Reader Christopher Barcellos writes:

I am writing in response to Joe Fleischer's piece on How Much Should You Satisfy Customers? in the September edition of Call Center Magazine. ... I am not in the banking industry-far from it, but I am in the Call Center & Customer Relations business and have been for sometime. What the article does not touch upon, unfortunately, is the fact that satisfying customers isn't enough. That is, a satisfied customer is not necessary a loyal customer. I am personally satisfied with my financial institution, but if I am presented with a better, more attractive deal from another institution, the fact that I am "satisfied" isn't going to keep me from jumping ship.

The bottom-line is that satisfied customers are faced with a decision and the decision is whether or not they will remain in a business relationship with your organization. A loyal customer on the other hand, has already made that decision and the task now is for your organization to recognize and maintain their loyalty. The question then should be, not: How Much Should You Satisfy Customers?, but How Do You Maintain Your Customer Loyalty (before someone else does)?