Does Social Media Improve Customer Loyalty? Take the Customer Feedback Programs Best Practices Survey and Receive Free Report

Business Over Broadway announces their second Customer Feedback Programs Best Practices survey to study the use and impact of social media tools on customer loyalty.  In the previous study (conducted in 2008), Business Over Broadway found that loyalty leading companies adopt specific practices in their customer feedback programs. Specifically, loyalty leading companies, compared to loyalty-lagging companies: 

1. Have executive-level support of the customer feedback program 
2. Integrate the customer feedback program into their daily business processes and systems 
3. Conduct in-depth applied research with their customer feedback data 

Since that study, the use of social media tools in customer feedback programs has increased. Companies monitor social networking sites, build their own online communities, and measure customer sentiment in hopes to better understand their customers and improve customer loyalty.  Do these new tools work? Are companies who employ these tools better able to manage their customer relationships? Do they have higher levels of customer loyalty compared to companies who do not use these tools? The current survey is designed to answer these questions.


For the new study, we developed a survey allowing customer feedback professionals to provide their input on how their company structures its customer feedback program and uses data from this program. Customer feedback professionals have a unique opportunity to be a part of this research. In return for completing the survey, respondents will receive a free executive report that will highlight the key findings of this study.


Responses to this survey will remain strictly confidential. When reporting survey results, individual company names will not be disclosed without their permission. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. 

To begin the survey, please click on the link below:

http://businessoverbroadway.com/limesurvey/index.php?sid ...

To learn more about the survey, click on the link below:

http://www.businessoverbroadway.com/bestpracticesstudy.htm

Results from the first customer feedback programs best practices study were presented in the book, Beyond the Ultimate Question (2009).

<< read complete press release >>

New Mob4Hire Report “The Impact of Mobile User Experience on Network Operator Customer Loyalty” Ranks Performance Of Global Wireless Industry

Mob4Hire, in collaboration with leading customer loyalty scientist Business Over Broadway, today announced its Summer Report 2010 of its “Impact of Mobile User Experience on Network Operator Customer Loyalty” international research, conducted during the Spring. The 111-country survey analyzes the impact of mobile apps across many dimensions of the app ecosystem as it relates to customer loyalty of network operators.

Read the full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4334684.htm

The report is available at http://www.mob4hire.com/services/global-mobile-research for only $495 Individual License (1-3 people), $995 Corporate License (3+ people).

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Resources

I have written several articles and books on the management and measurement of customer loyalty and satisfaction. Below is a list of these articles and books that can help you learn how to improve the customer experience and increase customer loyalty. All references to white papers/articles have associated links to the full articles for free download. Please share with your colleagues.

White Paper/Article Reference	Summary of Paper
Hayes, B.E., Goodden, R., Atkinson, R., Murdock, F. & Smith, D. (2010). Where to Start: Experts weigh in on what all of us can learn from Toyota’s challenges. Quality Progress, April, 16-23.	Paper discusses best practices in customer feedback programs across six (6) areas: Strategy, Governance, Business Process Integration, Method, Reporting and Research. Read entire article.
Hayes, B. E. (2008). Customer loyalty 2.0: The Net Promoter Score debate and the meaning of customer loyalty, Quirk’s Marketing Research Review, October, 54-62.	Paper reviews and critiques the Net Promoter® Score (NPS). Researcher shows that NPS claims are overstated; other loyalty questions (overall sat, buy again) are just as effective at predicting growth. Use of only NPS can lead to lost revenue. Read entire article.
Hayes, B. E. (2008). The true test of loyalty. Quality Progress. June, 20-26.	Paper demonstrates that customer loyalty consists of three components: Retention, Advocacy, and Purchasing, each measured by Retention Loyalty Index, Advocacy Loyalty Index and Purchasing Loyalty Index. Each predicts different types of business growth. Read entire article.
Hayes, B. E. (1994). How to measure empowerment. Quality Progress, 27(2), 41-46.	A classic. Paper discusses need to define and measure empowerment. Researcher develops reliable measure of employee perceptions of empowerment, the Employee Empowerment Questionnaire (EEQ). The EEQ was related to important employee attitudes (job satisfaction). Read entire article.
Hayes, B. E., Perander, J., Smecko, T., & Trask, J. (1998). Measuring perceptions of workplace safety: Development and validation of the work safety scale. Journal of Safety Research, 29(3), 145-161.	Paper discusses development of employee perceptions of workplace safety, The Work Safety Scale (WSS). The WSS measures five different components of perceptions of safety at work. The WSS is related to employees’ reported accident rates and their compliance with safety behaviors. Read article here.

