The Power of Perceptions in Shaping Customer Satisfaction
Is the glass half empty or half full? The definition resides in your customers' eyes..
Isn't it interesting how our perceptions rule our
beliefs and actions? So much of the brain research today seems to support
the idea that what we perceive defines our reality.
This article examines the role that perception plays in the minds of
consumers.
People Perceive Quality in Many Ways
Regardless of how good you believe your offerings or project solutions are,
your clients and customers will be responding to "quality in perception"
even more than "quality in fact."
Quality in fact refers to the features that we believe we're paying for,
such as how much something weighs, how fast it runs, or various other
characteristics.
Quality in perception pertains to things like special considerations,
courtesies, a caring and personalized attitude, and many other subtleties
that can lead us to believe we're receiving more than what we're paying for.
Effective quality in perception can help compensate for any gaps in quality
in fact that could otherwise irritate or inconvenience consumers.
Often, Perceived Value Is Not about Cost
Some years ago, I was a volunteer mediator in the Small Claims Court system.
During my involvement in the court system, I became fascinated with the
number of cases involving alleged wrongdoing or incompetence. People were
suing businesses such as termite services and auto body painters, and even
former best friends and health care providers over a variety of grievances!
The suits often sought fairly small amounts of compensation, which meant
that the financial aspects were not the primary concern.
What repeatedly emerged in the mediation sessions was that each plaintiff
felt that the vendor, service provider, health care provider, or ex-friend
had not listened to his or her concerns. Many of the plaintiffs believed
that their concerns about shortcomings in services, products, or
communications had simply been ignored.
However, if the defendants in these cases had earlier offered a simple,
sincere apology -- and had they made a concerted effort to communicate while
also taking timely remedial action -- I believe the resulting quality in
perception could have prevented many of these lawsuits, even if the quality
in fact still left something to be desired.
New Proof of the Power of Apologies
The New York Times recently reported that sincere, heart-felt apologies
coming from doctors, surgeons, and hospitals who made serious medical
mistakes have the effect of greatly reducing the likelihood that patients
will sue for malpractice. In addition, patients who are willing to settle
out of court often accept lower settlement payments than when doctors become
defensive and deny what happened.
"Deny and defend" is the advice that malpractice lawyers and insurers
typically give to doctors in the U.S., according to the Times. Studies that
show that as few as 30 percent of medical errors are ever disclosed to
patients. However, since malpractice claims have helped fuel skyrocketing
medical costs, drastic changes in approaches to handling these high-stress
situations are sorely needed.
According to the article, two years ago, the University of Illinois Medical
Center initiated a program of openly acknowledging and apologizing for its
medical mistakes. Ever since, the frequency of malpractice cases filed
against the center has dropped in half. And in 37 cases where the hospital
acknowledged a preventable error and apologized, only one patient has filed
suit.
In one patient's situation described in the article, "the doctor was
completely candid, completely honest, and so frank that . . . all the anger
was gone." This apology also helped settle the case for a significantly
lower amount.
Creating a Perception of Seamlessness
To help ensure the continuity of our customers' perceptions, we need to
create consistently pleasant experiences in every interaction each person
has, from visiting a Web site or bricks-and-mortar location, to asking for
more information, to buying products, to receiving shipments, to interacting
with the actual products or services, to asking for help, and so on.
Consider this very important point: People perceive a series of interactions
with your organization and offerings as one cohesive experience -- as if
everyone and everything represents threads in the same seamless piece of
woven fabric.
Customers don't care whether behind the scenes, your business is spread out
all over the world, or whether individual departments consist of contractors
or employees, earthlings or aliens. Whenever customers call technical
support representatives, for example, they expect them to know all about the
features advertised on the Web site that are supposed to be in the product.
So, if there is any type of communication disconnect, you might be able to
explain it to yourself, but there's no logical explanation for it in your
customer's mind.
Prescriptions for Boosting Quality in Perception
These important findings show the power of apologies and candid
communications in influencing the perceptions of clients, customers, or
patients. To make sure you're not overlooking potential ways to create
quality in perception, consider:
1) Special courtesies that can set your offerings apart from your
competitors
2) Your ability to listen to and handle complaints quickly and
diplomatically
3) Your willingness to be honest with clients about problems and
shortcomings
4) Clear, prompt, and courteous communications that convey consistent
details
Remember that quality in perception is not a substitute for quality in fact.
But it can go a long way toward minimizing customer and client
dissatisfaction, as well as powerfully reinforcing stellar quality when you
ultimately deliver it.
