“Client 
Happiness” is more than a feel-good term. It has genuine business value.
It’s no surprise that it’s more profitable to sell to an existing customer than it is to have to find and convert a new customer. And customers only buy again if they’re happy with product, service, delivery, performance, price, ease-of-use, etc, right? So it’s in your best business interest to track the happiness value of each account.
Okay, so maybe you don’t want to worry about tracking happiness at every account. Use the Pareto Principle. Identify those accounts that make up 80% of your sales and track them.
Your challenge will actually be in building a useful happiness rating tool.
Begin by identifying the key deliverables in your field. I suggest the following are core parameters to include, regardless of the business you’re in –
- Product (or Service) Performance – does our product perform to the client’s satisfaction? How well? Are they “just satisfied?” Or are they delighted?
- Technical Support and Client Service – when a question or problem arises, how well have we responded? Again, is the client “just satisfied?” Or are they delighted with our speedy response, our “right the first try” performance, and genuine care in following-up after the fact?
- Client Personnel Review – go through each of the key people on the client’s team that have contact with our service/product in some meaningful way. Rate their individual attitude and feeling towards our performance.
- Financial – now that the product/service is in place, does the client still feel like they’ve received good value for their investment dollar? Are they paying their bills in a timely fashion? Do they have any issues with the billing process?
- Likelihood to Recommend Us – be frank. Will this customer become a testimonial or evangelist for your company and product? Your goal should be nothing less than this for each account.
Feel free to add and morph this list as needed for your particular industry. For some, technical innovation could be key. Or timely reporting or perhaps affording 5 9s availability. You pick your rating criteria. Then stick to it.
I favor a 6 point rating scale. I like even-numbered scales because they force you to pick “somewhat” happy or “somewhat unhappy.” Odd-numbered scales allow you to cop-out with a neutral number in the middle. Be aware that short scales don’t allow much subtlety and longer scales provide meaningless subtlety. So stick with 4, 6, or 8 points max.
After you’ve evaluated each parameter, roll it up into a single rating for the Client overall. And that’s what you report at your team meeting. If your overall rating is above 5 (out of 6), you’re doing well.
Be aware of the rating on individual components, too. Is there a 3 on your tech support that’s dragging down the overall score? If so, you need to address it. Remember also to acknowledge positive change and commend the team’s improvement during your next review.
There’s money in happiness. Chart it. Be honest in your assessments. And see for yourself!
What measures do you use to track your clients’ satisfaction with your performance? We’d love to hear about it.