Embedding Customer Experience Measures in Partner Programs.
Customer Experience and Customer Satisfaction are becoming more and more important as elements in technology partner programs. How are vendors embedding these elements into their partner programs, and how is partner performance being measured?
Direct Versus Indirect Measures
Customer Satisfaction referred to as CSAT, is a direct measure of the value that customers place on partner-delivered technology solutions.
There are various proprietary tools available that measure CSAT. Qualtrics, for example, which is owned by SAP, offers a methodology and software application to measure CSAT. CSAT measures customer satisfaction and should not be confused with Net Promoter Score (NPS) which measures loyalty. There is a good explanation of this from Qualtrics here.
Customer Experience is a generic term that can include CSAT, but often includes other indirect measures of the value that customers place on partner-delivered technology solutions. These indirect measures focus on partner capability.
As an example, the Salesforce Partner Program has two elements in the ‘Customer Success’ part of its program, which are CSAT (see above) and ‘Navigator Score’. Navigator Score is a measure of partner ‘domain expertise’, Level 1, Level 2 and Expert. Customer Case Studies are also required.
Partner capability and customer case studies are measurable program elements that indirectly validate perceived customer value.
Program Tiers Versus Points
The Microsoft and Cisco Partner Programs require partners to meet defined criteria to attain various tier levels in the program. Direct and indirect measures of Customer Experience are requirements to achieve higher tier levels.
The Cisco Partner Program has defined requirements for CSAT and ‘Partner Capability’ to achieve higher program tier levels. The Microsoft Program has similar requirements for Silver and Gold tiers. More on Microsoft below.
The Microsoft and Cisco programs contrast with the approach adopted by vendors like Salesforce and ServiceNow. Salesforce and ServiceNow use a points-based approach to partner tiering, and Customer Experience achievement is part of the points calculation. Both Salesforce and ServiceNow include CSAT and partner Domain Expertise within Customer Experience.
Our view at Kovendi is that CSAT on its own is inadequate as a well-rounded assessment of a partner’s Customer Experience score for program tiering purposes. Customer Experience assessments should include elements of Domain Expertise, NPS and requirements for Case Studies, as we see in the Salesforce and ServiceNow programs.
The Microsoft CSAT Index
The Microsoft Customer Satisfaction Index is an easy-to-use, online survey system that provides third-party market research services, delivered by TNS on Microsoft’s behalf. TNS is Taylor Nelson Sofres, a global market research group with offices in over eighty countries.
Partners at Silver and Gold level in the Microsoft Partner Program are required to achieve minimum Customer Satisfaction scores and can access the Microsoft Customer Satisfaction Index. Customer contact information is kept confidential by TNS and is not shared with Microsoft. Partners can view detailed survey results and survey results are reported in aggregate to Microsoft.
The five-minute survey is designed to provide actionable feedback for partners who provide solutions that use Microsoft technology. The core questions were streamlined based on input from partners and on analyses of which questions most indicated that customers would choose to continue to do business with a partner. Partners can add custom questions about issues that are specific to their businesses.
A Gold level Microsoft partner must have ten survey responses each year.
Key Points
• Measures of Customer Experience are an important element in modern partner programs, and feature in all major technology vendor programs.
• Customer Experience measures should include CSAT but should also assess partner Domain Expertise and require customer case studies. NPS may also be included.
• Customer Experience can be established as a ‘gate’ to achieve higher program tier levels (like Microsoft) or can contribute program points (like Salesforce).
• Easy-to-use tools should be offered by vendors so that partners have access to an independent approved specialist to measure CSAT.