We’re Not Happy Until You’re Not Happy – Revisited

This article answers the question: How do customers decide what they think about your company? 

Answer: Customers form their opinions based on the sum of all the interactions they have with your company, not from its advertising and marketing messages, slogans, and mottos.

Ten years ago, I wrote an article with the above title (minus the word “Revisited”). It was a humorous jab at the companies that consistently deliver poor service. I summarized by emphasizing that if you don’t deliver the experience customers want and expect, you may bear the brunt of a motto similar to “We’re not happy until you’re not happy.” 

I want to reexamine the idea of the motto. Every company has one. The question is who’s writing it. Is it you or your customers? Do customers share positive statements about you, or do they say things like: 

• “Good luck getting anyone to answer the phone.” 

• “They make returns harder than buying.” 

• “You know the message, ‘Your call is very important to us’? Well, it’s NOT!” 

Obviously, a company would never use any of these as one of their taglines, brand promises, or mottos. But unfortunately, if the customer has a bad experience, this is the type of motto they will potentially think of. They’re sarcastic, but they also reveal how disappointed the customer has become. 

These customer-created mottos are simply the sum of the experiences your company consistently delivers.  

The opposite is also true. Consistently great service inspires positive mottos, such as “They always take care of me.” 

That’s why every interaction matters. Customers don’t decide what they think about your company based on a single advertisement or slogan on your website. They decide based on every interaction they have with you. Every phone call, email, purchase, delivery, customer support call … any and every interaction a customer has with you, large or small, either reinforces your promise or rewrites it.  

The good news is that customers are just as willing to create a positive motto about you as a negative one. Companies that consistently deliver an easy, predictable, enjoyable experience earn comments such as, “They are so easy to do business with,” and “They always appreciate me.” While the customer’s lines might not show up in an advertisement, they may find their way to online reviews, social media posts, and conversations with family, friends, and colleagues.  

Companies spend lots of money, sometimes millions, crafting slogans. In effect, these slogans are brand promises. The question is whether customers believe them. If the experience doesn’t match the message, your customers will create a slogan of their own. Your marketing department may write your tagline, but your customers write your reputation. And if the experience is consistently disappointing, don’t be surprised if the unofficial motto becomes, “We’re not happy until you’re not happy.”