Are customers loyal, or merely satisfied? Too often, companies assume that the terms are interchangeable and are shocked when they inexplicably lose customers who previously appeared satisfied with service levels. As a result, companies are struggling with a new reality in today's experience-based economy -- satisfied customers are not necessarily loyal.
 
In fact, an industry study surveying leaders from major corporations in North America and the United Kingdom and their thousands of customers revealed that, after just one bad experience, 40 percent of customers will leave without bothering to explain why.
 
This disconnect is further evident in the finding that 83 percent of executives say they understand the customer experience, while 55 percent of customers say these executives do not. There are many reasons why customers and companies don't see eye-to-eye on the customer experience, stemming from one fundamental difference: The customers' view is outside-in -- from their own perspective, not the company's -- whereas the company's view is inside-out.
 
Read the entire DestinationCRM article.