Books	Summary of Book
Hayes, B. E. (2009). Beyond the ultimate question: A systematic approach to improve customer loyalty. Quality Press. Milwaukee, WI.	Book includes comprehensive review of Net Promoter® Score (NPS) and presents better measures of customer loyalty. Best practices of customer feedback programs are identified. Case studies of Oracle and Akamai customer feedback programs are included. Buy book.
Hayes, B. E. (2008). Measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty: Survey design, use and statistical analysis methods (3rd ed.). Quality Press. Milwaukee, WI.	Book includes discussion of how to measure the customer experience, including customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Examples of use of customer surveys are used, including driver analysis, KPIs, dashboards, and more. Buy book.

Mob4Hire launches Version 4.0 of award-winning community platform after a year in development

I have been swept up into a whirlwind of activity with a company for which I am an advisor. This micro-multinational company, Mob4Hire, is the largest real world, crowd sourced testing and market research company for mobile applications. We have been working on new service offerings and a new platform that helps mobile software companies make better mobile apps.

Mob4Hire Version 4.0 offers mobile functional and usability testing, as well as product and market research using its crowd of over 40,000 mobile users in 150 countries. This provides valuable opportunities for mobile app and website developers, advertising executives, product managers, market researchers, marketing teams and developer networks / app stores of handset and network operators to reach global users and include user feedback in the mobile development cycle. This results in a good user experience which in turn drives recommendations, top store rankings, discoverability, and ultimately, viral revenue growth.

Mob4Hire Version 4.0 includes four crowd-sourced products:

• MobTest: "Real World Mobile Testing"; Functional and Usability testing for mobile apps on thousands of handsets worldwide
• MobSurvey: "Mobile Surveys. Global Panels."; The easiest way to ask mobile enthusiasts around the world just about anything
• MobExperience: "Make Better Apps. Get 5 Star Reviews."; Customer Loyalty Research and Usability Testing BEFORE developers release their mobile apps
• MobAccelerator: "Get Discovered. Hit The Top 10 lists. Go Big."; Customer Loyalty Research coupled with instore user experience, discoverability and marketing research

Read the press release for all the details regarding the new platform and product offerings.

Toyota's roadmap to recovery

I was asked, along with four other contributors, to share our thoughts regarding what companies could learn from the recent Toyota recalls. My contribution focused on customer feedback and how to ensure companies can keep their customers loyal. My portion of the article can be found here. The entire article, including thoughts of other contributors, appears in the April 2010 edition of Quality Progress.

Excerpt:
BRAND LOYALTY: Feedback Best Practices Keep Customers Coming Back by Bob E. Hayes
Toyota’s recalls—and the subsequent media blitz surrounding customer reaction, the automaker’s handling of the recall and the Congressional hearings with company executives—have deleteriously affected the company’s reputation for delivering high-quality vehicles. As a result, customer loyalty has taken a hit.

Toyota’s U.S. sales dropped 9% in February 2010 compared to the previous year, while Ford, GM, Nissan, Honda and Hyundai reported double-digit growth in the same time period. Toyota now faces a monumental task: regaining the trust and loyalty of existing customers and potential new ones... >>read more.

Business Over Broadway and Mob4Hire release first look at "Global Wireless Satisfaction Survey"

I'm excited to announce the first look of the results of a "Global Wireless Satisfaction Survey." Conducted in collaboration with Mob4Hire and myself in Feb 2010, the unprecedented 111-country survey analyzes the impact of mobile apps on operator’s churn (# of new customers acquired minus # of existing customers lost), as well as many dimensions of the app ecosystem as it relates to mobile user behavior and satisfaction.

You can have a look at the official press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3727914.htm

The 8-page Executive Summary is available at Slideshare by clicking here or see below.

This research from this survey is significant from two standpoints:

1. It demonstrates that the mobile apps and ecosystem that network operators provide users are extremely important to their customer loyalty around the globe: 75% of people say mobile apps are important when choosing their new operator.
2. It demonstrates a great use of Mob4Hire's distributed community of more than 40,000 people in 146 countries on 364 network operators.

We will be releasing additional results of the survey in coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Mob4Hire releases Mobile Apps report from "Global Wireless Satisfaction Survey" Feb 2010

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