The final score is calculated by weighing the customer score as 65% of the total and the panel score as 35% of the total. Because our panelists originally nominated our finalists -- and because, in the overall spirit of this project, we also wanted to put customers first -- we gave consumers who responded to our survey the stronger voice in determining the winner.
The Survey Questions
The service score is determined by the results of question 1 on the survey. The satisfaction score is an average of the results of questions 2, 3, and 4 on the survey. The loyalty score is an average of the results of questions 5 and 6 on the survey. The customer score is an average of the service, satisfaction, and loyalty scores; the panel score is an average of scores given by our individual panelists. All scores are on a scale of 1 to 100.
| Service Score | Satisfaction Score | Loyalty Score | Customer Score | Panel Score | Final Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leading Listener | ||||||
| Trader Joe's | 83.0 | 83.0 | 89.5 | 85.2 | 68.0 | 79.2 |
| Wachovia | 64.0 | 62.0 | 64.5 | 63.5 | 71.0 | 66.1 |
| Customer-Centered Leader | ||||||
| Chick-fil-A | 79.0 | 80.0 | 83.0 | 80.7 | 75.0 | 78.7 |
| Costco Wholesale | 69.0 | 74.0 | 82.5 | 75.2 | 69.0 | 73.0 |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car | 74.0 | 70.0 | 72.0 | 72.0 | 69.6 | |
| Profitable Player | ||||||
| Progressive | 72.0 | 68.0 | 68.5 | 69.5 | 78.0 | 72.5 |
| Walgreens | 63.0 | 63.0 | 68.5 | 64.8 | 64.0 | 64.5 |
| High-Tech Achiever | ||||||
| Mini USA | 78.0 | 77.0 | 80.5 | 78.5 | 74.0 | 76.9 |
| Harrah's Entertainment | 66.0 | 59.0 | 61.0 | 62.0 | 70.0 | 64.8 |
| Sharp Electronics | 59.0 | 58.0 | 60.0 | 59.0 | 65.0 | 61.1 |
| Employee Innovator | ||||||
| Wegmans | 79.0 | 82.0 | 87.5 | 82.8 | 72.0 | 79.0 |
| Fairmont Hotels & Resorts | 79.0 | 76.0 | 80.0 | 78.3 | 64.0 | 73.3 |
| Petsmart | 72.0 | 71.0 | 77.5 | 73.5 | 72.0 | 73.0 |
Our results were audited by ForeSee Results, which applies the patented methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, a leading indicator of financial performance driven by customer satisfaction that quantifies satisfaction on the Web and predicts future behaviors such as purchases, return visits, and referrals. Produced by the University of Michigan and published quarterly in major news outlets, the ACSI is a uniform, national, cross-industry measure of satisfaction of the quality of goods and services available in the United States.
ForeSee Results, a leader in online customer satisfaction measurement, has administered more than 23 million online surveys across 22 industries, helping companies scientifically measure and manage customer satisfaction. While the ACSI is based on a random sample, our survey was presented primarily to Fast Company newsletter and Web site readers, as well as to groups with pertinent interests or demographics. Respondents cast a total of 1,805 votes; response rates varied by company.
