Run surveys. Get insights. Unlock growth.
10-day free trial of paid features
Set up in minutes
No credit card required
Sign Up Free
Table of contents

How to make your customers happy? Your search for answers led you here. And you couldn’t have hit a better spot.

Sometimes it's hard to find fresh ways to keep your customers thrilled.

That's where we come in—we've put together a list of 13 ways to satisfy your customers so that you can get inspired!

Here's a spoiler: bribing customers in some shape or form no longer works.

Read on for some great tips to keep your customers coming back like a boomerang. 🪃

Why is customer happiness important?

In addition to making you feel good, positive emotions also affect your brain and body.

Happy people are more successful and maintain better relationships, and that applies to the business world, too.

A brand that evokes positive emotions in its customers is more likely to be successful and bring people back over and over again.

The following three reasons should leave you in no doubt that customer happiness should be among your top priorities.

➡️ 1. Customer happiness leads to repeat business

If a customer is happy with your product (or service), they're more likely to go back and buy from you again. And that's good for all of your metrics!

➡️ 2. Customer happiness leads to referrals

You tend to tell your friends about something you're happy about, don’t you? So if your company can make its customers happy, those customers will spread the word and help bring in new sales.

➡️ 3. Customer happiness creates brand loyalty

A loyal customer is more likely to stick with your company even when there are cheaper or better options available.

Customer happiness vs. customer satisfaction

But what’s the difference between customer happiness and customer satisfaction? And how can you ensure that your customers are happy rather than just satisfied?

Customer happiness is when a customer is pleasantly surprised by the level of service they receive. It reflects what they feel about your brand. The best way to make them happy is to surpass their expectations.

Customer satisfaction is the minimum level of service that a customer expects. It reflects what they think.

comparison table: customer satifaction vs customer happiness
Customer satisfaction and customer happiness are two different terms

How to improve customer happiness?

Knowing the difference between customer satisfaction and customer happiness will help you focus more on the latter.

But how can you give your customers more reasons to smile?

#1 Ask for customer feedback regularly

Customer feedback is a tricky thing that you need to handle with care.

You need to ask for it at the right time, in the right way, and be prepared to listen to what your target audience has to say.

The key is to ensure that you use customer feedback to deliver great customer service rather than just paying lip service to it.

You can find out how to ask for valuable feedback without scaring your customers with Survicate. The straightforward survey software helps you catch your happy customers at the right time and ensure that they will answer all your questions willingly.

⭐️Get to know how to make a customer happy today

#2  Be responsive

It's one thing to ask for feedback, but it's another to do something with it.

Your customers will be happy if they see that their suggestions are being implemented. It shows that you value their opinion and that you're constantly striving to improve their experience.

Act on customer feedback and put a lot of emphasis on friendly customer service reps. A happy customer support team is a pleasure to deal with. And it demonstrates your company’s professionalism.

Maintain a happy workplace because dissatisfied employees will reflect their discontent in their interactions with customers.

#3 Close the feedback loop

Inquiries left without a solution are frustrating. Not only for customer service reps but, more importantly, for the customers that submitted them.

People who reach out to customer service want their pain points solved as soon as possible. But what if they never hear back? It’s even worse than getting a generic answer.

When you don’t close the feedback loop, your customers feel ignored and unimportant. Consequently, they’ll be less likely to do business with you.

So keep track of every case from the beginning to the end. 

#4 Don’t neglect your passives and detractors

Your promoters are your biggest fans and your truly happy customers. They’re the ones who are always singing your praises. But don't leave behind your passives and detractors, though.

Passives are satisfied with what you do but not raving about it. They might be happy with your offer, but they’re not exactly blown away.

As for detractors, they’re unhappy customers who are unsatisfied with your product and are not afraid to let you know about it through negative feedback.

Take time to listen to all three groups because they can give you valuable insights on how to improve your offering.

#5 Create an omnichannel customer experience

In today's world, people expect an omnichannel customer experience. They want seamless transitions between online and offline services. Even for such a simple activity as returning a product ordered online to a brick-and-mortar store.

