Raving Fans

**Author:** Ken Blanchard **Estimated Reading Time:** 35 minutes

Why satisfied customers are actually a danger to your business, how to discover what your customers truly want even when they cannot articulate it themselves, and how to build systems that consistently turn ordinary customers into passionate advocates who bring you new business for free.

Business owners, managers, frontline employees, and anyone who interacts with customers. If you have ever wondered why your customers leave despite saying they are happy, this book will change how you think about service forever.

There is a quiet crisis happening in businesses everywhere. Walk into most companies and ask about their customer service, and you will hear the same answer. "Our customers are satisfied. We survey them regularly. The numbers look good." Then ask a different question. Ask how many of their customers would go out of their way to recommend them to a friend. Ask how many would stick with them if a competitor offered a lower price. Ask how many feel genuine enthusiasm about doing business with them. The answers to those questions are usually far less encouraging. Most businesses have built their entire customer service approach around a goal that is fundamentally broken. They aim for satisfaction. They train their people to meet expectations. They measure success by the absence of complaints. And they wonder why their customer base erodes slowly, why price competition keeps getting fiercer, and why marketing costs keep rising while loyalty keeps falling. The problem is not effort. Most organizations genuinely try to serve their customers well. The problem is that the target itself is wrong. Satisfaction is not a goal worth pursuing. Satisfaction is the bare minimum. A satisfied customer is not loyal. A satisfied customer is simply not angry enough to leave yet. Think about your own behavior as a customer. When was the last time you enthusiastically recommended a business that merely did what you expected? When was the last time you went out of your way to praise a company that was adequate? You probably cannot remember, because adequate service does not create memorable experiences. It creates indifference. And indifferent customers are dangerous because they will leave the moment something slightly better comes along. The businesses that thrive are not the ones with satisfied customers. They are the ones with raving fans. A raving fan is not just someone who comes back. A raving fan is someone who becomes an unpaid salesperson for your business. They tell their friends about you. They defend you when someone criticizes you. They feel a sense of ownership and pride in their relationship with you. They would be genuinely disappointed if they had to switch to a competitor. Creating…