Know-How Exchange : Research/Metrics

Hi Kathleen

The actual number will vary from one company to another and from one industry to another. It can also be influenced by the value of the product or service. However, generally twice as many people tend to be told about a bad customer experience that about a good one.

This research originates from customer research conducted by TARP (Technical Assistance Research Programmes) and was referred to by Tom Peters in “Thriving on Chaos”.

Research we have conducted at CTMA shows a similar tendency. In one recent study of customers who had experienced a problem with their supplier we found that:

• Customers who had contacted them for assistance, and were satisfied with the way they resolved the problem, told an average of 2.5 other people about it.
• Customers who had contacted them for assistance, and were dissatisfied with the way they resolved the problem, told an average of more than 5 other people about it.

Please feel free to contact me if I can help more.

Best regards

Paul Linnell

Kathleen

I heard good = tell one person, bad = tell nine.

Also this gem: "68% of your customers leave because of perceived indifference"...

Obviously there will be some kind of distribution curve for any of these oft-quoted rules.

BTW Oceania is the area all around Australia and New Zealand, includes all the archipelagoes, reefs and tropical islands. Usually it means land found at the southern end of any route Qantas flies.

Cheers

ChrisB