Loyalty Measurement

Abstract

A computer-implemented system measures loyalty of one partner to another partner in a relationship, such as the loyalty of a company's customer to the company. The first partner's loyalty is measured by obtaining information from the partner, such as through answers to survey questions, about the partner's perception of the climate of the relationship. A loyalty index function may be applied to scores associated with the answers to produce a single loyalty index representing the first partner's loyalty to the other partner. The system may recommend that the second partner change their practices to increase the first partner's loyalty index. For example, the system may recommend that the second partner improve practices related to “satisfier” dimensions of the relationship, and/or that the second partner improve practices which empirical data have demonstrated to correlate most strongly with increased loyalty.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) identifying a loyalty level of a first partner in a relationship based on first input provided by the first partner;   (B) identifying values of a plurality of dimensions of loyalty of the first partner to a second partner in the relationship based on second input provided by the first partner;   (C) identifying a loyalty sub-function based on the identified loyalty level; and   (D) applying the identified sub-function to the plurality of dimension values to identify a loyalty index associated with the first partner.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dimensions consists of six dimensions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein (C) comprises selecting the loyalty sub-function from a set of four loyalty sub-functions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (E) before (A), providing a survey to the first partner, the survey comprising a plurality of questions; and   wherein the first input comprises answers provided by the first partner to the plurality of questions.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (E) before (A), providing a survey to the first partner, the survey comprising a plurality of questions; and   wherein the second input comprises answers provided by the first partner to the plurality of questions.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of questions comprises a plurality of groups of questions, wherein each group in the plurality of groups corresponds to a distinct one of the plurality of dimensions of loyalty. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (E) before (A), providing a survey to a plurality of people, the survey comprising a plurality of questions;   (F) receiving, from the plurality of people, a plurality of sets of answers to the plurality of questions;   (G) identifying a plurality of clusters of the plurality of questions; and   (H) identifying the plurality of dimensions of loyalty based on the identified clusters.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein (G) comprises applying factor analysis to the plurality of sets of answers to identify the plurality of clusters. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (E) identifying a plurality of loyalty scores for a plurality of people;   (F) applying cluster analysis to the plurality of loyalty scores to identify a plurality of clusters; and   (G) identifying a plurality of breakpoints between the plurality of clusters.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein (A) comprises:
 (C)(1) identifying a loyalty score of the first partner in the relationship; and   (C)(2) identifying the loyalty level of the first partner in the relationship based on the loyalty score and the plurality of breakpoints.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 loyalty level identification means for identifying a loyalty level of a first partner in a relationship based on first input provided by the first partner;   dimension value identification means for identifying values of a plurality of dimensions of loyalty of the first partner to a second partner in the relationship based on second input provided by the first partner;   loyalty sub-function identification means for identifying a loyalty sub-function based on the identified loyalty level; and   loyalty sub-function application means for applying the identified sub-function to the plurality of dimension values to identify a loyalty index associated with the first partner.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of dimensions consists of six dimensions. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the loyalty sub-function identification means comprises means for selecting the loyalty sub-function from a set of four loyalty sub-functions. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 survey provision means for providing a survey to a plurality of people, the survey comprising a plurality of questions;   answer reception means for receiving, from the plurality of people, a plurality of sets of answers to the plurality of questions;   cluster identification means for identifying a plurality of clusters of the plurality of questions; and   loyalty dimension identification means for identifying the plurality of dimensions of loyalty based on the identified clusters.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 loyalty score identification means for identifying a plurality of loyalty scores for a plurality of people;   cluster analysis means for applying cluster analysis to the plurality of loyalty scores to identify a plurality of clusters; and   breakpoint identification means for identifying a plurality of breakpoints between the plurality of clusters.   
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) providing a survey to a plurality of people, the survey comprising a plurality of questions;   (B) receiving, from the plurality of people, a plurality of sets of answers to the plurality of questions;   (C) identifying a plurality of clusters of the plurality of questions; and   (D) identifying a plurality of dimensions of loyalty based on the identified clusters.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein (C) comprises applying factor analysis to the plurality of sets of answers to identify the plurality of clusters. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 means for providing a survey to a plurality of people, the survey comprising a plurality of questions;   means for receiving, from the plurality of people, a plurality of sets of answers to the plurality of questions;   means for identifying a plurality of clusters of the plurality of questions; and   means for identifying a plurality of dimensions of loyalty based on the identified clusters.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the means for identifying the plurality of clusters comprises means for applying factor analysis to the plurality of sets of answers to identify the plurality of clusters.