Apr 6, 2017 Do you shop online differently if the purchase involves clicking buttons vs. dragging an item into cart? Does a product search feel more fulfilling if it forces you to scroll through a vast trove of options? Do your survey responses change if the scale starts on the left or the right? These are the questions that Jonathan Levav, associate professor of marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, explores.

Mar 23, 2017 One of the great philosophers said that a person who sets out to be happy probably won't achieve his goal. On the other hand, if a person sets out to help others and make the world a better place, he will probably end up happy. The same logic applies to companies that set the vague goal of maximizing shareholder value, according to Roger Martin, former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. In reality, successful companies create products their customers want and provide exceptional service—and increase shareholder value in the process.

Mar 2, 2017 Steve Jobs. Charles Schwab. Howard Schultz. They all spotted an unmet customer need and made it their mission to meet it.

Feb 16, 2017 Millennium Mat has developed a unique culture in which employees make production decisions for their teams and share in the financial benefits of their success. The leaders of these teams are called CEOs and they make all of the hiring and production decisions. Their employees, whom Millennium calls partners, are expected to bring forth their performance-improving ideas. Companies of all sizes and in all industries could learn a lot from Millennium's approach, which has propelled its business to almost 40 countries.

Feb 2, 2017 Large companies live and die by traditional financial forecasts—earnings estimates, sales targets and so forth. After all, it's how the market measures their value and whether they're worthy of investment. The intense pressures to meet these goals can cause some executives to make short-term cuts that can undermine their long-term strategies. Some would argue that we need new gauges of corporate strength.

Jan 26, 2017 The Net Promoter System's "outer loop" is used to prioritize and address problems that can't be resolved by individuals or small teams. Rob Markey discusses why a robust, rigorous and transparent "outer loop" is essential to a solid Net Promoter System in this short episode. Read more: The Net Promoter System's Outer Loop

Jan 19, 2017 A lot of companies find themselves a situation in which their competitors are increasingly adding value to their products, while they're struggling to figure out which features and services might move the needle with customers. The leaders of these companies aren't sure what level of service will capture more of their market—or if they should even focus on service. It's the classic "how to play/where to win" question. Companies can't invest in everything.

an 6, 2017 - Does the Net Promoter Score gauge a customer's broader relationship with a company or just the customer's most recent experience? Or both? Who should make follow-up calls to customers? Rob Markey addresses these questions and more in this episode.

Dec 15, 2016 Why does the Net Promoter scale go from zero to 10? Why is passive not the same as neutral? Rob Markey answers these questions and others in this episode. Recommended reading: The Benefits of a Competitive Benchmark Net Promoter Score Creating a Reliable Metric

Dec 8, 2016 The goal of the Net Promoter System is to create a culture that encourages employees to bring energy and creativity to their jobs. Developing that kind of culture requires inspiring leaders. We've all seen those people who seem born to be leaders. They have an uncanny knack for motivating the people around them.

Nov 18, 2016 It's a question just about every manager wrestles with: How do I get my employees to do what I want them to do? How do I get them to be more empathetic to customers? To take feedback and make meaningful changes? Obviously, fair pay is essential, but there's far more to it.

Nov 10, 2016 The Net Promoter Score is a simple measure, but building a process and culture that results in deep customer relationships can be very complex. In this episode, Rob Markey answers listeners' questions on everything from competitive benchmarks to best practices for following up with customers. Do you have a question for Rob? Feel free to tweet your question to @rgmarkey on Twitter or write it in the comments field on any post on the Net Promoter System blog.

Oct 20, 2016 The Net Promoter System has a mechanism called the inner loop that helps employees of all kinds get real-time feedback directly from customers. The feedback is usually positive—most employees do their job pretty well—so people typically become more engaged and enthusiastic. The occasional criticism or complaint about a specific interaction or decision can help individual employees and the organization learn to do their jobs better. The challenge is to set up the inner loop in the right way, so that it reinforces learning rather than undermining it.

Oct 13, 2016 The best companies--loyalty leaders that grow profitably--do things to teach their employees to do their jobs better. In fact, the Net Promoter System was designed to help companies facilitate and accelerate that individual learning. The system's inner loop and huddle play important roles in encouraging feedback and coaching so that employees can serve customers better and contribute to the mission of the organization. Some people think that developing deep expertise simply requires time and practice, but there's more to it.

Sep 15, 2016 Ride-hailing companies disrupted the traditional taxi and limo industry by offering unprecedented convenience. But less has been said about the customer experience at these fast-growing companies, which typically allow customers and drivers to rate their interactions. After all, these companies rely on thousands of independent drivers in markets across the country. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mary Winfield, vice president of customer experience and trust at Lyft.