What is the EPSI?
Where I can find information concerning EPSI expertise?
How is the Index constructed?
How many questions are in the Questionnaires?
How is the sample designed?
How are data collected?
When are EPSI results released?
Is the information behind the measured company scores available?
What other tools are in EPSI hands?
What are key management concepts linked to EPSI?
Why many companies use EPSI?

What is the EPSI?
European Performance Satisfaction Index is a standard measurement for evaluation of intangibles for the private and public sector, including values of customers, staff and the general public.

Where I can find information concerning EPSI expertise?
EPSI approach is based at solid scientific measurement of performance non-financial aspects. Leading business magazines and scientific journals report on EPSI 10 years experience in measuring satisfaction and loyalty of customers and employees.  

How is the Index constructed?
For measuring Customer Satisfaction in a wider context a structural equation model has been developed based on the components considered above. Thus, the model contains the components

• Image
• Customer Expectations
• Customer Perceived Product Quality
• Customer Perceived Service Quality
• Customer Perceived Value
• Customer Satisfaction
• Customer Loyalty

The components are viewed as latent variables determined by a set of manifest constructs for each component. Each component is measured, the level of each component estimated, the relevant connections between the components established and the magnitude of the connections estimated. The objective is to provide results that are relevant, reliable, valid and have predictive financial capability.

The currently adopted framework (with cause – effect links) is presented there.

• Every latent variable in this model structure is measured with three or more manifest questions (from field interviews with actual consumers).

How is the sample designed?
The sample of customers should be a representative sample drawn by probability sampling and using sampling weights if appropriate, representing the customers in the country. It is a requirement for being classified as a customer that the respondent should have experience of the product/service. This requirement is formulated using a time (reference) period, which differs from sector to sector (3 months for fast moving transactions like visiting a supermarket and longer time – three years – for purchase of a car). RDD (Random Digit Dialling) is used when no population registers are available.

How are data collected?
In general data is collected by telephone interviews using qualified interviewers from experienced organizations equipped with CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) systems and process control systems allowing for consistency controls.

How many questions are in the Questionnaires?
A set of industries related questionnaires are developed. Each latent variable is covered by at least 3 questions concerning different aspects of the latent variable. The respondents are requested to respond on a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means the customer was not at all satisfied with the specific aspect under study while a 10 means the customer is completely satisfied. In all around 30 to 35 questions must be answered to fulfil the requirements of the model.

When are EPSI results released?

EPSI is publishing industries Press Releases in the end of the year and Pan European EPSI Rating Annual Report in the first quarter of the next year.

Is the information behind measured company scores available?

Only EPSI, Loyalty and their drivers for some of companies measured are published.  Companies can subscribe to EPSI in order to get additional confidential results for themselves and industry competitors, providing valuable insights on the causes and consequences of satisfaction.  Subscribers receive access to EPSI web based analysis software for benchmarking their own results against industry competitors.

What other tools are in EPSI hands?

• Consumer satisfaction is important as an indicator on its own rights. However, it should play an even more important role when studied together with the employee – other stakeholder and citizen perspective. That means the interaction between:
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• consumer satisfaction – employee satisfaction – society trust
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• This is in line with the assessment in the European Excellence model (EFQM-model).

The EPSI-initiative offers such a general framework, making it possible to analyse the relationship between employee satisfaction and consumer satisfaction. It is seen in a number of studies that improving employee satisfaction is very effective for increasing the service quality domain in the eyes of final consumers.

What are key management concepts and frames/tools linked to EPSI?
Sustainable development, social responsibility, stakeholders interests balance, assets management, brand equity, customer driven strategy, BSC, customer relationship management, corporate governance.

Why companies use EPSI?

EPSI provide subscribing organizations a unique set of tools for benchmarking customer satisfaction ad loyalty.  Subscribers get an access to the following:
 
• Detailed industry reports compiled from the respective studies. These reports contain data on how customers value the subscriber’s own organisation as well as his/her competitors AND analysis results describing why the customers think the way they do. The information on cause and effect can be used directly in strategic
analysis on a company basis;
• The possibility of commenting on /making proposals regarding the design of the questionnaires and other measurement instruments. The principal frameworks of the measurement instruments are fixed (to enable comparisons between industries, countries and over time). Minor adjustments/additions can however be made to the interviews if so desired;
• Access to company-specific presentations and discussion on the results;
• Further analysis based on industry-specific data (for the industry to which one has subscribed) with help from EPSI Rating staff or by analysis through the EPSI Ratingweb (members site);
• Access to general comparison material from other industries incorporated in EPSI for different types of benchmarking;
• Compilations of results from Pan-European studies on an annual basis. If the same industry is incorporated into studies in other countries, we can offer subscribers access to these detailed results at a discount price;
• First hand access to the main results (press material, etc.);
• Industry report – then what? Based on the report and analysis results, areas of improvement can be prioritized and action plans can be devised. EPSI Rating offers its subscribers guidance and support in this field;
• Finally, EPSI Rating also offers subscribers the opportunity to perform company-specific studies and analysis using the same methodology as EPSI so as to attain maximum comparability.