As with most business initiatives, it’s common to find companies being a little self centric when analyzing customer satisfaction. Ultimately, the power is in the hands of the customer and they decide based on their own internal “scale” when assessing their vendors.

The Scale: Customers are never fully satisfied.

Consider the scale from the customer’s perspective: Wants, Expectations, Satisfaction

Wants

• Represent the holy grail
• The customer ideal — the focus of product development
• But limited by economic realities and what’s “technically” possible

Expectations

• Adjusted wants based on
• What’s available from you and competing companies
• Price versus value

Satisfaction

• That good enough level that seems to keep customers from leaving
• Its not a high wall that competitors can’t scale but they need to invest in getting closer to expectations and wants than you are and marketing that difference effectively

How does this affect companies — its about short term vs long term focus

Short term focus: Satisfaction (or more accurately dissatisfaction).
Long term focus: Aim towards expectations and (even higher) wants.

That’s where your most dangerous competitors are aiming
Of course, there are those competing on price, but that’s a game that your company can stay in – even if its a tough fight. But once customer expectation move past your capabilities to deliver, its a tough road back to being in the game.