Importance of Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company to meet or surpass customer expectation. It is essential to any business. If customers are satisfied, they are more likely to purchase from one company more often. As a result, the company should know the most effective way to meet customers’ needs and further enhance customer service to ensure strong customer satisfaction. 

Within organizations, customer satisfaction ratings can have a great impact. Furthermore, these ratings can serve as warning of threat or opportunity that can affect sales and profitability. When a brand has loyal customers, it gains trust and encourages POM or positive word of mouth marketing. This approach is effective and no cost to the company because customers are the ones making efforts on how others know about a product or services through sharing by using different means of communication. For example, customer likes the product; as a result, he shares his experience over the internet through the use of social networking sites and even uploaded a picture of it. And so, company saves its budget in Advertising because of its loyal customers who are strongly satisfied by their products.

Hence, it is essential for organizations to know the different types of customer satisfaction. First, when merchandise meets customers’ expectation, it is called Positive Confirmation. In some cases, critics used the term delighted meaning the company’s products or services exceed customers’ expectation. On the other hand, Negative Confirmation is the term being used when the company does not meet the standard of the customers.

It is necessary for the company to know why there will come a point that customers will start to dislike a product or services. One example is poor product quality. Inferiority of products have negative impact to customer that can also have an effect on the image of the company. Another example is poor customer service. It happens when employees are not trained to be customer-orientated and not focusing on meeting other people’s needs.

Effects of negative confirmation can be fatal to company’s profitability and image. Studies show that a satisfied customer will tell two to three people about his experience with your company while unsatisfied consumer will share their lament with eight to ten people (Gladin, 2012). As a result, negative publicity can occur and enormous decline on sales could happen. Moreover, increase of usage of social media where information can easily be gathered and number customer complaints are ubiquitously. The accessibility of information is so rampant that negative remarks about a product or services may be passed on from one person to another.

Hence, commitment to the customer is displayed by responsiveness and resolution of customer concerns, problems and complaints. Instead of telling customers what the company will do in response to a complaint, a business that is truly committed to customers will ask them how they would like the problem to be handled or resolved. Oftentimes, this approach leads to lower costs, because many customers ask for less than the company might be willing to do to solve a problem. Solving complaints to the full satisfaction of customers is critical in this age of the Internet and social media. Previously, unhappy customers might tell a dozen other people; today, they might go online and voice complaints that reach tens of thousands of people. Product or service failures that are not resolved promptly and to the full satisfaction of the customer affect future business, because they weaken customer-company bonds and lower perceptions of service quality.

Finally, companies looking to generate a satisfied and loyal group of customers need to keep in mind the different drivers that affect customers’ attitudes. For each factor, they should measure, benchmark and compare their performance with different customer groups against past performance, the company’s overall goals and the performance of major competitors. The classic approach is to ask respondents to select an adjective that reflects their opinion, typically using a five-point scale; a similar survey can be conducted with the customers of competitors. By monitoring how well it is doing versus past performance, competitors and other benchmarks, a company can develop insights and early warnings that will enable managers to make timely adjustments to their customer relationship strategies.

REFERENCES:

Anderson R., (2013) How to Drive Customer Satisfaction, Retrieved from

    http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-drive-customer-satisfaction

Coon, J. (2012) Playing the Advocate, Retrieved from

    http://geniusbusiness.com/redding-california-marketing-2./

Paddison, N., (2005) Seing Patients as Customers, Retrieved from

http://www.quirks.com/articles/a2005/20050604.aspx?searchID=622320818&sort=5&pg

Peppers and Rogers Group, (2010) Sponsored Content: Capitalizing on Customer Feedback - Creating Measurable Value from Voice-of-the-Customer (VOC) Programs, Retrieved From        http://www.quirks.com/articles/2010/20100399.aspx?searchID=622320818&sort=5&pg=

Misconceptions about Marketing

Does Marketing really make people buy things they don’t really need? It has long been debated over whether Marketing is good or bad. Critics said that today’s generation of Marketing and Advertising is unethical and deceitful. Is it true that having our favorite celebrities on commercials, creative and scandalous posters, and humorous ads are Marketing’s tricks to lure us and buy things we don’t need? This article will seek to critically determine contradicting views on how Marketing Communication is truly used.

