You can measure customer loyalty by asking one simple question rather than relying on lengthy satisfaction surveys:
"On a scale of zero to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend us to your friends or colleagues?"
Measuring the difference between the percentage of customers who give high responses and those who give low ones, correlate closely with a company's revenue growth.
Interested in tracking your company's customer loyalty scores? Here is how a new book, 'The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth' (Harvard Business School Press) by Fred Reichheld, founder of Bain & Co.'s loyalty practice, recommends using this technique:
Keep it Simple: Lengthy surveys often lower the number of responses. Ask yourself, "Would customers recommend the product or service?" Then give them a chance to offer open-ended feedback.
Watch for Bias: If pay is tied to results, employees may be tempted to urge customers to rate products or services highly. Have a third party collect the data and then audit the results.
Remember the Goal: Don't obsess over the scores themselves. The ultimate goal is motivating front-line people and keeping the focus on the customer's experience.
Source: BusinessWeek, January 30, 2006
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