Satisfaction metrics and methods of implementation

Abstract

The subject invention relates generally to satisfaction metrics, their methods of administration, and computer programmable products loaded with the satisfaction metrics. The satisfaction metrics of the subject invention allow the participant to assess his or her satisfaction with general and specific attributes of any organization and to assign a relative value to the attribute relative to the other attributes. A weighted satisfaction score can be computed from the relative values and raw satisfaction scores of the general and specific attributes.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A graphical user interface for assigning a raw value to an attribute in a survey assessing satisfaction with an organization, comprising:
 a plurality of attributes displayed corresponding to a level of a hierarchical grouping of attributes; and   a bar graph positioned adjacent each attribute of the plurality of attributes, wherein the bar graph comprises markings at increments of the bar graph, each marking indicative of a raw value of importance,   wherein the bar graph is configured to display, in response to a user's selection of a marking on the bar graph, a shading or coloring from one end of the bar graph to the marking of the user's selection on the bar graph in order to indicate a degree of importance the user has towards the attribute adjacent the bar graph.   
     
     
         2 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display field displaying an equivalent numeric value of the marking on the bar graph in response to the user's selection of the marking on the bar graph.   
     
     
         3 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , wherein the bar graph has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end corresponds with zero importance and the second end corresponds with utmost importance and the area between the first end and the second end corresponds to a degree importance within zero importance and utmost importance. 
     
     
         4 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , wherein the user's selection of the marking on the bar graph is indicated by an input at an area of the bar graph corresponding to the marking. 
     
     
         5 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , wherein the input at the area is received via a mouse. 
     
     
         6 . The graphical user interface of  claim 1 , wherein the input at the area is received via a touch screen. 
     
     
         7 . A method of providing a survey for evaluating an organization according to predefined attributes, the predefined attributes being grouped according to a hierarchy in which a plurality of general attributes is grouped for evaluating a metric, the method comprising:
 displaying bottom-most attributes of the hierarchy in a first set grouped by parent attribute, each group being displayed together for a valuation of the set of attributes in relation to each other;   displaying a degree of satisfaction input field adjacent each attribute of the first set of attributes;   displaying a bar graph positioned adjacent each attribute of the first set of attributes, wherein the bar graph comprises markings at increments of the bar graph, each marking indicative of a raw value of importance; and   in response to receiving a selection of one of the markings of the bar graph, displaying a shading or coloring from one end of the bar graph to the selected marking and assigning to the attribute an equivalent numerical value of the raw value of importance corresponding to the marking.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the bar graph has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end corresponds with zero importance and the second end corresponds with utmost importance and the area between the first end and the second end corresponds to a degree importance within zero importance and utmost importance. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 after receiving a degree of satisfaction from the degree of satisfaction input field and the selection of one of the markings of the bar graph: calculating a relative value of the raw value of importance by dividing each assigned raw value of importance by the sum of the raw values of importance; and calculating an individual weighted satisfaction score by multiplying a numeric equivalent of the degree of satisfaction received via the degree of satisfaction input field with the relative value of the raw value of importance; and   calculating a satisfaction value for the parent attribute of the first set grouped by parent attribute by adding the individual weighted satisfaction scores of the attributes of the first set grouped by parent attribute.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the degrees of satisfaction comprise a plurality of icons, wherein each icon pictorially or textually represents a degree of satisfaction selected from the group consisting of “COMPLETELY SATISFIED”, “VERY SATISFIED”, “SATISFIED”, “NEITHER SATISFIED NOR DISSATISFIED”, “SLIGHTLY DISSATISFIED”, “DISSATISFIED”, “VERY DISSATISFIED”, “COMPLETELY DISSATISFIED”, and “NO OPINION;” wherein each icon is transposed into the numeric equivalent value. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 after receiving the degree of satisfaction from the degree of satisfaction input field and the selection of one of the markings of the bar graph each satisfaction value for all corresponding parent attributes to the bottom-most attributes:   displaying each parent attribute of the bottom-most attributes in a second set grouped by next level parent attribute, the next level parent attribute being a hierarchical parent attribute of the parent attributes of the bottom-most attributes of the hierarchy;   displaying the bar graph positioned adjacent each attribute of the second set of attributes; and   in response to receiving a selection of one of the markings of the bar graph, displaying the shading or coloring from one end of the bar graph to the selected marking and assigning to the attribute the equivalent numerical value of the raw value of importance corresponding to the marking.