History

CFI Group (formerly Anjoy QSP) was founded in 1988 by Dr. Claes Fornell as an outgrowth of academic research performed by Dr. Fornell at the University of Michigan. As awareness of Dr. Fornell’s groundbreaking research in Customer Satisfaction increased, demand for his consulting services grew as well.

In 1994, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) was launched as a national economic indicator of the quality of goods and services in the U.S. marketplace. It uses survey and modeling technology that relates customer satisfaction to expectations, evaluations of quality, and value. The consequences of customer satisfaction are also measured. For most  ACSI companies, these are complaints (or lack thereof) and loyalty (such as propensity to use the product or service again and price tolerance). It is important to point out that the ACSI is much more than the gathering of data on customer satisfaction. It is a comprehensive research and modeling methodology that makes raw data operationally meaningful and (to the extent possible) is purged from random and systematic errors associated with the survey method. To our knowledge, no other customer satisfaction study offers these methodological benefits.

Since Dr. Fornell launched the ACSI in 1994, CFI Group has seen a steady increase in business as more large corporations seek to apply a scientific approach to Customer and Employee Satisfaction as a means of building shareholder value. Much of our new business comes through recommendations from existing clients, attesting to the levels of service and quality provided.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, CFI Group operates several offices on four continents staffed by experienced consultants, research analysts, statisticians, usability auditors, and technical specialists. Since our founding, we have been privileged to work for some of the world’s most prestigious companies. These include British Telecom, Deutsche Bank, GE Capital, H&R Block, The Home Depot, Sears, The ServiceMaster Company, and UPS, to name a few.

CFI Group’s core business is helping clients maximize shareholder value and ROI by optimizing customer satisfaction. Improving financial performance should be the goal of any satisfaction measurement program. We construct measurement programs that give our clients information on how to best grow and strengthen customer relationships to drive financial performance. Supporting and reinforcing a customer-centric culture, these programs lead to demonstrable increases in client enterprise economic value. Such a culture is expressed through changing customer behaviors that increase revenues, reduce costs, lower churn, and/or result in higher customer lifetime value.

In 2008, CFI Group invested in building a breakthrough software technology platform that leveraged the 20 years of experience CFI Group had in delivering customer satisfaction measurement programs using the science developed by Dr Fornell. CFI Group designed this new platform as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that allows clients to better take advantage of the CFI Group methodology in their own operations. The platform helps both line managers and executive management incorporate customer feedback insights into all aspects of their operations to improve business performance.