Achieve Zero Customer Dissatisfaction for Corporate Immortality

Growing environmental turbulence has made the challenge to keep customers satisfied all the more difficult. Corporate mortality of firms including those favoured by customers is not under control. There seems to be conceptual and methodological weaknesses in the approaches currently used by corporations to achieve customer satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a new concept, “Zero Customer Dissatisfaction” (ZCD). The objective in this approach is to identify customer dissatisfaction from the perspective of organisational strategy and eliminate it entirely as it emerges. The argument for ZCD originates from the concept of latent demand or a demand, which is existing but not yet exploited by any firm. In the ZCD approach, the sources of dissatisfaction can be internal or external to the organisation, and modifications on the value chain may be required to achieve ZCD. Identification of customer dissatisfaction has always been challenging. Drawing from anthropological literature, participant observation is found to be very appropriate to study customers, both internal and external on the value chain. This technique can be used along with other existing methodologies. The paper goes beyond the term of marketing and other specific functions, and identifies ZCD approach as the route to ensure corporate immortality. The paper draws on experiences of a number of companies to support the arguments.