There is a big gap between what we think our customers want and what they really want. Often our customers’ expectations are emotional and this is not always obvious. The faster we understand and meet their real expectations, the more our chances to win loyal customers.

Furthermore, if we can exceed their expectations by a meagre 5%, in their eyes we appear to be 100% better than our competitors. It takes time to build a long-lasting relationship of trust with a customer but only five minutes to destroy it. So, if we can measure customer satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 5, then those customers with a 4, even though very satisfied, are 6 times more likely to turn to other suppliers than the ones with a 5.

The view that our “loyal customers will remain loyal” is no longer valid. On the contrary, clients, who turned elsewhere, are highly likely to remain loyal to their new choices.