Canadian businesses ranked highly for customer satisfaction

If you've ever heard the saying "the customer is always right," then you already know how important customer satisfaction is for businesses of all kinds. Your customers are your business, so it's crucial that their satisfaction ranks high amongst your priorities.

In order to help you put your customers first, here are just a handful of reasons why the satisfaction of every patron, shopper, and client is so important.

Customer satisfaction statistics

Satisfied customers are the bread and butter of any successful business and according to a recent global customer satisfaction survey, it just so is the case that Canada ranks number two in the world for customer satisfaction.

That's right; the Great White North came in at 91 percent for customer satisfaction, which is only 2 percent below the top country, New Zealand. The survey ranks 125 countries in business-related categories such as top industries and best business practices.

From its continuous efforts to improve customer support to its top-notch personalized service and its ability to meet demand with supply, it's no wonder Canada is winning the worldwide customer satisfaction race.

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Why customer satisfaction is important

Your customers are the reason your business is a business. Because of this, it's imperative that their satisfaction comes first.

With that said, here are 4 reasons why your business should be customer centric all the time:

• Happy customer is a returning customer
  When your customers have a great shopping experience, they're all the more likely to return. By making customer satisfaction your business's top priority, you'll keep them coming back time after time.
• Satisfaction sets your business apart
  There's plenty of competition out there, but if your business is consistently known for its customer satisfaction, it gives your business a step up on the competition.
• Word of mouth goes a long way
  In the digital age where online reviews can make or break your business, customer satisfaction results in positive word of mouth or, better yet, it helps your business avoid any negative press.
• Return customers are cheaper to retain
  From a purely business standpoint, return customers are much cheaper to retain than finding new ones. Why? Well, with all the campaigning and advertising it takes to get just one new customer in the door, you'll end up spending twice as much finding new customers as you would satisfying the ones you already have.

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Other important customer satisfaction points to consider

When a customer walks away from your business smiling, then you know you've done your job. But, it sometimes takes more than a few happy customers to ensure your business is doing all it can in terms of customer satisfaction. With this in mind, it's important to measure your business's level of customer satisfaction on a regular or continuous basis.

Depending on the type of business you run, customer satisfaction surveys can give you a more detailed look into your customer satisfaction best practices. Surveys are a great way to find out how your business is doing in such departments as overall satisfaction, price satisfaction, and product satisfaction. Just make sure you put your customers' suggestions to good use.

By keeping in mind the importance of customer satisfaction, your business will thrive and Canada will remain at the top of the global customer satisfaction list.

About the author

Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including home improvement and family budgeting.