Noticed this Tweet this morning from Alan M. Webber…

"Just had coffee with Wickie Meier in Copenhagen; she reports that "service design" is under-appreciated next big thing — makes sense to me!"

So who is Alan Webber ? He launched Fast Company , the fastest growing, most successful business magazine in history. He was named Adweek’s Editor of the Year in 1999, along with co-founding editor William Taylor. In 2000 Fast Company was sold for the second largest amount of any magazine in U.S. history. He "gets" what it means to be a “fast company”: the ongoing competition for the best people, for great ideas, and for the right way to think about leadership. And it’s great that he "gets" service design.

Prior to founding Fast Company, Webber was the managing editor and editorial director of the Harvard Business Review for five years. His article and columns have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.

So who else in the mainstream media "gets" service design? Let us know at hey @ FrontierServiceDesign dot com.

Originally published Feb 19, 2009, by Kenneth Hein

While it isn’t shocking that a positive customer experience leads to customer loyalty, Forrester Research’s new report shows just how crucial it can be. Forrester surveyed 4,500 U.S. consumers and asked them about their interactions with more than 100 brand name firms.

It found a good experience correlates with a willingness to repurchase a product or service, a reluctance to switch and a likelihood to spread a positive word-of-mouth endorsement.

Among the companies surveyed, Office Depot and SunTrust Bank showed the highest correlation between customer experience and customers’ repurchase plans. Merrill Lynch, Hampton Inn/Suites, Sears and RadioShack followed.

In terms of overall categories, TV service providers, Internet service providers and banks showed the greatest link between the brand experience and whether or not customers would spend again.

“Since new customers are harder to come by in an economic downturn, firms need to pay even more attention to building loyalty with their most important customers,” wrote Bruce Temkin, author of Customer Experience Correlates to Loyalty . “If firms lose pace with competitors’ customer experience, they may end up attenuating the negative impact of the economic downturn.

The companies that showed the highest correlation between customer experience and a reluctance to switch were U.S. Airways/America West and RadioShack. This was most common among investment firms and medical insurers.

Charter Communications, an ISP, plus TV service provider Bright House and AAA insurance showed the highest correlation between experience and likelihood to recommend.