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Client Satisfaction

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In one of this week’s Dilbert cartoons, the Pointy-Haired Boss comes to a realization that would not be news to even occasional followers, by observing: “This job got a lot less stressful when I realized I hate my customers.” 

Having recently heard from someone in the real world note that “If it wasn’t for our customers, we’d get a lot of stuff done around here”, it’s clear that Scott Adams has his finger on the pulse of what ails businesses today, particularly those where there is an ongoing dance between the client and the service provider. 

Sadly, most software companies I have seen that would like to think of themselves as a shrink-wrap product company, with little ongoing client interaction, end up with more interaction than planned - on balance unanticipated and hence frustrating - and also fall into the ‘service provider’ category as well. 

Like ‘product quality’, the term ‘client satisfaction’ is given plenty of lip service in industry, and there are few examples of companies that truly shine in managing relationships throughout the lifecycle. As in personal relationships, the focus and attention that leads to that first kiss can prove to be difficult to sustain over the long term. 

I recently tried through a number of frustrating calls to obtain a new cel phone after years as a faithful client with growing usage, only to give up and finally leave for another carrier. As I notified them to terminate my account, they passed me on to their Customer Retention Department, whose first words were to offer me a new phone. Interesting approach, as I had already moved before they began to take heed, and was not about to back out of the new arrangement (and give up my snazzy new phone). It is not the first time I have moved to a new cel provider, and it appears the focus for most [insert your loathsome service provider here, be it a bank, utility, auto dealership…] is to try to win over new clients and hope that the overall pool is not diminishing, rather than to retain the clients they have. 

It is important to note that the relationship needs to be viewed and managed from both directions to be truly successful, particularly in a service-oriented engagement. The interaction is a two-way street, and to attempt to improve the satisfaction of your counterpart at the expense of your own is clearly not sustainable. The imbalance will weigh heavily over time, and it is best to make adjustments to the alignment or to disengage as soon as problems are seen. 

As a service provider, I have explicitly chosen to disengage from an otherwise fruitful exchange of currency when there was no way to bring alignment with the client, and as many of the industry gurus would suggest, it was an entirely refreshing experience! Over time I have become dubious of claims of 100% client satisfaction on websites: there will always be cases where the bending of values required to build a satisfying relationship from both sides is too great, and money does not adequately compensate for lack of satisfaction. 

Remember also that client satisfaction is not reserved solely for relationships outside the organization – in almost any company there are chains of dependency between groups, and all the same rules apply (except, perhaps for the exchange of currency). Respect the needs of those you are providing a service for internally, eliminate the internal silos between departments, and the overall quality of your product or service will certainly go up. 

In all situations, whether the relationship is internal or external, the degree client satisfaction should be a major factor in how you measure your own success. Roy E. Moody noted that "the greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen." From my experience, on both sides of the fence, it is clear to me that the key to client satisfaction is indeed a health dose of active listening. - JB 

Jim Brosseau of Clarrus Consulting Group


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