How to Get Happy Customers (Hint: Measure Your Customer Satisfaction)

It’s no secret that happy customers are something (most) companies strive for. Sure, there are businesses that just want customers, but they usually don’t last very long.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re interested in finding out how to get happy—or happier—customers.

Remember: just because you’re reading this doesn’t mean you have unhappy customers. It probably just means you have customers. Maybe you have no idea whether they’re satisfied or not? So, no reason to panic—yet.

We can safely assume that you are: a person, looking for information, about customer satisfaction. Today.

Now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about what customer satisfaction is, why it matters, and how you can measure it.

What is customer satisfaction and why does it matter?

Let’s start by defining what customer satisfaction actually means. According to Paul Farris, customer satisfaction is:

“The number of customers, or the percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a company, its products, or its services exceeds specified satisfaction goals.”

This definition is endorsed by the Marketing Accountability Standards Board as the official definition of customer satisfaction. Fancy, right?

So in short, customer satisfaction is the relationship between a customer’s expectations before a purchase and their experience after it.

Great. Now we know what it is—but why is it important?

• A customer is three times more likely to share a negative experience than a positive one.
• According to Google, businesses with three or more stars get 87% of clicks in search results.
• It costs 6–7 times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one.
• 80% of people avoid companies with too many bad reviews, and it takes 12 positive ones to make up for a single negative.

A side story: one very unhappy customer

If you’re already convinced, you can skip this part—but you’ll miss a great story.

This is the tale of Dave Carroll, a guitar, an airline, and a stock price.

Musician Dave Carroll was on a United Airlines flight when he saw ground staff mishandle his guitar. The $3,500 instrument was damaged, and when he asked for compensation, United refused. After nine months of back and forth, Dave did what musicians do—he wrote a song: “United Breaks Guitars.”

The song went viral, reaching over 20 million views on YouTube. Within four weeks, United’s stock price dropped about 10%, wiping out roughly $180 million in market value.

Moral of the story? One unhappy customer can be very expensive.

How to create happy customers

Customer satisfaction is about the total experience, not just the product or price. You need to exceed expectations, not just meet them.

Here’s how:

1. Measure customer satisfaction

Start by finding out where you stand. Conduct a customer survey to see what’s working and what’s not. Tools like NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) give you clear insights into where improvements are needed.

2. Build loyalty

Loyalty isn’t just about discounts. It’s about recognition and value. Offer loyal customers early access, exclusive insights, or sneak peeks of new features. Nearly 50% of customers expect to be treated specially.

3. Create added value

Inspire, educate, and engage your customers with free resources—like newsletters full of useful tips, or webinars with industry experts. If you sell a CRM system, why not host a session called “How to Close More Deals”?

4. Engage your customers

Involve your customers in product development. Let them test new features, collect feedback, and reward their input with a few months of free service. Those who feel included are far more likely to stay—and advocate for you.

5. Offer world-class customer service

A great product is nothing without great support. Exceptional service drives satisfaction and loyalty.

And don’t forget—happy employees create happy customers. Measure employee engagement as carefully as you measure customer satisfaction.

Why customer satisfaction is critical

By now, you probably get it—but just to drive it home:

• 91% of dissatisfied customers leave without complaining.
• The average person tells 15 others about a bad experience.

Satisfied customers, on the other hand:

• Spend 17% more on average.
• Are 93% more likely to become repeat buyers after a good service experience.

How lynes helps businesses boost customer satisfaction

At lynes, we know how vital customer satisfaction is. Our own satisfaction rate is around 97%—and we’re aiming even higher.

With lynes Survey, integrated directly into our platform, we can measure everything from NPS and CSAT to employee satisfaction—giving us real insights to act on before issues become problems.

Want happier customers?

Contact us, and we’ll show you how lynes can help.

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