Customer Satisfaction: The Secret Sauce to Success

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Published: Thursday 1st August 2024

After years of helping customers navigate everything from tech troubles to existential crises (okay, maybe just the tech troubles), I’ve learned that customer satisfaction is about being human and creating genuine connections.

I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned and reveal some of the secrets behind our success. So, let’s dive into five strategies for creating happy, loyal customers. And don’t worry, I’ll keep it lively and jargon-free!

1. Employ the right team

First off, exceptional service starts with hiring the right people. When I look for new team members, I prioritise friendliness, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others. Even if a candidate lacks traditional customer service experience, they can still shine with the right support and training. At Signable, we’ve found that people without a customer service background can excel if they have the right attitude and a talent for connecting with others.

What matters is finding individuals who align with your company’s values and can build real connections with customers. During interviews, I pay close attention to how candidates interact and whether they naturally make others feel comfortable. We always look for a natural sense of curiosity – the desire and ability to ask the right questions in order to help. These traits often turn everyday interactions into exceptional experiences, regardless of prior job titles.

Pro Tip: When you’re hiring, think about finding people who genuinely align with your company’s values and who naturally connect with others. Don’t get hung up on traditional customer service experience, sometimes the best communicators come from unexpected backgrounds. 

2. Listen, don’t just hear

Listening goes beyond just hearing words, you need to really understand what your customers are saying. At Signable, I make sure our team knows how important it is to dive deep into customer interactions. 

We don’t just respond to what’s said on the surface, we explore the deeper layers of customer pain points, wants, and needs. I always remind myself and my team, “How would I want to be treated if I were on the other end of this call or email?” By putting ourselves in our customers’ shoes and truly empathising with their perspectives, we make every interaction meaningful and impactful.

Pro Tip: Encourage your team to listen like they’re having a heartfelt conversation with a friend. Instead of just hearing the words, teach them to dig deeper by asking thoughtful questions and really tuning into what the customer is feeling and needing. By connecting on a deeper level, you show customers that you genuinely care, making every conversation more impactful and building stronger relationships.

3. Real-time feedback loop

Now, feedback is a gift (sometimes an awkwardly wrapped one, but a gift nonetheless). We use tools like Slack to set up a real-time feedback loop. With Slack integrations capturing Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and customer feedback instantly, we can address issues faster than you can say “customer satisfaction.” This quick response not only makes customers feel heard but also shows that we genuinely care about their experience.

Pro Tip: Treat feedback as an ongoing conversation with your customers. Implement tools that allow you to capture and act on their input in real time. By responding promptly and thoughtfully, you demonstrate that you genuinely listen and value their opinions. This approach transforms potential bumps in the road into opportunities for creating stronger, more positive interactions.

4. Be transparent and timely

Transparency is key to building trust, and at Signable, we take it seriously. We use Slack channels to keep everyone – whether they’re in customer success, marketing, sales, or any other department – in the loop about customer feedback, updates, and improvements. Some of this info filters in automatically, while other insights flow through our open channels, so everyone can stay up-to-date with what’s going on. This way, we ensure that all teams are aligned and that communication stays clear and consistent.

For our customers, this level of transparency means that our internal alignment shows up in every interaction. It translates into consistent communication and a seamless experience for them, helping to reinforce their trust and confidence in us.

Pro Tip: Make transparency a natural part of your team’s daily routine by setting up simple ways for them to stay in the loop. Share important updates and customer feedback regularly, and encourage open, honest conversations. By keeping the lines of communication open, you’ll build a more connected and agile team.

5. Continue to innovate and improve

To keep our customers truly happy, we’re constantly on the lookout for new ways to impress them. At Signable, we’re passionate about soaking up feedback and digging into data to spot trends and anticipate what’s coming next. For example, our ‘Bulk Send’ feature came about directly from customer suggestions, showing just how closely we listen to what our users need. By staying proactive, we don’t just meet expectations – we exceed them, keeping our services fresh and always in tune with what our customers want.

Pro Tip: Be open to new innovations and actively seek out fresh ideas from your team. I make it a habit to regularly explore customer feedback and brainstorm together on new possibilities. By encouraging creativity and being receptive to new suggestions, you keep your offerings vibrant and relevant. This approach not only keeps your team engaged but also helps you stay ahead of customer needs, strengthening your relationships and boosting satisfaction.

Harnessing Slack for enhanced customer happiness

Slack is our not-so-secret weapon in the quest for customer happiness. We use Slack as our main communications provider, enabling us to integrate with our CRM and feedback systems seamlessly. This dynamic platform allows for real-time collaboration and responsiveness, centralising customer insights, streamlining workflows, and empowering our teams to deliver proactive, personalised service at every touchpoint. 

But we can’t give all the credit to Slack. Our fantastic customer team deserves a huge shout-out! They’re an amazing, friendly, and understanding bunch who make what we do so much easier because we’re all aligned as one team. Slack helps us centralise all that good energy into efficient workflows, allowing us to harness our team’s brilliance and keep everything running smoothly.

My final pro tip: Try using collaboration tools like Slack to keep your team in sync and make customer insights easily accessible. It can streamline your processes and improve how quickly you respond to customer needs, helping you stay ahead and deliver great service!

Learn more about how we use Slack at Signable

So, let’s keep pushing the envelope, staying tuned in to our customers, and crafting experiences that make them say, “Wow!” After all, happy customers are the best business strategy around. Thanks for reading, and here’s to building lasting customer happiness together! 

Cheers, Ellie

Hey there! Guess what? We’ve just rolled out a new integration with Slack! Curious to learn more? Check out our integrations page here. If you’d rather chat with someone on our team, feel free to give us a call at 0800 612 6263. We can’t wait to connect with you!

Ellie Yates

Head of Customer Success

Ellie Yates is the Head of Customer Success for Signable. Ellie oversees the customer support and success divisions and collaborates with the product team to continuously improve the platform and to advocate for customers. Ellie has over 10 years of Customer Success experience in start-up to scale-up SaaS organisations and has been in the e-signature space for nearly 5 years. She enjoys building excellent relationships with customers and creating Customer facing teams that project internal company culture out into the world.