Myself
A realization that I've come to with my education company is that customer happiness and customer success sometimes don't align.
For instance, there are occasions when we need to make passing our courses challenging or impose stricter deadlines to enhance learner outcomes, such as increasing completion rates and improving the quality of our graduates. These measures, while potentially upsetting some customers in the short term, are crucial for their ultimate success.
On the other hand, customers often derive happiness from easy victories and quick dopamine hits. These 'quick wins' may not necessarily contribute to their long-term success but can lead to immediate satisfaction.
This presents us with an intriguing balancing act. Happy customers are important for securing repeat purchases and referrals, which are key for short-term business success. However, ensuring customer success is crucial for our long-term viability and reputation in the educational space. So, we must constantly strive to strike a balance between making our customers happy and setting them up for success.