The ACSI, which tracks global and sector customer satisfaction, reported the largest uptick in satisfaction in 20 years last quarter. But that comes after the largest drop in decades.
The correlation between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is too often overstated. In fact, a study by Oliver suggested that as loyalty rises, the satisfaction correlation to loyalty acutally drops.
That's because loyal customers have more "fortitude" and are more resilient. Merely satisfied customers, don't refer as often, don't forgive as much, and don't have as high a lifetime value as loyal customers.
While every interaction won't be amazing, the goal for CX professionals is to design and deliver outstanding experiences at the peak and end-points of a customer journey.
The peak points of a journey are when the emotional impact is the highest. The end points are important because they are the most recent and leave a lasting impression.
The key is to create a memory of the experience that connects on an emotional level. and Customer satisfaction scores can easily mask true customer loyalty.
