Customer Satisfaction: Turning Your Business Into What Men and Women Want

Customer satisfaction drives a customer’s intent to return. Knowing the differences between what men and women want can give a business an edge to increase repeat business and profitability.

Successful business owners understand the importance of returning customers. Knowing the desires and values of customers is vital to survival. Many successful organizations now recognize the importance of regularly surveying their customers. A dedication to the survey process reaps the reward of increased knowledge about customer behavior and increased profitability.

But not all customers are alike. A recent study conducted by the National Business Research Institute (NBRI) examined the attitudes of men and women in an online survey including over 50,000 responses from casino customers. The survey, which was conducted from February through December, revealed that men and women are not identical in how they evaluate businesses.

In this study, NBRI conducted Root Cause Analyses to identify the survey items that are predictors or drivers of customer behavior. These analyses apply the science of organizational psychology and statistical analyses to business processes. The result of this advanced technique is groundbreaking information about the drivers of customer behavior.

The Root Cause Analysis of the women who patronize casinos identified two root causes of customer satisfaction: the Rewards Card Program benefits and a good mix of slot machine types. NBRI also uncovered one root cause of women’s intent to return to the casino—the friendliness and helpfulness of casino staff.

NBRI found the factors driving customer satisfaction and intent to return to be different for the male customers in this study. Several root causes of customer satisfaction were identified for males. Men want a casino with a lot of action and excitement where they can have fun. They also want a casino with appealing restaurants and a gaming rewards card program with good cash bonus rewards and offers. Two factors were also driving intent to return for male customers: safety of the casino property and a good mix of slot denominations.

Peter Drucker once said, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” To know and understand the customer requires rigorous research. The exacting knowledge gained from customer surveys, such as the one conducted by NBRI for the Gaming Industry, provide businesses with precise information about customers—both male and female—to ensure a good person-product and person-service fit for the entire customer base.