Customer delight has been a focal point of customer service discussions for a while now. Many experts believe that organizations should aim to delight every customer each time. But the process should be done in a simpler, careful way – otherwise what is delight today may become the norm tomorrow, or some customers might not like the ‘delight’ offered.
What is Customer Delight?
At the core of it, customer delight is about exceeding the expectations a customer has from the product or service. This is usually achieved by adding a feature that enhances the product or service, exceptional customer services, personalized gifts, or something else. While satisfaction keeps customers coming back, delight ensures they look for the same product or service as before. Customer satisfaction is a precursor to customer delight. If customers are happy with the products, delighting them with unexpected enhancements provides them with a pleasant surprise that makes them want to know more. This repeat interest is what is expected of customer delight, but when done wrong – especially in the form of hastily-thought out discounts or gifts – it can backfire.
Customer satisfaction – levels
When the perceived value of the product or service received by the customer is higher than the expected value, the seeds of delight are sown. The satisfaction levels of customers can be measured in multiple ways, but most of them usually have a scale that is broadly classified into three categories:
Above par: When the perceived value of the service received is higher than the expected service, customers can be expected to be totally satisfied with the product or service. And their loyalty towards the brand will not only include repeat transactions but also advocating for it in their personal circles.
At par: When customers get what they expected according to the previously agreed conditions, a normal satisfaction level ensues. These customers might shift if they find a better deal, but they are in no hurry to do so.
Below par: when the service expected by customers is much higher than what is provided or perceived, the chances of customers returning are bleak. They might even turn into detractors and share negative feedback.
Differences between Satisfaction and delight
The perception of customers depends on the service expected. The goal of customer satisfaction which aims at delivering promised value, seems adequate – why topple a working model? But the need of the hour is to create differentiators, where customer delight can add the ‘wow’ factor that tilts the needle in its favor.
Multiple levels Vs. pinnacle
Customer satisfaction can be classified into different categories, and actions can be taken to move them in a positive direction. Delight, on the other hand, is what peak customer satisfaction would be – where a customer is so happy with the product or service that they come back for it again.
Action Vs. Emotion
Customer satisfaction can be measured quantifiably, using various metrics. With customer support teams especially, solving issues faster becomes more important – and using tools like Screenjar where customers can quickly share screen recordings for faster resolution, can turn a routine satisfactory experience into a delightful one.
Referral Vs. Influence
Customers who are satisfied will share good words if asked – marginally helping organizations get new clients (or at least a foot in). Customers who have experienced delight, usually share their experience proactively through different channels and spread the news of positive experiences with their close ones. The positive impact adds credence to the brand.
Return purchases Vs. Loyalty
Satisfied customers can go to a competitor if they’re convinced there isn’t much difference in quality or functionality. They might consider moving out if they received help from the competitor – be it in the form of new feature ads, better pricing structures, or quick issue resolution. These experiences lead to delight, and a delighted customer wouldn’t think of going to a competitor. These instances of customer delight are essential in SaaS businesses where providing additional value makes a customer feel valued, increases loyalty, and strengthens the relationship.
Achieving delight and satisfaction
Organizations that closely track customer behaviors are equipped to communicate about the customer’s existing status and highlight areas where they can offer help. This also gives a look into the customer’s future, and changes can be made accordingly to support them in their endeavor. Having the right software to rescue them from unforeseen issues is also a good way to extend satisfaction into delight. By helping customers build what matters most to them, partner organizations can come up with a compelling product roadmap, which can be developed further by collaborating with customers. By incorporating customer engagement tips in product roadmap can help you create a more compelling, customer-centric roadmap that addresses the needs and pain points of the customers.
Having a framework for issues and feature requests helps in gauging key metrics, analyzing relevant data, and identifying the best way forward. The data required for the processes should be properly segmented so that the customer success efforts can be scaled easily while keeping track of their efficiency. Providing customer delight can also be a learning tool – where similar problems for another customer can be handled easily because the data about the issue is documented securely. Proper management of this data also is important, because asking customers to provide details of the issue again might cost you the relationship (if the issue is severe enough). Gathering timely customer data in a secure and accessible place like a Jira ticket where it can be easily tagged, and providing access to relevant team members – can result in faster resolutions. This will also give the impression to the customer that the entire team understands their needs.
Conclusion
The emotion of delight gets a lot of attention but focusing on it instead of what the customer needs can prove to be a disaster. Organizations that intrinsically focus on customer engagement manage to delight their customers more often, and this is in part due to their employees being interested in solving customer issues. Satisfied customers are a lot more likely to renew their relationships than unsatisfied customers, but those who are delighted are almost guaranteed to do so. Organizations that listen to their customers will be more aware of their wants and needs – allowing employees to provide effective solutions and continue the cycle of delight.
