Books

The Ultimate Question

The Ultimate Question

Driving Good Profits and True Growth

By Fred Reichheld

The Ultimate Question

CEOs regularly announce ambitious growth targets, then fail to achieve them. The reason? Their growing addiction to bad profits, those short-term earnings that alienate customers. They undermine growth by creating legions of detractors—customers who complain loudly about the company and switch to competitors at the earliest opportunity.

In this best-selling book, loyalty expert Fred Reichheld offers the key to holding employees accountable for generating loyal customers: Elevate customer metrics to the same level of rigor and importance as financial metrics like revenue growth or return on equity through the Net Promoter ScoreSM. Bain & Company analysis shows that sustained value creators—companies that achieve long-term profitable growth—have scores two times higher than the average company. And Net Promoter® leaders outgrow their competitors in most industries by an average of 2.5 times.

Fred Reichheld is the godfather of customer loyalty. His new book continues to push the edge with innovative, practical ideas.

John Donahoe, former President, eBay

Based on extensive research, The Ultimate Question shows how companies can rigorously measure Net Promoter statistics, learn to improve them, and create communities of passionate advocates that stimulate innovation. Stories of leading-edge organizations illustrate how the ideas work in practice.

Practical and compelling, this is the one book—and the one tool—no growth-minded leader can afford to miss.

About the Author

About the Author

Fred Reichheld

Fred Reichheld is a Bain Fellow and founder of the firm's Loyalty practice. He is the creator of the Net Promoter system of management, and his work has quantified the link between loyalty and profits. Fred is the best-selling author of The Ultimate Question 2.0, Loyalty Rules! and The Loyalty Effect.

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The Ultimate Question 2.0

In this thoroughly updated and expanded edition, Fred Reichheld and Rob Markey explain how practitioners have built Net Promoter System into a full-fledged management system that drives extraordinary financial and competitive results.

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What Others Are Saying

What Others Are Saying

The ultimate question yields a powerful metric to promote golden-rule behavior and generate profits a company can be proud of. Hats off to Reichheld for a compelling argument, lucid prose, and actionable concepts that every manager can immediately put to use!

Lynn Paine, Professor, Harvard Business School

Fred Reichheld is at the forefront of helping organizations understand the importance of customer loyalty in driving performance. All companies should ask their customers what Fred calls 'the ultimate question.'

Ken Chenault, former CEO, American Express

The Ultimate Question reveals a radically simple, but incredibly valuable, formula for achieving profitable growth. Every business should test itself against this measure and use the wisdom in this book to pass the exam.

Jack Brennan, former CEO, Vanguard

Related Publications

Related Publications

The Ultimate Question 2.0

The Ultimate Question 2.0

A No. 1 best seller, The Ultimate Question 2.0 showcases leading brands that are using the Net Promoter System® to revolutionize the customer experience.

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Loyalty Rules!

Loyalty Rules!

Superior leaders use six bedrock principles of loyalty to take the high road in business—the only road that leads to lasting success.

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The Loyalty Effect

The Loyalty Effect

Even a small improvement in customer retention can double profits in your company.

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