This Week's Herman Trend Alert The Consequences of Virtual Meetings

The Herman Trend Alert July 8, 2009 Customer Engagement Today and Tomorrow Consumers are spending less---and expecting more. In the third quarter of 2008, US consumer spending fell by 3.1 percent, the steepest decline since 1980. Concurrently, customer satisfaction is suffering. For the past 18 months, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has also decreased. The companies that will survive are the ones that engage their customers. Recently, PeopleMetrics issued its 2009 Most Engaged Customers Study. Focusing on aspects of customer engagement, the report ranked the top-performing companies. The study found "higher levels of customer engagement have a positive impact on the [desired customer] behaviors". Conversely, disengagement has the reverse effect. Specifically, "a fully engaged customer recommends a brand nearly four times more often than does an ambivalent customer". By contrast, an actively disengaged customer will tell an average of three people "to avoid a company and its services". "A fully engaged customer visits that company's website twice as often as an actively disengaged customer and makes three times as many online purchases." Regrettably, engaging customers is more difficult now than in the past. Across the brands that were assessed in both 2008 and 2009, nearly half (13/27) experienced a significant drop in engagement levels (59 to 50 percent). The brands found to be the best at customer engagement in rank order were Ritz-Carlton, Google, The Four Seasons, Netflix.com, Cartier, Armani, Newegg.com, Wegman's Food Market, Coach, and Costco. Three stand-out employers on the list are noted for being employee-centered organizations: Ritz-Carlton, Wegman's, and Costco. These employers put workers "firmly in the center of their service and business strategy". Essentially, the winning industries have more reliable service delivery than the lower performing industries. The big winners in increased engagement were Wal-Mart (14 points) and RadioShack (12 points). In today's economic climate, "getting greater value for one's depleting dollars is paramount". PeopleMetrics is an organization dedicated to helping clients engage their internal and external customers. To purchase the full report, e-mail info@people-metrics.com. Our forecast is that organizations that take care of their employees during this dangerous period will emerge from this contracted economy with a higher market share and a greater ability to recruit top talent. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: RETENTION SPECIALIST PROGRAM A growing number of people have expressed an interest in attending our Employee Retention Specialist Certificate Program. We'd like to schedule on that's convenient for those who want to attend, but need your feedback to do so. Please place RETENTION SPECIALIST in the subject line and Joyce will personally call you back to schedule the workshop. Or you can call Joyce directly at 336-210-3548 (PDT this and next week). BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Most employers are unprepared. The recovery will bring a new set of challenges for employers that have been in prolonged contracted mode. They will need more skilled workers or will need now to begin to upskill their current staffs. But organizations can not engage in Strategic Workforce Planning, when they don't know how. That's where The Herman Group can help. We can help you with your "People Review"----large or small---so that you will know who you will need and when you will need them. . . and we can also guide you to the best sources for the people you will need. For more information, call Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail joyce@hermangroup.com. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES REALLY THINK AND FEEL Discover what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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