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Fall Newsletter 1999
 Customer Satisfaction Measurement
"If you can measure it, you can manage it!"...

While most companies and organizations have standard measurements such as revenue, profit, number of new customers, etc., NorthMark has been of assistance to a variety of clients in applying survey research to some less direct measures such as image, perception, advertising recall/effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction measurement has become a significant activity for most companies.  Some managers even include a factor for customer satisfaction when reviewing employee performance.  The most effective programs establish initial benchmarks with regular measurements over time for comparison.  Topics can include the sales force, marketing materials, product/service features, post-sales/support, training, and customer communications.

There are several satisfaction measurement models that may be used.  Some, such as SERVQUAL (best suited for service organizations) have established methodologies, while others can be custom designed.  NorthMark can assist in selecting or designing the most appropriate measurement program, implementing it, and reporting results as part of an organization's strategic or operational review efforts.


NorthMark News
Steve Thurston, founder and Principal of The NorthMark Group, was re-elected to the Board of Directors of the New England Chapter of the Marketing Research Association (MRA).  The Chapter is planning a 10th anniversary celebration as well as education and networking pro-grams throughout the year.  For more information about the MRA or becoming a member, please contact Steve at the NorthMark office.

We invite you to visit our new website (northmarkgroup.com) which provides a more complete description of our services and offers a new channel of communication via e-mail: research@northmarkgroup.com.  Your comments and feedback are welcome.


Sample Size Determinants
We often get asked about the optimal sample size for a particular survey.  The answer usually begins with something like, "It depends...". There are three primary determinants of the optimal sample size - level of confidence, size of the population being sampled, and an estimate of the percentage of that population possessing a particular attribute (occurrence rate).  You may be used to hearing that, as a general "rule of thumb", one can have a 95% level of confidence that statistics from a sample of 400, if selected randomly from a large consumer population, will represent that population=s statistics within +/- 5%.  What level of confidence do you require?  What margin of error are you willing to accept?

In reality, many of the decisions made regarding survey research become a tradeoff between practicality and purity.  In the purest sense, there are statistical formulas for determining sample size given the parameters identified above.  However, budget and time constraints may not allow for implementing the "purest" form of research.  In these cases, tradeoffs need to be made - usually in the form of smaller sample sizes with a corresponding increase in the margin of error.  The table below indicates the relative changes in the margin of error associated with different sample sizes given a 95% confidence level.  In general, decreasing the sample size by a factor of four will increase the margin of error by a factor of two. Please contact us to discuss this issue in more detail as it may apply to a particular project.
    95% Confidence Level
    Occurrence Rate Assumed to be 50%
     
     Sample Size     Margin of Error (+/-)
    100                   10.0%
    200                   7.1%
    400                   5.0%
    800                   3.5%

Recent Client Assignments
NorthMark's client base continues to expand as evidenced by these representative assignments:
  1. Customer Satisfaction Surveys were conducted for a variety of companies:

      A mail survey was implemented for a major beverage distributor to assess satisfaction with delivery service, drivers, and salespeople.

      Telephone surveys are conducted quarterly with a sample of customers of computer software companies to measure satisfaction with sales, product, technical support, training, and customer communications.

      A mail survey was implemented for a major NH medical administrator to assess satisfaction among medical providers of the services provided by the organization.

      A service quality measurement program (using the SERVQUAL instrument) was administered for a major NH utility company using telephone surveys which measured attitudes and opinions in five major categories B tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.

      A "lost account" survey was conducted by telephone for a major financial institution to assess reasons for closing accounts.

  2. Market Opportunity Studies were conducted for several others:

      A private investor was interested in assessing the market opportunity for a performing arts center in the Mount Washington Valley.  Combining information from previous tourism research and a customized survey of visitors to the area, potential market size estimates were derived.

      Focus group interviews were conducted with dealers, distributors, engineers, and consultants to assess current practices with regard to energy efficient lighting in the commercial and industrial market in New Hampshire.

      Telephone interviews were conducted to assess the market opportunity for electric generators and the level of awareness of energy conservation programs for a major electric utility.
How may we be of service to you?  Please let us know.  We'll be in touch promptly to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation followed by a written proposal for your consideration.
 

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