Customer Satisfaction in the Service Industry

Some factors that affect customer satisfaction in the service industry are speed of service, quality of service, and the cleanliness of the place of business. Customers often want a service performed quickly, so slowness usually leads to poor satisfaction ratings. The quality of the service matters too, because customers are not happy when treated rudely or in a rushed manner. Cleanliness is not just something typically required by law; appearance is important to a lot of customers. In addition, the ease of communication can greatly affect a customer’s overall experience with a business.

When a customer decides that he wants a service, he usually wants it performed as soon as possible. If he has to wait longer than originally expected, his experience can be negatively affected. While customers are usually more interested that the service be completed at a high quality than quickly, speed of service is an important aspect of customer satisfaction.

It may seem obvious that customers want services performed correctly and with a very high quality, and that they will not be satisfied when service is bad, but the importance of this is rarely overstated. Most industries include a number of different service providers, and customers will often switch to a different one if they experience bad or mediocre service. Although other factors influence customer satisfaction in the service industry, it is hard to find any that are more important than whether a job was completed properly.

Another factor that contributes to customer satisfaction is how well a service-oriented business presents itself. For instance, if a customer goes to a restaurant and is greeted by dirty floors and unkempt employees, it might not matter how good the food tastes. A bad appearance can lead the customer to expect poor service, leading to low satisfaction, even if the service was actually performed adequately. Likewise, a over the top or help turn a mediocre service experience into a good one.

How easily a customer can communicate and relate with the members of the service provider can also influence his or her overall satisfaction. When a name and a face are attached to a business, many customers naturally feel more connected to that provider. Furthermore, if a customer can relate to the employees performing a service for him or her, that customer is more likely to feel positive about the experience.

(http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-customer-satisfaction.htm)

Task 8. Complete the chart with the correct forms of nouns or adverbs of the given word.

Noun	Adjective	Adverb
1.	slow
2.	clean
3.	rude
4.	satisfied

Task 9. Complete the text with the word(s) from the box.

Customers

customer care	customer loyalty	code of practice
customers	repeat business	complain
goods	services	technology

Companies need __________ . Some companies provide____________such as clothes, cars and food. Other companies provide______________ , for example, insurance, banking, information _______________ or training. Companies want _______________ , in other words, they want customers to buy from them again and again. To win _______________, many companies have a ______________, or set of rules, for _______________. The code of practice explains what the customer can expect of the company. Customers can ______________ about the service, or help, they receive and the goods they buy.