Even in 2011, there are still companies which doubt the financial value of satisfied customers. I know, it’s hard to believe….. They wonder whether investing in satisfied customers will in the end truly influence turnover, profit, cash flow, shareholder value, etc. Various articles have already been published in which this relationship is proven. They have now been collected in the book titled “The Satisfied Customer – Winners and Losers in the Battle for Buyer Preference” by Claes Fornell.
Fornell and his colleagues have been measuring the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for many years. It determines how companies from all kinds of branches score on customer satisfaction, in relation to their financial performance. And for many years, they have been able to prove that customers who score well for ACSI also have a better market performance than those companies with a lower ACSI score. If you’re looking for concrete munition concerning the relationship between satisfied customers and the financial performance of the company, then their book is certainly worthwhile. If you’re specifically looking for the sources of articles which have proven this relationship, check out page 134, the first footnote of chapter 5.