As consumers, we often believe on advertisements we see on TV especially when products are being introduced by a famous personality. Another is when packaging of a brand gets our attention and attracts us because of its originality and uniqueness. And then by the time we were about to consume it reactions were like, “It is not what it looks like it the picture.”, “My hair is still looks frizzy even though it states here total repair damage.” Consumers often get disappointed and have bad feelings that they got fooled by Advertising.

Marketing is designed to influence a person’s buying criteria. In very short explanation, its goal is to make people buy the product. Marketing avoid risks that will have negative implication to the products and only provide customers information that will be beneficial for them. This describes why is Marketing being accused by critics as misleading and demanding false claims. So it is being argued whether Marketing is really influential or just manipulative.

On the other hand, Marketing is essential for one business to grow and compete in the market. It is the backbone of the company and without it determining the need of the market, developing a product, and satisfying the customers will never be possible. One company is very dependent on Marketing’s capability to have basis on pricing and how to counter competitors move. Despite all negative implications, Marketing is still beneficial for a business to gain profitability, market share, and sales.

Marketing Communication is a strategic process used to plan, develop and execute, and evaluate coordinated, measurable, persuasive brand communication programs with consumers, customers, prospects, employees and other external audiences. This is how people are going to hear about a product and largely they will decide whether or not they are interested in it based on advertising. People tend to fail to recall another goal of Marketing which is to inform. If we don’t rely on advertisement, how can we know about the product; the way it is used and what it is for? Clearly nobody is going to walk into one’s office and ask for whatever it is that they are selling unless they know about what products they offered. It is like randomly pick something on grocery stalls with our eyes closed.

We need also to take in consideration to overlook that Marketing values its customers. It creates, delivers, and communicates value to enhance customer relationship. Marketing professionals have always basis on determining if the product is worth the price to establish healthy competition in the market. In addition, Marketing aims to know how to locate the best segment of the market that really needs the product which can only be done through intensive research. Marketing professionals don’t guess. They have basis.

Consumers have their insights on what they had experience and had feel about the product sometimes on what they heard through word-of-mouth. They lack reliable information on how Marketing does it job and underestimate the relevance of market research. The issue here is not about how bad or good Marketing Communication is but to figure out how effective it has captured our minds and if we don’t believe its products’ claims, we, customers still have the ultimate power to buy or not things whether it is a need or want.

REFERENCES:

Coon, J. (2012) Playing the Advocate, Retrieved from

http://geniusbusiness.com/redding-california-marketing-2./

Lorette, K. (2012) The Importance of Marketing for the Success of a Business, Retrieved from

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-marketing-success-business-589.html

NBM Communications (2013) Why Marketing is Important to Businesses?, Retrieved from

http://www.nbmcommunications.com/why-is-marketing-important-to-businesses.php

Blog Blog - Aves

Ang blog na ito ay may pahintulot ni Avonlea Cruz.

Isa si Aves sa matalik (sorry pala sa mga deep  tagalog words dahil sadyang ganun si Aves, lalo na nung araw na sinabi niya sa recitation ni Ma’am Belenzo ang salitang  “bulay-bulay “ na nakakatawa pero di mo akalaing may salita talagang ganun) na kaibigan. Ay ano bay un, haba ng comment. Ulit, si Aves ay isa sa aking matatalik na kaibigan.

Nagkakilala kami nung high school, di ko malaman bakit di pa tayo close dati nun? Ano ba nangyare? Haha siya ay isang staffer ng Bamboo. Bamboo Staffer na unang gumaya ng kagalang-galang naming club na Backstaffers Club aka BSC. Muse ako nun, madagdag ko lang. Si Avon din ang favorite student ni Ma’am Ng. Ay ayoko nang magkwento. Ayoko na. Wait, No. Ganito kasi yun . . One time, super late siya sa class ni Ma’am Ng. O shaaaa… Feeling niya ang liit liit niya, kung makatago siya o makagapang habang nakatalikod si Ma’am at nagsusulat sa board wagas. Ayun, too bad huli pa rin. Napagalitan pa tuloy! Magaling din si Avon sa mga declamation ganyan dahil para siyang may built in mega phone sa katawan niya sa lakas ng boses.

