Ensuring members or customers are satisfied over the entire course of their membership and not just at the point of renewal is key for running an organisation. So how do we define satisfaction? In essence, this is a simple idea, ie. you’ve satisfied people when their expectations have been met by your organisation’s provisions. You could ask yourself the question; Have I met my member’s / customer’s expectations? And if you were looking to ‘delight’ them, you might even consider how you provide additional value beyond expectations.
Setting Expectations
Whether you are aiming for satisfaction or delight, you won’t be able to do either unless you are clear on what it takes to achieve this, so we recommend you have a very clear list of what it is you expect to provide and clearly communicate this at every opportunity. A misunderstanding of expectations can lead to considerable frustration on both sides, so make sure you are clear!
Monitoring Satisfaction
You’ll also need to understand what a person is looking for from your organisation. If you’ve been clear and honest with your marketing messages then it’s reasonable to assume that sign-ups are registering for what you offer but once they have done so you’ll need to assess whether they are satisfied with what you give them.
Here are a few ways to find out this information:
1. Ask them!
Asking questions of your members / customers is vital to understanding them, their needs and whether you have met their expectations.
Via an online survey
With LoveAdmin, you can create surveys that members can log in to their online account and complete. It doesn’t have to be one survey fits all – you can target different sections of your membership / customer base with different surveys. Be sure to ask questions designed to help you improve your service and understand satisfaction levels.
Via Forums or a closed Facebook page
Creating a forum or closed Facebook page is an excellent way to create a private space for people to share ideas and talk. Often, people will be more willing to talk within a closed group and it’s another great place for you to ask questions. You’ll be able to engage and monitor the conversation.
2. Monitor activity
Look at engagement across your different channels and choose performance indicators that you think may indicate satisfaction levels.
Here are some example indicators to track:
- Email open rates – see who’s opening your emails and who is ignoring them
- Attendance – whether that’s to weekly sessions (which you can record with LoveAdmin) or to events you organise
- Account activity – if you provide member-only content, use the last login date to see who is engaging with your content
Finally, be clear on what your new and existing members / customers should expect in return for their fees. Convey the benefits and value at every relevant opportunity and never leave it until the last minute to remind people who are coming up for renewal. Ask questions and track their activity and engagement so that you can learn if you are meeting, exceeding or falling short of their expectations. Don’t forget, satisfied members or customers always cost less to maintain than the cost of finding new sign-ups. And a happy person will almost always tell others about you!
To discover more about the survey features LoveAdmin offers, contact us for a free demo.
