Managing the Customer Experience—A Measurement-based Approach

Many companies have customer loyalty research programs. But most of those programs fall short of their intended purpose, either because they fail to include important drivers of loyalty or because of the form in which the research results are reported.

Managing the Customer Experience avoids these missteps. It begins with an explanation of the interrelationship between brand image, customer emotions evoked by contact with service employees, and the shopping environment. The book then identifies what information is necessary for managing the customer experience, and describes how it can be obtained. The discussion then moves to analysis and reporting of information: the management decision tools and information needed by each level of management, and how the data from the studies described previously can produce it. The book concludes with a discussion of issues that arise in the construction of management decision tools.

Morris Wilburn is Associate Research Director at Market Probe, where his primary duties are consulting in research design and analysis, performing advanced analysis, and developing new products. His focus is on customer loyalty, new product development and segmentation studies. Previously he was Senior Research Methodologist at the Gallup Organization. Wilburn holds a BS in sociology from Lamar University and an MA sociology from the University of Chicago with specialization in survey research methodology. He is co-author of the book Linking Customer and Employee Satisfaction to the Bottom Line (ASQ Quality Press, 2003).