Public Relations – A tool for Enhancing Customer Satisfaction

Rachna Baruah, Founder, Madchatter Brand Solutions, describe Public relations role in building trust in the society by giving third-party validations for the product, service or company. Public relations activities also enumerate the creditability of the firm to the customers that help in fostering trust in the minds of the public at large.

Whenever you have wanted to buy a new product and you’ve seen negative reviews on the same, how many times have you hit the “purchase” button? More often than not, you are likely to skip that product and look for better and more positively reviewed products in the market. The consumer is the king in the market. If the consumers are not satisfied with the company’s products or services, the brand more often than not, loses its customer-base, resulting in the brand’s overall value. Thus, customers need to always be treated well because no customers, means no sales, means no gain. Therefore, effective PR management is the solution to satiate the customers, retain them and also attract new ones.

What is PR anyway?

Public Relations is where a company creates a dialogue and an exchange about its vision, products and perception with the outside world. This is done with the help of public relations professionals who understand the art of key messaging, communication strategy and building a positive brand affability among people.

PR professionals are narrators, who analyze the organization, find out its strengths, translate the same into positive anecdotes and finally narrate its success story to the masses. Public Relations activities influence the public opinion which has the ability to both build and break a firm’s customer base. Positive customer satisfaction enhances the organization’s image. Organizations indulge in PR activities because how the outsiders perceive the business is important. 

In order to achieve customer satisfaction, the firm must integrate the customer’s opinions with the PR policy to capture the market. Through public relations, a brand listens to what the public has to say about the business, analyzes the same and acts according to the consumer’s tastes and preferences. For the consumers, it is very important to know what the firm is doing for them. That’s the essence of public relations and building a brand that consumers can rely on. While PR doesn’t directly improve customer satisfaction, in essence, it makes the public aware of the efforts that the company takes to improve its services and products. 

When organizations ignore complaints from their customers it leads to bad-mouthing and poor publicity. If customers raise complaints about certain issues, and a company ignores them that might lead to a situation of public crisis which is never good for a brand. Thus, the firm should take steps to keep a dialogue open with the public at all times. If PR activities are focused on the necessary business and brand objectives, then the firm can create a fine positioning in the market.

Public relations help in building trust in the society by giving third-party validations for your product, service or company. For instance, getting quoted in a news story will give confidence and satisfy the consumers that the company’s product is indeed trustworthy, and it also has all the features to satisfy them. Public relations activities also enumerate the creditability of the firm to the customers that help in fostering trust in the minds of the public at large.

Many organizations take public relations and marketing activities very lightly. This results in low customer satisfaction that could bring major setbacks for the firm. Thus, PR is an essential tool for improving consumer satisfaction.