It’s important to know what is customer satisfaction in the digital age

As Social Media continues to permeate our everyday lives, it becomes even more imperative for businesses to gauge customer satisfaction and consumer response. Now, when someone has a negative experience, it has the potential to be broadcast across Social Media outlets like wildfire. Likewise, the same can happen with a good experience, resulting in positive publicity.

It is more important than ever to listen to your customers and continually explore opportunities to seek feedback. If they express a concern about your products and/or services, address it immediately. Make sure they know you value their input and will research ways to take steps toward improvement. If they feel you are listening to their concerns, they are less likely to “rush” to their Social Media pages and broadcast a negative impression of your company. In fact, they may even post something positive about your company because you did take time to listen and consider their feedback and opinions. Remember, Social Media posts are immediate, and even if the person posting eventually removes them, chances are they have already made a big impression on those who have viewed it.

Additionally, more and more studies indicate that peer impressions have more impact on consumer buying behavior than ever before. In otherwards, people are more likely to patronize your business if they hear something positive about it from another peer. Similarly, a negative review from a peer can prompt them to turn the other way. Identifying and addressing negative aspects of your business before customers broadcast it on Social Media can save your company from potential backlash while increasing your changes of building a strong, loyal advocacy base.

Knowing both what makes your customers happy and what displeases them about your company/product/service will help you make appropriate adjustments to ensure satisfied customers. While positive feedback on Social Media sites can be very beneficial, negative feedback can be detrimental. Don’t wait until the negative feedback hits online to take action. Continually analyzing and gathering your customer’s thoughts and impressions about your business will help keep your company on its game and ahead of the pack!

Gina Smith writes freelance articles for magazines, online outlets and publications on behalf of a number of companies, including Global Response. Smith covers the latest topics in the business, tourism, technology and entertainment industries.