Ultimate Goal: Customer Satisfaction

Karl R. Carter, ASBC®

If large, publicly-traded corporations can have a goal to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction, can small businesses have the same goal? Of course, businesses on a smaller scale can still strive for ultimate customer satisfaction. Most likely, their market will not target a global audience like an international company, but the target market of a small business certainly might be a specific audience, a specific geographical location, or even a national market. Therefore, the goal is the same only with a smaller market.

Achieving the Goal

What is the mindset, what is the philosophy that must be developed by owners and managers of small businesses to achieve the goal of ultimate customer satisfaction? One only has to look to successful leaders to get the answer. Without question, everyone (or almost everyone) will know of these successful leaders but, perhaps, not be familiar with some of their famous quotes:

Jeff Bezos (Founder Amazon):

“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little better.”

Steve Jobs (Co-Founder Apple):

“Customers don’t measure you on how hard you tried, they measure you on what you deliver.”

Mark Cuban (Billionaire entrepreneur, television personality, owner of a professional basketball team, and newest venture into discount e-commerce pharmacy):

“We will do whatever it takes.”

Sam Walton (Founder of Wal-Mart):  

“There is only one boss – the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”

Larry Page (Co-founder of Google):

“Always deliver more than expected.”

Bill Gates (Co-Founder Microsoft):

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Richard Branson (Founder of diversified 400-company Virgin Group in 30 different countries):

“Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, and then deliver everything you promise.”

Warren Buffett (Owner of multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway):

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Walt Disney (Founder of Disney):

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”

Henry Ford (Founder of Ford Motor Company):

“The customer isn’t always right, but he is the customer.”

Did They Get It Right?

Did the above leaders get it right? Did they know what it takes to create customer satisfaction? And, what comes with customer satisfaction? Successful companies. 

The small business owner or manager does not have to develop a unique idea regarding how to achieve ultimate customer satisfaction. That’s already been developed. Owners and managers, however, should study successful leaders…past and present…and incorporate their philosophies into their own businesses. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. The wheel has already been invented. It just needs to be used properly.

Achieve the Ultimate Goal

The philosophy of developing the ultimate goal of customer satisfaction is certainly not a new idea. Imitate what these successful leaders have done. Implement their philosophies into your own business. What has worked for others can work for you, as well.