The impact of virtual mirroring on customer satisfaction

TL;DR

This paper introduces 'virtual mirroring,' a novel self-reflection method using communication analysis to improve employee behaviors and increase customer satisfaction, demonstrated through email analysis in a global services firm.

Contribution

It presents a new virtual mirroring technique based on social network and semantic analysis to enhance communication behaviors and customer satisfaction.

Findings

Customer satisfaction increased in the experimental group

More responsive and simpler language use correlates with higher satisfaction

Less centralized communication networks and stable leadership patterns improve outcomes

Abstract

We investigate the impact of a novel method called "virtual mirroring" to promote employee self-reflection and impact customer satisfaction. The method is based on measuring communication patterns, through social network and semantic analysis, and mirroring them back to the individual. Our goal is to demonstrate that self-reflection can trigger a change in communication behaviors, which lead to increased customer satisfaction. We illustrate and test our approach analyzing e-mails of a large global services company by comparing changes in customer satisfaction associated with team leaders exposed to virtual mirroring (the experimental group). We find an increase in customer satisfaction in the experimental group and a decrease in the control group (team leaders not involved in the virtual mirroring process). With regard to the individual communication indicators, we find that customer satisfaction is higher when employees are more responsive, use a simpler language, are embedded in less centralized communication networks, and show more stable leadership patterns.