AH! Alam ko na! Alam ko na kung bakit kami naging super friends ni Aves. Nagstart to nung sunod-sunod ba naman ang swimming namin  sa Town and Country. Literal na sunod-sunod. Plus sports fest, road trip, lugaw trip, bake bake, coffee trip (feeling naming cast kami ng F.R.I.E.N.D.S.) at marami pang iba. Si Aves ang kasundo ko sa halos lahat ng bagay except pag topic na e love life. Allergic siya dun. One time ko lang magsabi sa kanya ng “Aves may crush ako----“ di pa tapos yung sentence ko, nakasigaw na siya agad kasing tining nung buzzer sa LRT.

Bilang kaibigan, si Aves yung hindi mo na kailangang ayain manood ng sine o overnight dahil alam mo na ang sagot niya. Mapapagod ka lang magpilit. Si Aves yung may alagang lion sa bahay (we miss you Bassy!) na handang lapain ka, pero mas matapang pa rin si Starry.

Si Avon ang top of mind ko when it comes to best friendship. Sorry guys, si Aves e. (Actually, may atraso kasi ako. Yung breakfast at tiffany's, to follow) hahaha. No, seriously. Si Avon ang nasasabihan ko ng pinakanakakatawang storya ng buhay ko, pati na rin sa hindi masyadong masaya, hanggang sa hindi talaga masaya. Si Avon ang unang naiisip ko sa mga panahong hindi ko na kayang isarili yung problema at kailangan ko na siyang i-share sa iba dahil 1. alam mong makikinig siya 2. meron siyang maiisip ng mga paraan para maging okay ka 3. SUN kasi siya. Hahaha. Maraming maraming salamat nung last time. Pati Rej. Thanks!

Thank you Aves for best friendship! Miss ko na Jogging Days natin at ang mala-kim chui body mo after makatakbo ng 8 ikot sa Lias. Starbucks tayo libre ni Rej! Haha. Kailan ulit tayo mag-bake? magswimming? Basta Aves, super saya ko at masaya ka ngayon dahil nagagawa mo yung gusto mo. Finally! Hindi na tayo tulad ng dati na ang pinag-uusapan e walang nagagawang matino sa buhay. Hay unemployment days ko. Tulad ng sinasabi ko sa iba, alam ko marami pa sa mga pangarap natin ang unti-unti nating maabot. . Mas marami pa tayong awesome stories sa mga susunod na mga araw!

May the grace of God be with you and your family always! (Pagaling kamo si Kurt :))

Wait share ko lang, tumawag ako kay Pugs . . .

Me: Pugs, gagawan ko ng blog si Von.

Pugs: Bakit Bi... HAHAHAHA

Me: HAHAHAHA

Kahit sa totoong buhay, di namin masabi yung word, kaya di ko tuloy alam paano gawan ng title to blog na ito.

Love forever and always,

DACE

Hay salamat Aves sa 2007 photo. Salamat sa kamay mo. Hahaha

Birthday Blog - Jayps

Ang sakit ng buong pagkatao ko ngayon dahil sa nagdaan na Fun Run kahapon. Ang daming deadlines sa work, sa school. . pero lahat yan makapag-aantay pero ang birthday blog para sa isang kaibigan hindi.

Kahapon pa dapat 'to. (Sorry Jayps!)

Paano ba umpisahan?

Si John Paul Gumafelix Martin ang unang close friend ko na lalaki na kaibigan ko pa rin hanggang ngayon. Paano nga ba nag-umpisa?

