Specialist Books
"Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Business-to-Business is a Special Case"
When conceiving satisfaction surveys in B2B markets one should bear in mind that B2B relationships are fundamentally different to (and above all more complex than) B2C relationships. A B2B customer satisfaction study must therefore to a much greater extent than is normally the case in the B2C area be tailored to the respective company and its customers. This applies to the research design, the questions that need to be asked, competitors in various sales phases, and relevant critical events.
vsms-Yearbook 2011 "Markt- und Sozialforschung", Pages 53-55, vsms Verband, Zürich 2011
"Collaborating with Gen-Y: Leveraging Generational Insight to Build the Best Workplace for Gen-Y in China"
China's Generation Y was born between 1980 and 1990, and consists of 230 million people. Sociologists have given the nickname "little emperors" to this
generation, all of whom are the only child in their families. This study analyses China's Gen-Y population as a unique group of employees who are currently in high
demand. It examines China's Gen-Y from the perspective of China's managers and employees and provides valuable insights for international and local companies alike,
across various regions in the country. Sponsored by IBM and carried out by N-Dynamics (the local Vocatus IRIS partner in China), the study is based on the
Employment Commitment Index (ECI), a proprietary tool owned by Vocatus. It shows how managers can successfully walk the fine line between incentivizing without
over-indulging these "little emperors".
41 pages, N-Dynamic Press 2011
Available in English and Mandarin
"From the Homo Oeconomicus to the Real-life Consumer"
In order to find the optimal pricing strategy for a given product, one must above all understand consumers' real-life purchase behaviour. In an international empirical study involving 16 countries and 10 kinds of product we were able to identify 5 types of consumer based upon pricing psychology. They differ clearly from one another in terms of how they deal with the topic of price within the decision process.
vsms-Yearbook 2010 "Markt- und Sozialforschung", Pages 88-91, vsms Verband, Zürich 2010
"The 360 Degree Decision Analysis:
Understanding Decision Processes"
People's decision processes don't always take place in a logical, comprehensible, or linear fashion, or with the benefit of complete information. In order for companies to influence decision processes and thereby win or retain customers, it's vital to understand these processes in all their complexity. Only on this basis can one duly optimise the various marketing mix initiatives in a targeted manner.
Yearbook 2007 "Kunde im Focus", pages 20 - 23, IM Marketing-Forum, Ettlingen 2007
"The Service Sector:
Understanding Intangible Processes"
As a result of the more complex research involved, service-based companies require implementation-oriented market research far more than classic product-based companies. This is because comprehensive advice and active support with subsequent implementation are vital for success. At the same time, purely product-based companies are virtually a thing of the past, since service components are increasingly important in every company.
Qualitative market reseach, pages 597 - 608, Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2007
"The Customer-driven Dialogue"
The dialog with the customer is the crucial component when measuring service quality. Typical problems in call centers include the initial contact, the competence of the call center agent and the reliability of the obtained answer. Customer surveys, call monitoring and mystery calls can establish the strengths and weaknesses of these process steps.
Concepts in Customer Relationship Management, pages 237 - 264, Reihe Management, Wiesbaden 2004
"Analysing the Quality of Website Processes"
A great website alone is not enough. It is only the quality of the processes behind it that determines customer satisfaction and retention. The analysis of customer complaints often reveals a considerable discrepancy between the quality of service people expect and the quality of service they experience. This is why methods to ascertain and analyse service quality are becoming more and more important for customer retention.
Consumer behavior on the Internet, pages 363 - 377, Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2004
"Customer Feedback on the Internet"
Customer feedback has to be recorded in a structured way, answered quickly, and evaluated systematically if companies want to keep their customers and learn from customer feedback.
210 pages, Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 2002
"The Psychology of Price Structuring"
Price structuring is virtually neglected within the framework of classic price theory. However, investigations into the psychology of decision-making behaviour can reveal interesting and surprising results for companies. This book discusses experimental results as well as the theoretical foundations for price structuring, and it also outlines examples of how it can be applied pragmatically.
210 pages, CS Verlag, 2000
"Custom Enterprise.com"
Since the dawn of mass production, the people who make things have only indirectly communicated with their customers, and it shows. Now, however, the Internet age has given companies the means to communicate more directly with their customers, and to incorporate their ideas into design, manufacture, and pricing, thereby creating customer value and a competitive edge.
220 pages (English), Financial Times, London 2000. Translations available in German, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch.