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“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Not only is that the title of a Rolling Stones hit, it’s also a business truth to keep in mind.

On the surface, it makes sense. We want our customers to be satisfied. Measuring customer satisfaction has become an industry of its own, with recognizable names like J.D. Power in the forefront.

Tracking and understanding a customer’s attitude about a company or product can be very insightful. It gives the consumer a chance to vent or point out product performance issues or to spotlight a good or not so good customer service system or employee. But what customer satisfaction doesn’t indicate is what the consumers will do when they’re faced with another buying opportunity.

Customer loyalty, on the other hand, is not based on opinion or attitude. It is a measure of commitment and is a much stronger indicator of future buying choices. It is also quantifiable. If some of your customers have been consistently buying a specific product or service every month for the past year and suddenly their buying pattern changes – their loyalty might well have been compromised.

Loyalty can be used for projecting future sales, what will be bought next and revenue estimates. For a small company, you probably just need to flip through your receivables to detect loyalty patterns. For larger companies, there are mathematical techniques you can use with your accounting system to track, trend and nurture loyalty.

Pay attention to both satisfaction and loyalty. Satisfaction will help you identify what is or isn’t working day to day. Loyalty can help you know what your consumers will want and devise strategies to hang on to those customers long-term.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2010 Drew McLellan