Customer Satisfaction

The focus an organisation puts on its customers is vitally important, and 'customer satisfaction' is recognised as being one of the driving criteria.

This clause (8.2.1) is new, and requires the organisation to :

• monitor the customer's perception of whether their requirements have been met, and
• determine the methods for obtaining and using this information.

Various feedback methods can be used effectively to understand customers' day to day needs and expectations, where the information should be used for improving performance. Some examples are given below;

Market research
Exercises can be carried out to look at the marketplace to determine customers' perceptions of quality, including price and delivery. Ensure though, that it is your current customers besisde potential 'new ones'.

Corporate feedback
Senior staff may hold meetings with peers from their customers. Agreed actions (in minutes) from these meetings provide useful feedback and can be a monitor of satisfaction.

Sales Feedback
Direct communication, meetings with existing and potential customers and attendance at trade shows can provide useful sources of information which, if dealt with and acted upon, could be effective in raising levels of customer satisfaction.