Customer satisfaction: More than numbers, pure gold

Surely your business is aware of the importance of measuring customer satisfaction. Perhaps you’ve even read our blog posts on the subject, such as this one, where we talk about how it makes a difference to business success. However, it is not enough to assume that customers are satisfied based solely on subjective perceptions or isolated anecdotes: it is necessary to analyze and act on clear indicators that allow you to accurately understand the customer experience at every touch point. This, in addition to helping to improve the products or services offered, strengthens customer loyalty and brand reputation in the long term.

On this occasion, we will discuss the importance of measuring customer satisfaction, review some of the most popular metrics to carry out this evaluation and, finally, why a contact center can be the key to obtain and manage these indicators in an efficient and profitable way. Reports such as the Harvard Business Review confirm the relevance of building customer-oriented organizations and supporting decisions with quantifiable information.

Why measure customer satisfaction?

• Identify areas for improvement: One of the main benefits of measuring customer satisfaction is the possibility of discovering, with concrete evidence, which are the weak points in the service cycle. Without objective measurements, it is easy to fall into assumptions that may not match reality. For example, it may be assumed that customer response time is optimal, when in reality users perceive significant delays.

• Build loyalty and retention: Several studies such as the Harvard Business Review indicate that retaining an existing customer can be five to seven times more profitable than acquiring a new one. Likewise, the Bain & Company report indicates that a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits between 25% and 95%. These percentages demonstrate the importance of investing in customer satisfaction as a profitable strategy.

• Monitor reputation and recommendation: In the age of social media and instant communication, a brand’s reputation can be quickly affected by a bad service experience. Measuring customer satisfaction helps identify critical situations in a timely manner, in order to take corrective action before they become crises. In addition, satisfied customers tend to share their opinions in a positive way, becoming brand ambassadors.

• Guide strategic decision making: Customer satisfaction metrics not only serve the service or attention area; they also impact the company’s overall strategy. If the results show, for example, that there is consistent dissatisfaction with the quality of a product, it is likely that the value proposition or manufacturing process will need to be rethought. Measuring satisfaction provides valuable information to align the objectives of all areas of the organization.

• Generate competitive advantage: In an environment where companies compete not only on price and quality but on the total experience they offer, those organizations that distinguish themselves through exceptional service and an ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction will achieve a competitive advantage that is unlikely to be replicated overnight.

Key metrics for measuring customer satisfaction

We’ve talked before about ways to measure customer service. However, we want to focus on certain methodologies and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that we consider to be the most effective for quantifying customer satisfaction and specifically analyze their usefulness versus their limitations to help you choose the one that best suits your business.

1. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

The CSAT is one of the most direct ways to measure customer experience with respect to a specific product, service or interaction. It consists of asking customers how satisfied they feel on a scale, generally from 1 to 5, or 1 to 10. The result is calculated by averaging the responses, and is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, if on a scale of 1 to 5, the majority of users rate satisfaction as a 4 or 5, the CSAT will be high.

Why is CSAT useful?

It’s a simple and quick metric to apply; it can be included at the end of a phone call, after a support chat or as part of an email survey. In fact, according to QuestionPro, CSAT is ideal for measuring immediate impression after a one-off interaction.

Limitations: Because of its focus on specific interactions, the CSAT may not reflect the customer’s overall relationship with the brand, but only an isolated experience. Still, it is useful for identifying whether there was a critical incident or moment that warrants immediate attention.

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The NPS (Net Promoter Score) is possibly the most widespread metric in the business world for measuring customer loyalty. It is formulated with a simple question, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company (or product/service) to a friend or colleague?” Based on the answer, customers are classified into:

• Promoters (9-10): those who show a high probability of recommending the brand.

• Passives (7-8): They are somewhere in the middle, neither loyal nor detractors.

• Detractors (0-6): These are those who could have a negative or unsatisfactory experience and can damage the brand’s reputation if they share their bad experiences.

To calculate the NPS, the percentage of detractors is subtracted from the percentage of promoters. The final result can vary between -100 and +100. According to Zendesk, a high NPS indicates that the company is more likely to grow through word-of-mouth recommendation.

Why is NPS useful?

It’s practical and correlates with long-term loyalty. If the NPS is low, there is a risk that the brand will lose customers or that the image will be affected by negative comments.

Limitations: As it is based on the intention to recommend, NPS can fluctuate in the face of external factors, and is not always linked to the customer’s last experience. Therefore, it should be complemented with other metrics.

3. Customer Effort Score (CES)

The Customer Effort Score indicator measures the work it took the customer to solve a problem or request. The logic is that the less effort required from the customer, the greater the customer satisfaction. In this sense, the CES is posed with questions such as “How easy was it for you to solve your problem with our service team?”. Answers are collected on a scale, usually from 1 to 5 or 1 to 7.

