Target Delight Instead of Satisfaction | How to Drive Delight the Mercedes-Benz Way

This is the final post in the series, "How to Drive Delight the Mercedes-Benz Way." 

In my book, Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer Experience the Mercedes-Benz Way, I detail how Mercedes-Benz leaders transformed their customer experience through a clearly defined set of strategic objectives. The goal of those objectives was to transcend customer satisfaction and instead deliver customer delight. So, what are the differences between customer satisfaction and delight and why did Mercedes-Benz set delight as their goal?

Consumer research shows that up to 75 percent of customers who stop doing business with a company were satisfied or even “very satisfied” when they left. Clearly, when Mercedes-Benz dealers dissatisfy customers – those customers are likely to leave. Unfortunately, when Mercedes-Benz satisfies them - that didn’t ensure that they are going to return or recommend the luxury automaker. By contrast, when brands like Mercedes-Benz satisfy and deliver positive emotions, customers report higher engagement levels that predict repeat business and referrals.

Are you measuring customer satisfaction or delight?