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) providing a survey to first and second partners to a relationship, the survey comprising a plurality of questions about the relationship;   (B) receiving a first set of answers to the plurality of questions from the first partner;   (C) identifying a first set of scores of the first answers;   (D) receiving a second set of answers to the plurality of questions from the second partner;   (E) identifying a second set of scores of the second answers;   (F) identifying, for each of the plurality of questions, a difference between the score of the question's answer in the first set and the score of the question's answer in the second set;   (G) determining whether the difference associated with a particular one of the plurality of questions exceeds a predetermined threshold; and   (H) identifying a recommendation for improving an aspect of the relationship associated with the particular one of the plurality of questions only if the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (I) providing a notification of the difference associated with one of the plurality of questions to at least one of the first and second partners to the relationship.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (I) determining whether the difference associated with a particular one of the plurality of questions exceeds a predetermined threshold; and   (J) providing a notification of the difference associated with the particular one of the plurality of questions to at least one of the first and second partners to the relationship only if the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) providing a survey to first and second partners to a relationship, the survey comprising a plurality of questions about the relationship;   (B) receiving a first set of answers to the plurality of questions from the first partner;   (C) identifying a first set of scores of the first answers;   (D) receiving a second set of answers to the plurality of questions from the second partner;   (E) identifying a second set of scores of the second answers;   (F) identifying, for each of the plurality of questions, a difference between the score of the question's answer in the first set and the score of the question's answer in the second set;   wherein the plurality of questions comprises questions about practices of the second partner to the relationship, and wherein the method further comprises:   (G) identifying a recommendation for improving at least some of the practices of the second partner, comprising:
 (1) identifying a first subset of the practices corresponding to answers in the first set having scores below a first predetermined threshold; 
 (2) identifying a second subset of the practices corresponding to questions in the plurality of questions for which the score difference identified in (F) exceeds a second predetermined threshold; 
 (3) identifying a union of the first subset and the second subset; and 
 (4) recommending that the second partner improve practices in the identified union. 
   
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) providing a survey to first and second partners to a relationship, the survey comprising a plurality of questions about practices of the second partner to the relationship;   (B) receiving a first set of answers to the plurality of questions from the first partner;   (C) identifying a subset of the practices having scores below a first predetermined threshold;   (D) identifying Satisfier practices within the subset; and   (E) recommending that the second partner improve the identified Satisfier practices.   
     
     
         6 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 means for providing a survey to first and second partners to a relationship, the survey comprising a plurality of questions about practices of the second partner to the relationship;   means for receiving a first set of answers to the plurality of questions from the first partner;   means for identifying a subset of the practices corresponding to answers in the first set having scores below a first predetermined threshold;   means for identifying Satisfier practices within the subset; and   means for recommending that the second partner improve the identified Satisfier practices.   
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) providing a survey to first and second partners to a relationship, the survey comprising a plurality of questions about practices of the second partner to the relationship;   (B) receiving a first set of answers to the plurality of questions from the first partner;   (C) identifying a first set of scores of the first answers;   (D) identifying a loyalty level of the first partner characterizing a degree of loyalty of the first partner to the second partner;   (E) if the loyalty level falls below a predetermined loyalty level threshold, then:
 (1) identifying a subset of the practices corresponding to answers in the first set having scores below a first predetermined threshold; 
 (2) identifying Satisfier practices within the subset; and 
 (3) recommending that the second partner improve the identified Satisfier practices; 
   (F) if the loyalty level does not fall below the predetermined loyalty level threshold, then:
 (1) receiving a second set of answers to the plurality of questions from the second partner; 
 (2) identifying a second set of scores of the second answers; and 
 (3) identifying a recommendation to the second partner based on the first set of scores and the second set of scores. 
   
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 means for providing a survey to first and second partners to a relationship, the survey comprising a plurality of questions about practices of the second partner to the relationship;   means for receiving a first set of answers to the plurality of questions from the first partner;   means for identifying a first set of scores of the first answers;   means for identifying a loyalty level of the first partner characterizing a degree of loyalty of the first partner to the second partner;   means, activated if the loyalty level falls below a predetermined loyalty level threshold, comprising:
 means for identifying a subset of the practices corresponding to answers in the first set having scores below a first predetermined threshold; 
 means for identifying Satisfier practices within the subset; and 
 means for recommending that the second partner improve the identified Satisfier practices; 
   means, activated if the loyalty level does not fall below the predetermined loyalty level threshold, comprising:
 means for receiving a second set of answers to the plurality of questions from the second partner; 
 means for identifying a second set of scores of the second answers; and 
 means for identifying a recommendation to the second partner based on the first set of scores and the second set of scores. 
   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 (A) providing a survey to a plurality of people, the survey comprising a plurality of questions, wherein the plurality of questions includes a plurality of questions related to a plurality of practices and a plurality of questions related to a plurality of dimensions of loyalty;   (B) receiving, from the plurality of people, a plurality of sets of answers to the plurality of questions;   (C) identifying a plurality of loyalty levels of the plurality of people based on the plurality of sets of answers;   (D) identifying a subset of the plurality of people having loyalty levels falling below a loyalty level threshold;   (E) identifying a plurality of sets of values of the plurality of dimensions of loyalty, wherein each of the plurality of sets of values corresponds to a distinct one of the plurality of people;   (F) performing a regression analysis on the plurality of sets of values to identify a plurality of coefficients, one for each of the plurality of dimensions of loyalty; and   (G) identifying a recommendation to improve at least some of the plurality of practices based on the plurality of coefficients.   
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented system comprising:
 means for providing a survey to a plurality of people, the survey comprising a plurality of questions, wherein the plurality of questions includes a plurality of questions related to a plurality of practices and a plurality of questions related to a plurality of dimensions of loyalty;   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 loyalty levels of the plurality of people based on the plurality of sets of answers;   means for identifying a subset of the plurality of people having loyalty levels falling below a loyalty level threshold;   means for identifying a plurality of sets of values of the plurality of dimensions of loyalty, wherein each of the plurality of sets of values corresponds to a distinct one of the plurality of people;   means for performing a regression analysis on the plurality of sets of values to identify a plurality of coefficients, one for each of the plurality of dimensions of loyalty; and   means for identifying a recommendation to improve at least some of the plurality of practices based on the plurality of coefficients.