Satisfied Customer

In our service economy, the most important asset is tough to quantify: a company's relationship with its customers. In this must-read examination of customer relations, Claes Fornell draws out a blueprint for understanding this fact of modern business and reveals the unheralded value of customer satisfaction. Drawing on the results of a massive survey of American consumer satisfaction and including examples from companies like Home Depot and UPS, Fornell explains how to quantify and increase the value of a firm's customer relationships-what he calls the Customer Asset. Arguing that exceeding a customer's expectations is risky, and increasing customer complaints can actually be a good thing, his conclusions about outreach strategy are bold and often surprising.