Monitoring and measurement of customer satisfaction has become essential for every company. This is because such a move could provide feedback and input for the purposes of the development and implementation of strategies for improving customer satisfaction. Kotler, et al, (1996) identified four methods for measuring customer satisfaction, which is as follows:
1. Complaint and Suggestion Systems
Every customer-oriented organization (customer oriented) should provide ample opportunity to its customers to submit suggestions, opinions, and their complaints. The media used can be placed suggestion boxes in strategic places (which is easy to reach or often bypassed the customer), a comment card (which can be filled directly or sent via post to the company), toll-free phone line, and others.
The information obtained from this method can provide new ideas and input are valuable to the company, allowing it to react with responsive and quick to resolve problems that arise. However, because this method is passive, it is difficult to get a complete picture of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Not all dissatisfied customers will complain.
They could instantly switch supplier and will not buy the company’s products again. Efforts to get good advice from customers are also difficult to realize with this method. Moreover if the company does not provide reciprocity and adequate follow-up
to those who have taken the trouble to think (contributed ideas) to the company.
2. Ghost Shopping
One way to get an overview of customer satisfaction is to hire some people to act or behave as customers / potential buyers of the company’s products and competitors. Then they report the findings of the strengths and weaknesses of the company and competitor products based on their experience in purchasing these products.
Besides the ghost shoppers can also observe how the company and its competitors in order to handle customers, answer customer questions and deal with any complaints. It’s good company managers go directly into the shopper to know the ghost directly interact and how their employees treat customers.
Of course, employees may not know that his boss is doing research or assessment (eg by calling his own company and make a complaint or inquiry).
3. Lost Customer Analysis
Companies should contact customers who have stopped buying or who have moved supplier to be able to understand why it happens and in order to take a policy improvement / refinement later. Not only are needed, but monitoring is also important, which shows an increase in the company’s failure to satisfy its customers.
4. Surveys Customer Satisfaction
Generally a lot of research on customer satisfaction surveys conducted by research, surveys either by post, telephone or personal interview. Through the survey, the company will obtain a response and feedback (feed back) directly from the customers and also give an indication (signal) positive that the company is paying attention to its customers.