medical costs, drastic changes in approaches to
handling these high-stress situations are sorely needed.
According to the
article, two years ago, the University of Illinois Medical Center initiated a
program of openly acknowledging and apologizing for its medical mistakes. Ever
since, the frequency of malpractice cases filed against the center has dropped
in half. And in 37 cases where the hospital acknowledged a preventable error and
apologized, only one patient has filed suit.
In one patient's situation
described in the article, "the doctor was completely candid, completely honest,
and so frank that . . . all the anger was gone." This apology also helped settle
the case for a significantly lower amount.
Creating a Perception
of Seamlessness
To help ensure the continuity of our customers'
perceptions, we need to create consistently pleasant experiences in every
interaction each person has, from visiting a Web site or bricks-and-mortar
location, to asking for more information, to buying products, to receiving
shipments, to interacting with the actual products or services, to asking for
help, and so on.
Consider this very important point: People perceive a
series of interactions with your organization and offerings as one cohesive
experience -- as if everyone and everything represents threads in the same
seamless piece of woven fabric.
Customers don't care whether behind the
scenes, your business is spread out all over the world, or whether individual
departments consist of contractors or employees, earthlings or aliens. Whenever
customers call technical support representatives, for example, they expect them
to know all about the features advertised on the Web site that are supposed to
be in the product.
So, if there is any type of communication disconnect,
you might be able to explain it to yourself, but there's no logical explanation
for it in your customer's mind.
Prescriptions for Boosting
Quality in Perception
These important findings show the power
of apologies and candid communications in influencing the perceptions of
clients, customers, or patients. To make sure you're not overlooking potential
ways to create quality in perception, consider:
1) Special courtesies
that can set your offerings apart from your competitors
2) Your ability
to listen to and handle complaints quickly and diplomatically
3) Your
willingness to be honest with clients about problems and shortcomings
4)
Clear, prompt, and courteous communications that convey consistent
details
Remember that quality in perception is not a substitute for
quality in fact. But it can go a long way toward minimizing customer and client
dissatisfaction, as well as powerfully reinforcing stellar quality when you
ultimately deliver it.
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Adele Sommers |
| About the author: |
| Adele Sommers, Ph.D. is the creator of the award-winning "Straight Talk on Boosting Business Performance" success program, and specializes in helping people align their life passions with their business purpose. To learn more about her tools and resources and sign up for other free tips like these, visit her site at http://LearnShareProsper.com
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Your customers experiences equal money. TeleFaction’s Return on Behavior concept helps you to increase the value of your customers’ experiences. Whether you focus on improving customer satisfaction and loyalty, increasing additional sales and resale, reducing churn and loss of customers, or improving your critical business relations in customer service at all contact points, TeleFaction offers a solution that will yield the desired results. Return on Behavior Magazine is a free service from TeleFaction.
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