Can you ever be more than satisfied?

[TimothyTumblespring]

My employer has started using an ordinal scale to measure customer satisfaction. how exciting

They are looking for customers to respond that they are "highly satisfied" with their experience.

I would like to suggest that it is not possible to be highly satisfied. Surely you are either satisfied or not? If you are satisfied, by definition you cannot be further satisfied, no?

Can I take this argument that the whole thing is a load of bollocks to my area manager?

This is very true .

Hmmm, interesting one. I think there can be grades of satisfaction (a quick definition google gives 'contented, pleased') - if I was hungry I would be satisfied with a simple convenience meal from Asda, but I would be more satisfied (more pleased) with a Mighty Meaty from Dominos, and even more satisfied with a good curry in a nice Indian restaurant. (This reminds me of Sheldon and Stuart's 'couldn't be more wrong' argument on The Big Bang Theory.)

I think it would be better worded as, "expectations met" and "expectations exceeded".

Would you really take this to your area manager? I imagine they would look at you as if you were crazy.

I think I will mention it to my area manager. I'm sure he thinks I am crazy already! I will definitely use your examples of "meets expectations" and "exceeds expectations"

Can you tell I'm getting thoroughly fed up with the corporate bullshit!

There is a temptation to think that satisfaction can't be qualified, as makes perfect sense to ask someone whether they're satisfied or not, and for them to say "yes" or "no". But that doesn't mean you can't qualify it, any more than you can't qualify being tired, upset, or relaxed.

My guess is that "highly satisfied", in context, is a load of bollocks, because that's not something people would normally say, however happy they were with their treatment, and it's all part of the desire of management to put words into people's mouths so they can quantify them, and thus avoid having to understand them properly, or at all. Personally speaking, I would find being asked if I was "highly satisfied" would reduce my level of satisfaction, whatever it was initially, to zero.

How about 'delighted'?
There was once a management fad called 'delighting' the customer.

You 'over-deliver' e.g. promise satisfaction and then deliver delight.

Then they come back for more .... so what do you need to deliver this time around ..... ?