Case Studies

Case Study: Automotive

Case Study: Technology

Case Study: Hospitality

Sector: Automotive

Research Type(s): Customer Experience

Research Method(s): Postal and Online

"There are 62 country brands taking part in the programme, across four brands and 28 countries"

Background and Objectives

Maritz Research has been running the clients European Customer Satisfaction Programme for over ten years which is managed centrally from the UK. The Customer Satisfaction Programme is a customer experience survey for Sales and Service customers across the car dealer network. There are 62 country brands taking part in the programme, across four brands and 28 countries. There are 150 live versions of the questionnaire currently in use which accommodates all the languages required within each country.

Fielding

This programme is conducted using a combined postal and online data collection methodology. It is fielded in 24 languages and 28 countries across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. All of the data collection and reporting is conducted in local languages, with the allowance for multi-languages’ in bi- and tri- lingual countries. The survey is designed to track customer satisfaction with the sales and aftersales dealer network for the client. Approximately 2.5 million surveys are sent annually to customers through mailed and online surveys. Approximately 500,000 annual completed surveys are obtained.

Sampling

Maritz Research receives customer sample files from a number of different sources which includes third party data suppliers and GME directly. Files are received through a number of methods including email, supplier’s extranets and upload to a secure Maritz Research FTP site. The sample is received in a number of different formats and at different times of the month. Sample processing and cleaning is very complex and includes a set of generic rules as well as specific rules added at the request of the client at brand, country, dealer and/or customer level.

Support Mailbox

Maritz Research also provides the client a service whereby we can help to deal with customer queries. There are two Inboxes which are monitored on a daily basis helping customers with problems and queries. This service provides a proactive way of improving response rates to online surveys. We also receive general complaints and comments on the customer’s dealership experiences and queries regarding their cars through these mailboxes. In addition, customer comments are received with or attached to the returned questionnaires. These comments are scanned and sent daily to country coordinators to be actioned. All customer feedback is sent to the local country coordinators or to the client directly as appropriate.

Reporting

Results are reported through an online system where each user level through the network can have access to results that are relevant and meaningful to them e.g. dealers can view their individual results with comparison against other scores of interest like group, brand and national score. Individual dealer scores and scanned images of customer comments are uploaded daily. Hot alerts are generated and uploaded daily to the online system where they can be viewed and resolved by dealers. A hot alert is generated based on the direct answers to key questions in the survey. Maritz Research provides approximately 45,000 reports to client’s key stakeholders on an annual basis. A combination of reports is produced to suit the business needs in a number of different formats. Reports are available online via the website or sent offline over email.
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Sector: Technology

Research Type(s): Transactional and Relational Customer Satisfaction /Business-to-Business and Business-to-Customer

Research Method(s): Online and telephone

"Surveys in approximately 30 languages across 40 countries including countries in North America, South America, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region." “

Background and Objectives

Maritz Research has been conducting the Customer Experience Measurement programme for this client since 2000. The programme is a series of studies, including the assessment of both business-to-customer interactions, such as customer assistance centre satisfaction, and businessto- business interactions, such as consulting services interactions.

Sample Management

Sample management for this programme is complex. As a result, Maritz Research has developed a fully customised IT solution to meet this client’s sample management needs and requirements. To facilitate sample management and to obtain the most up-to-date sample possible, Maritz Research and the client have automated many processes through an IT-based solution to allow Maritz Research to pull sample directly from the client’s files located behind its corporate firewall. These files contain extremely sensitive customer and partner contact information and Maritz is one of a very small group of suppliers certified by this client to handle its internal sample lists. Given that this is a very large and highly security conscious company, this shows a very high level of trust in Maritz Research’s IT capabilities and expertise.

Fielding

Through this programme Maritz conducts surveys in approximately 30 languages across 40 countries including countries in North America, South America, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. Annual survey volume is approximately 500,000 completed surveys. Many of the surveys are approximately 8-10 minutes in length and cover areas such as quality of support, satisfaction with support, support effectiveness, timeliness of handling issues, likelihood to recommend, etc.

