CHAPTER SEVEN 7. Customer satisfaction Research Customer satisfaction research begins inside and out side our organization. Our customer satisfaction efforts inside our organization can include obtaining valuable information in three areas. A). Whether customer needs and expectations are currently understood by our front line customer contact employees. 27/Page CUSTOMER CARE 8. SERVICE 2016e.c B). Actual statistical information about our performance regarding these needs and expectations, C). Preliminary competitive information about to include both the identification of competitors and their current practices and performance as it impacts our customer. Just as our organization should know its actual performance level on all processes important to customers we should know how our competitors are performing on these processes We can obtain this competitive information from variety of sources.Certainly the first place to look is with in our organization. Our customer contact personnel may be very familiar with the comparative processes and performance levels of our direct competitors. They may hear about them from shared customers on daily basis. Next we can conduct our own sampling of our competitors performance through visiting their business. Finally, suppliers can also be an additional source of information concerning our competitors. Types of customers Generally speaking, customers fall in three types. These are; 1. Dissatisfied customer only 4% of all dissatisfied customers complain. 96% just go away. The problem is they don't go away quietly. They tell 10 to 15 people about their bad experience with us If these customers are telling 10 to 15 people, that would be bad enough.But do we imagine that the telling remains the same from person 1 to person 15?In fact as we all know from personal experience, the story grows and worsen as it is told 2. Satisfied customers? these customers are willing to stay until some thing better comes along.They are satisfied for now.This is the trap that many organizations fall in to on the subject of customer satisfaction. __ 3.the delighted customers are actually a power full marketing weapon for our organization Owners of organizations have realized that delighte'd customers are singing phrases to others potential customers.