Sa pagkakaalala ko, ganito yun e. Sa likod ng MC Main malapit sa canteen, harap ng classroom ni Ma'am Miranda, 1st year highschool, section sampaguita, maulan. Ako si ewan na madaming dala (lahat ng books dala sa kamay dahil pwede ng bumili sa bookstore), ako ulit na si ewan na lampa . . na nahulog lahat ng librong hawak ko sa hindi malaman na dahilan. Ewan ko ha, sa dami ng nakapalibot din dun sa gilid ng room ni Ma'am Miranda, e si Jayps ang nag-iisang tumulong sa akin. Naisip ko na lang, "Ang bait naman nito."

Kaya siguro nung 4th year kami e nag-aalala siya sa akin na wag akong lalampa sa UST dahil yung tipo ko yung madaling mabully.

Yun yung eksena na una kong nasalamuha si Jayps na nagpatuloy gang 3rd year up to now. 

Ang hindi ko makalimutan kay Jaypee e lagi siyang late. Complete opposite ko. DUH. 9:00AM pa ang pasok, 6:00AM nasa school na ako. Siya? Grabe! Never siyang naka-attend ng flag ceremony!

Nung 3rd year lagi kaming magkasabay kumain. Favorite ko sa lahat pag nagbabaon siya ng ampalaya dahil katulad na katulad ng pagkakaluto ni Mama. Hinding hindi ko rin makalimutan yung ilang buwan niyang naiwan sa Bamboo Org room yung baunan niya na may tirang ulam. Imagine, ilang buwan. Nung binuksan niya yun, ayaw kong tignan e. Umiiwas ako nun pero parang nakita ko ng kaunti na parang meron ng village yung mga microorganisms at germs  na parang nakapagproduce na sila sapot ng green thing. Kadiri talaga.

Milestone din! Kasi bahay nila ang unang napuntahan ko sa buong buhay ko hindi para gumawa ng project kundi manood ng movie. Sa pagkakaalala ko yun yung muntik muntikan ng mabangga yung sinasakyan naming jeep.

Si Jaypee ang kaibigan naming talentado. Magaling ng kumanta magaling pa magsulat ng kanta! Saan ka pa? Muli, gusto ko humingi ng tawad dahil dun sa maling lyrics na hindi naman talaga namin sinasadyang masabi ni Ar. "Naalala ko pa. Doon sa may toooooot." Hahaha

Si Jayps ang madalas kasama sa saya pati na rin sa lungkot. Yung hindi nanalo si Emerga (glue made from milk). Nako, naglakad kami nun from Main to 711 na hindi namin alam kung bakit kami naglalakad. Pati na rin sa mga down moments noong panahong kailangan ng pumili ng college at course na may kasamang pressure sa magulang. 

Basta si Jayps ang kaibigang gusto mo magkaroon dahil sobrang pagmamahal niya sa pamilya. Dati talaga sinabi ko sa kanya na medyo nakaka-inggit yung family nila dahil sobrang close! Tapos ang co-cool pa ng mga ate at pamangkin (Hi Celine! Miss you!). Willing rin siyang i-sacrifice lahat lahat para sa pamilya niya. Grabe! Bigyan yan ng jacket at certificate. Haha

Kaya Jayps thanks sa super duper sayang alaala na alam kong madadagdagan pa! My prayer sa'yo na keep loving what you do (nurse! nurse! ano pong gagawin ko?). At bigyan ka ni Lord ng patience and strength sa paggamot sa mga patients mo. Patience sa patients. Astig! Haha good health din pati sa family. Nga pala nakita ko si Ate May sa SM Marilao saka si Yow at Kuya RJ. Haha wala lang..

Happy happy birthday Jaypee! Patuloy nating tuparin ang ating mga pangarap na magkakasama sa mga susunod pang mga araw. Pag may prob ka, I'm one call away, pati si Jacq andiyan. Haha humingi ng resbak. Thanks for 8 years of best friendship!

May the grace of the Lord be with you and your family always!

Love forever and always,

DACE :)

Wala akong makitang magandang latest picture natin. Haha