Why is CES useful?

A low effort score (i.e., responses indicating “it was very easy to solve my problem”) is usually correlated with high satisfaction. In addition, reducing friction in the service experience influences retention, as customers prefer to interact with companies that make it easy to resolve issues.

Limitations: While it provides information on ease of resolution, it does not encompass the customer’s overall perception of the brand. Therefore, it is recommended to use CES in conjunction with other metrics such as NPS or CSAT.

4. First Contact Resolution (FCR)

The first contact resolution metric focuses on the percentage of interactions resolved in the first interaction a customer has with the company, whether by phone call, live chat, email or social media. A high FCR indicates that most issues or inquiries are handled efficiently from the first time, without the need to escalate or require multiple interactions.

Why is FCR useful?

It helps identify how effective customer service protocols and staff training are. A high FCR reduces customer frustration, lowers support costs and increases satisfaction.

Limitations: Not all queries can always be resolved in a single contact, especially in complex cases. Therefore, FCR should be analyzed carefully, segmenting by type of issue or service.

Other relevant metrics

Average waiting time

Particularly used in contact centers such as CallFasst, it measures how long a customer spends in queue before being attended. Excessive waiting time is usually associated with drops in satisfaction.

Volume of interactions

By cross-referencing the data with satisfaction, patterns can be discovered, for example, an increase in calls related to a specific problem in the company’s platform.

Churn Rate

Indicates the rate of customers who abandon the brand in a given period. Low satisfaction tends to raise the churn rate.

The cycle of continuous improvement

Measuring customer satisfaction is not a one-time event. For the information collected to be relevant and generate results, it is important to establish a cycle of continuous improvement:

1. Data collection: Through surveys, calls, chats, social networks or other interactions, customer ratings are obtained.
2. Analysis and segmentation: Patterns, behaviors and areas of opportunity are identified. Segmentation is done, for example, by type of problem, demographic group or contact channel.
3. Improvement actions: Based on the findings, process changes, staff training or product offering adjustments are implemented.
4. Results monitoring: Key metrics are remeasured to see if improvements have had an effect and to detect new needs.

This iterative process must be carried out constantly, as customer expectations and market conditions change rapidly.

Why is a contact center like CallFasst the ideal tool to achieve these objectives?

At this point, it is clear that measuring customer satisfaction is fundamental for the competitiveness of organizations. However, it is important to have the right infrastructure and talent to carry out this task efficiently. This is where a contact center comes into play, which can be managed directly by the company or through a specialized call center BPO. Here are some of the benefits they offer:

• Comprehensive interaction management: A modern, omnichannel contact center facilitates the centralization of all customer conversations – calls, emails, chats, social networks – on a single platform. This makes it possible to have a complete view of each customer’s history and preferences, allowing for more accurate data for satisfaction metrics.

• Scalability and adaptability: Professional BPO customer care services have the ability to adapt to peaks in demand or peak sales seasons. This is essential to avoid compromising the quality of service, even at times of high inquiry traffic. If your company is going through a period of accelerated growth, the call center can scalably increase the number of agents and service channels without affecting quality.

• Specialization in customer experience: A professional contact center trains its agents in communication, empathy and problem-solving skills. The focus on customer experience translates into a more personalized and satisfactory service. In addition, because they work with clear protocols and continuous supervision, deviations in satisfaction indicators can be detected and corrected quickly.

• Real-time data monitoring and analysis: Many contact center platforms include reporting tools that allow viewing and downloading metrics such as CSAT, NPS and FCR in real time. This allows the management team to make informed decisions without having to wait weeks to analyze the results. This accelerates the continuous improvement cycle, because findings can be translated into immediate actions.

• Cost optimization: While it may be costly for some companies to implement a contact center internally, the option to outsource it to a call center BPO helps reduce investment in infrastructure, recruitment and staff training. You pay for a specialized service that guarantees measurable results.

• Nearshoring expertise: A call center BPO with nearshoring expertise can offer additional benefits for companies looking to cover international markets or needing bilingual support. By bringing the operation closer to the customer’s geographic and cultural zone, communication barriers are minimized and a more effective and closer service is guaranteed.

Measuring customer satisfaction is not an option, but a necessity. However, it is not enough to have metrics: it is essential to have the infrastructure and human talent to collect, manage and analyze data on an ongoing basis.

In the end, measuring customer satisfaction should be seen as a virtuous cycle: know the real opinion of consumers, detect points of improvement, act with agility and measure again. Those who establish this process constantly and have a robust contact center have the door open to differentiation and success in an increasingly demanding market.