Customer satisfaction is vital to success but what does this entail? What factors contribute to this? And how can businesses ensure that they are meeting the needs of their customers?
One way to answer these questions is to look at Frederick Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation. Herzberg's theory suggests that there are two types of factors that influence motivation: hygiene factors and motivators.
Hygiene factors are the basic needs that must be met to avoid dissatisfaction such as website usability, security, and product information.
Motivators are the factors that contribute to job satisfaction such as personalised service, excellent customer support, and innovative products.
In the context of digital commerce, hygiene factors can be seen as the things that customers expect from a business. These include things like a clear return policy, a secure checkout process, and accurate product information.
Motivators, on the other hand, are the things that make customers feel good about doing business with a particular company. These include things like personalised service, excellent customer support, and innovative products. When these factors are present, customers are more likely to be satisfied and to return to the business in the future.
Of course, both hygiene factors and motivators are important for customer satisfaction. However, motivators have a greater impact on satisfaction than hygiene factors. This is because motivators appeal to our higher-level needs, such as the need for achievement and recognition.
In addition to the factors mentioned above, there are a few other hygiene factors and motivators that are particularly relevant to digital commerce. For example, product quality is a hygiene factor that is essential for customer satisfaction. If a product is not of high quality, customers will be dissatisfied, even if the price is low or the customer service is excellent.
Convenience is also a key motivator for customers in digital commerce. Customers want to be able to shop easily and quickly so decreasing friction in the customer journey is key.
By understanding the hygiene factors and motivators that are important to customers in digital commerce, businesses can create a customer experience that is both satisfying and memorable, leading to increased customer loyalty and repeat business.
Check out this case study on Glossier to see how this can be achieved:
Glossier is a digital-first beauty brand that has been incredibly successful in recent years. A big part of their success is due to their focus on customer satisfaction. Glossier understands that hygiene factors like a clear return policy, a secure checkout process, and accurate product information are essential for customer satisfaction. They also understand that motivators like personalised service, excellent customer support, and innovative products can make customers feel good about doing business with them.
One way that Glossier focuses on customer satisfaction is through their website. The Glossier website is easy to use and navigate, with appealing visuals. This makes it easy for customers to find the products they are looking for and to learn more about them.
Another way that Glossier focuses on customer satisfaction is through their customer service. Glossier has a team of customer service representatives who are available 24/7 to help customers with any problems they may have. These representatives are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful - resolving problems quickly and efficiently.
Glossier's focus on customer satisfaction has paid off. They have a customer satisfaction rating of 4.5/5 stars. This high customer satisfaction rating has helped Glossier to attract and retain customers, which has contributed to their success.