However, omnichannel customer experience is about providing multiple channels and creating a unified message through all customer interactions with the brand.

And this is the most challenging part of the process—creating a single, cohesive system for all touchpoints to meet customers' needs at each stage of their journey.

#6 Provide prompt service

As customers expect immediate resolution, customer service teams are pressured to handle inquiries quickly. To maximize their efficiency, it's important to invest in the right tools and processes.

Use a customer relationship management (CRM) system to track customer interactions across all channels. A complete view of the customer journey will enable you to identify any gaps or areas for improvement.

Provide your team with the resources they need to succeed. Access to customer data, quality assurance procedures, and adequate training must be in place.

If you don’t know how to improve the speed of your customer service, think about implementing an in-product survey and start collecting customer feedback right from your app. 

#7 Surprise customers with little perks now and then

While most businesses focus on providing a great customer experience, there are always opportunities to go the extra mile and surprise customers with additional benefits.

These extras could be anything from a small discount on their next purchase to a handwritten thank-you note included with their order. Whatever you do, ensure it is tailored to your brand and will be appreciated by your new customers.

⭐️Happy customers are more likely to spread the word to their friends and family, and there is a greater chance that they will recommend your business further.

#8 Be transparent

Transparency helps you create happy customers. According to some studies, consumers spend more on transparent brands. And Gen Z, which grew up in a world where they can check every piece of information about everyone and everything in a matter of seconds, will not tolerate anything less than full transparency.

Be clear about your prices, how you do business, what you stand for as a company, and—most importantly—who you are.

The more information you can give your customers, the better. They will appreciate your honesty and are likely to become more loyal as a result.

#9 Take care of long relationships

What can you do to make customers want to stay with your company? Creating a customer loyalty program is a good step.

It's a great way to keep your customers coming back for more. It can also help you cross-sell and upsell by incentivizing your customers to purchase more from you.

Whatever you do, make sure your referral program is simple and easy to understand. The last thing you want for your customers is to get confused and give up.

#10 Think ahead

What is the purpose of thinking about how to make angry customers happy if you can think ahead and prevent problems instead of reacting to them?

Prevention is always the best way to deal with problems.

You can’t please everyone all of the time, but you can try to avoid making the same mistake twice.

You need to be proactive in your high-quality customer service and always think ahead to the next potential pain point.

#11 Personalize the customer experience

This is the point that should be at the top of the list. Creating happy customers starts with a personalized experience.

You should know your customers by name, preference, and purchase history. You can use this information to give them tailored recommendations, special offers, and a more personalized shopping experience.

Even something as simple as sending a personalized message in the package can make their day and make them feel valued and appreciated. It’s an important step to building meaningful relationships.

#12 Keep your promises

This one is simple: if you say you’re going to do something, do it.

Always follow through on your promises, whether it’s a delivery date, a price match, or anything else. It will foster trust in your prospective customers (but not only!) and establish a reliable brand identity.

⭐️And don't forget to let your customers know when you've made changes based on their feedback (whether positive or negative). They'll be happy to know that their input has made an impact!

#13 Adapt to the times

Customers’ expectations and needs are always changing, and if you're unwilling to adapt, you'll get left behind.

It's not enough to just offer a good product or service anymore. You must constantly innovate and evolve to meet your customers' ever-changing needs.

It’s a challenge for every business owner, but it's essential if you want to stay in business and keep your customer base on a high level.

📚Need more tips? Here is the ultimate guide to customer happiness.

Make happiness the norm

Now, you know how to create an environment where customer happiness is the norm, not an exception.

It may sound too good to be true, but it is possible. And it all starts with you.

If you are happy, your employees will be happy. And if you have happy employees, your customers will be happy.

It’s as simple as that.

Create your Survicate survey to find out how happy your customers are without any effort on your part. Sign up for a 10-day free trial today and give your customers more reasons to smile.