The term customer satisfaction is frequently used in the field of marketing. Customer satisfaction is usually measured by looking at how the products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as “the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with an organization, its products, or its services exceeds specified satisfaction goals. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71 percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing and monitoring their businesses. There is a saying which states that “it’s far easier to retain good customers than it is to go out and find new ones.”
Following are the key aspects in which clients/stakeholder judge quality of a project -
- Tangibles – The client/customer will always focus on the way facilities, resources and products appear in the organization.
- Reliability – Customers always worry and are concerned about whether the company will adhere to what it says.
- Responsiveness – Responsiveness is another important aspect. Because if and when there is a concern or issue that the client or stakeholder comes up with, will the company make efforts to resolve it?
- Competence – The competence of the organization will also be a major concern for the clients. They would want to ensure that whether the company has enough resources along with the proper skill sets to complete the project?
- Courtesy – No organization would want to lose a potential client. Rude or harsh behavior/attitude is always a red flag for any client. Possessing friendly attitude is highly appreciated.
- Credibility – Yet another crucial factor is to gain the clients trust. The company should at all times be trustworthy.
- Security – When executing a major project, security is always a concern to the clients. As the stakeholder invests huge capital in the project, they are to be assured of the performance and the credibility of the project.
- Access – Accessibility is another important feature as well. Clients are on a constant lookout to approach the company representatives to solve or provide information to all the issues that arise from the client’s side.
- Communication – Formal means of communication should take place between the stakeholders and the performing organization on a regular basis. This will help in keeping the clients updated on the progress of the project.
When these criteria are met or exceeded, the customer walks away, a very happy and satisfied client - and they will remember the pleasant experience for the future.
A few Project Management Best Practices to attain customer Satisfaction are;
Understanding clients/customers.
First of all, the project manager/company has to listen to the client needs and understand them to create a precise baseline/plan to achieve the deliverables. Every minute details and suggestions provided by the client is to be considered important. Once the customer’s needs are understood, it will reduce any potential red flags/obstacles and can help in achieving better outcomes. The company has to clarify any unclear or ambiguous questions from the clients as soon as possible to avoid facing unpleasant situations in the future.
Timely, Accurate Status Reporting.
One has to agree to the fact that, timely and accurate status reporting of a project is important. Customer satisfaction often begins with good status reporting. By conducting weekly reports, the company can keep the clients informed about the latest happening in the project and also assure them that the project is going according to the schedule and help the clients understand that the company is on top of the project at all times.
Frequently Delivering Revised Project Schedules.
Nothing is to be overlooked when it comes to customer satisfaction. Every step/phase plays a vital role in determining the output of the project. Likewise, a detailed and revised project reporting is also an important aspect. Performing regular checks and inspections and showcasing the project progress will help the company in retaining the customer/client. If and when the team has made progress in the project, the information has to be passed down to the project clients.
Regular Sponsor/Customer Contact.
Formal meetings with the client/customer are important to ensure that the customer is updated on the progress of the project. This process enables and helps in change and request management. During the lifecycle of the project, the client can suddenly ask for changes or alterations to be made in the project. So, it’s always best advised that the company be in touch with the customer/client. To take advantage of things happening, weekly formal meetings will help in the best way.
Budget Management and Accountability.
The worst thing that can ever happen is losing a project mid-way. One of the main reasons this could happen is because of budget overshoot. Spending excess money for constant alterations and mismanagement should at all times be avoided. The project manager for the major part of the project is responsible for handling the resources. One should manage the budget closely. Every week the
project manager should get new actual charges against the project from accounting, revise the project budget forecast, and analyze what the budget health looks like. If the project manager can ensure that the allocated budget is properly utilized and accounted for, retention process will become easy.
Team Control.
The Project Manager, who is leading and appears to be in control of their team throughout the project lifecycle, is more likely to retain the customer and help see that the current project leads to more projects and more revenue. Some of the main aspects that the project manager should look into are conflict resolution, team collaboration, and project team member communications. If these responsibilities are properly executed, it will keep the team in control and make them more focused on the goals and missions of the project and also will keep the project on track toward success. A simple equation for customer satisfaction is - Project success equals customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction equals project success.
Conclusion
Project manager along with the project team are always constantly working towards achieving the desired objectives set by the customers. The most pride moment for a project manager and his/her team is that they ensure to see through a project from the conception phase to the completion phase and satisfy the customer. A successful project might lead to client retention or provide the company with new and more complex projects in future. There are many complex and simple procedures involved in the process of customer satisfaction. To help you master the best project management techniques and skills required to attain customer satisfaction,
Invensis Learning provides both Foundation and Advanced Level Certification Courses in the field of
Project Management along with courses and training in PRINCE2 and Agile Project Management.