Support Mailbox

Maritz Research also provides the client a service whereby we can help to deal with customer queries. There are two Inboxes which are monitored on a daily basis helping customers with problems and queries. This service provides a proactive way of improving response rates to online surveys. We also receive general complaints and comments on the customer’s dealership experiences and queries regarding their cars through these mailboxes. In addition, customer comments are received with or attached to the returned questionnaires. These comments are scanned and sent daily to country coordinators to be actioned. All customer feedback is sent to the local country coordinators or to the client HQ directly as appropriate.

Reporting

The client does most of its own score calculations and summaries. Depending on the requirements of the study, Maritz provides response-level data on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Maritz also produces numerous disposition reports that detail number of invitations sent out vs. number of completed and partially completed surveys, etc.
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Sector: Hospitality

Research Type(s): Customer Experience

Research Method(s): Online

"Measuring the impact of various improvements in product and service offerings." The online survey is provided in over 30 languages in 67 countries

Background and Objectives

The client is recognised as a global leader in the hospitality industry and has been implementing its customer satisfaction programme for over a decade. The primary goals of the programme are to provide actionable information to properties, owners, and franchisees to help them improve the overall guest experience and increase guest loyalty as well as provide direction to brand managers on where improvements in product or service offerings are needed to retain and gain market share.

Research Methodology and Specifications

The client's Guest Satisfaction Study is an ongoing global tracking study that measures guests’ satisfaction with their hotel stay. Over two million responses from guests are collected on an annual basis. All of the client’s worldwide properties participate in the programme nearing 3,000 locations across 10 brands. The online survey is provided in over 30 languages in 67 countries, including countries in North America, South America, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific regions. The survey collects feedback from guests about their overall satisfaction with their stay, and satisfaction with each customer touch point from arrival to departure. The survey is customized for each guest based on brand, hotel, stay date, guest loyalty level, and trip purpose. Maritz Research assisted the client in redesigning the programme in 2002 and again in 2007 to reduce programme costs, make data more actionable for general managers, and create the ability to compare brands across the portfolio. The programme previously used both online and mail data collection methodologies, but has migrated to 100 percent online.

Research and Business Outcomes

Performance results are reported through an online system that is structured around a "data story" that guides users through the site in a step-by-step fashi on. Property-specific key drivers are calculated annually and included in reporting. Verbatim comments are processed and coded automatically via a text mining software tool and are used in the data story. Reports are provided at the Property, Region, Management Company, and Brand levels. The results are used to identify areas for improvement at the property level as well as measuring the impact of various improvements in product and service offerings. The programme is also used to determine bonuses, establish Quality Assurance performance zones, and to “deflag” a hotel if they are a continual poor performer.

Support Mailbox

Maritz Research also provides the client a service whereby we can help to deal with customer queries. There are two Inboxes which are monitored on a daily basis helping customers with problems and queries. This service provides a proactive way of improving response rates to online surveys. We also receive general complaints and comments on the customer’s dealership experiences and queries regarding their cars through these mailboxes. In addition, customer comments are received with or attached to the returned questionnaires. These comments are scanned and sent daily to country coordinators to be actioned. All customer feedback is sent to the local country coordinators or to the client HQ directly as appropriate.

Reporting

Results are reported through an online system where each user level through the network can have access to results that are relevant and meaningful to them e.g. dealers can view their individual results with comparison against other scores of interest like group, brand and national score. Individual dealer scores and scanned images of customer comments are uploaded daily. Hot alerts are generated and uploaded daily to the online system where they can be viewed and resolved by dealers. A hot alert is generated based on the direct answers to key questions in the survey. Maritz Research provides approximately 45,000 reports to client’s key stakeholders on an annual basis. A combination of reports is produced to suit the business needs in a number of different formats. Reports are available online via the website or sent offline over email.
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