Know-How Exchange : Customer Behavior

On the consumer side, card issuers are looking for share-of-wallet. You might ask about how they choose a personal card and what benefits they offer.

I've sold T&E cards in the past. The rebates are key to the account. True, you need all that reporting just to be allowed in the game but procurement wants cash. Actually they want it upfront but that's another issue.

I would suggest helping the account get people to use the card. Show them how much they're losing by EFT or check issuance. If it is not mandated, then drivers are going to use what gives them the best return (rebate, free food, etc)...the purchasing card or their own Amex Blue


Michael

moth.icy ...

What you're asking is for a careful study design by a professional market researcher. There are ways to do what you want to do, but it is not reasonable to expect experts to deliver a project this important and this nuanced in a few brief online responses.

As it happens, there are several ways to get the information you seek, and surveys are just one of them. You may be better served with qualitative research in this case, perhaps followed by a quantitative survey afterward to make sure the findings are truly projectable onto the population you want to reach.

As for what you can ask your customers, this is touchy. Since your customers know what you do, they are likely to "accommodate" you (i.e., tell you what they think you want to hear) as they respond to your questions. If you want "real" answers, you'll have an outside market research professional design the questionnaire, methodology and ask the questions on your behalf.

There are several good market researchers on this site, and you might want to consider hiring them for a short consultation to get this project off on the right foot.

Need a recommendation? Let me know offline and I'll see if I can help. (Use email address in my profile.)

As for additional benefits, consider: free towing, emergency gas delivered, flat repair, concierge service (call a phone # for help), and use at competitors stations.

I totally agree with Michael, purchasing/procurement people are only in this for the rebate. However, management people are concerned with the costs of administration and risks of theft.

I have helped others develop questions that bring out value metrics. Here are a few value oriented questions.

1) Has your company ever measured the cost of generating a single check? If so what is it?
2) Has your company ever measured the cost of handling a single invoice? If so what is the cost?
3) How many levels of approval must an invoice go through?

I agree with mgoodman. To take it one step further - by doing some qualitative research first, you'll not only get more direction as to the benefits they want, but you'll also get more insight into the vocabulary and language they use so that you can more clearly and precisely communicate these benefits to them.