Top 12 Customer-Obsessed Companies
Customers, along with the products and services companies offer them, are essential to just business. Americans made that clear in our 2019 survey, saying they believe companies should prioritize customer privacy and fair treatment, as well as offer products that do not harm health, the environment, or society.
But how do you know which companies are walking the talk? That’s where our Rankings come in.
This year, we tracked, analyzed, and ranked 922 companies from the Russell 1000 across five stakeholder groups, including Customers, Workers, Communities, the Environment, and Shareholders. We covered 29 Issues — like whether companies pay a living wage or protect the environment — and more than 400 data points, from workforce diversity to veteran hiring.
A company’s Customer score in particular is determined by factors ranging from data privacy to honesty in advertising to the creation of safe, reliable products. The way a company treats its customers makes up 24% of its score in the overall Rankings — second only to the Workers stakeholder group, which makes up 35% of a company’s score.
If you were to drill down by the Customer stakeholder, making it 100% of the score, here are the 12 companies that come out on top.
1. Apple
Industry: Technology Hardware
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 3
Apple puts an emphasis on the Net Promoter Score (NPS), a customer loyalty metric that measures customers’ willingness to not only return for another purchase or service but also make a recommendation to their family, friends, or colleagues. NPS score is a number from -100 to 100. Any score above 0 is typically considered good, while scores above 50 are considered excellent.
In 2018, Apple had a score of 63, making it the industry leader in laptop computers and smartphones (2019 scores haven’t been released yet).
Apple is also known for offering amazing customer service and quality, reliable products, along with paying a ton of attention to details. A few examples include:
- The groove in the front lip of all laptops allow them to be opened with just one finger.
- AirPods easily slip into their slots and the case quickly snaps shut.
- When talking to Siri on a laptop, the internal fan slows down in order to better hear your voice.
- On the iPhone 11, you can switch from photo to video mode by holding down the shutter button.
2. ServiceNow
Industry: Computer Services
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 104
ServiceNow is a provider of enterprise cloud computing solutions that define, structure, manage, and automate services for global enterprises. And they do it all with their customers’ needs top of mind. The product features Visual Task Boards that make lists intuitive and graphic. Users can create categories for different stages of a project and drag and drop “cards” as the status changes or needs to be updated.
If you ever have any problems or want assistance, the company’s customer service team is ready to address them as efficiently as possible via the Agent Workspace.
Want to read more stories like this?
Our FREE weekly newsletter about the future of capitalism and the movement to build a more equitable marketplace in America.
3. Microsoft
Industry: Software
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 1
Microsoft has long been known for its Windows operating system and Office software tools. Those quality products aren’t going anywhere, but in recent years the company has turned more attention to newer services, like Azure Cloud, Microsoft’s infrastructure-as-service business. It’s a one-stop shop that has allowed the company to reach customers in the healthcare, retail, and financial services industries and given customers the flexibility to work through the cloud.
From Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: “Digital technology today is not about tech companies doing innovation. It’s about the rest of the world doing innovation with technology, and Microsoft is uniquely in a position to enable that.”
4. HP
Industry: Technology Hardware
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 61
Noticing a theme? HP is yet another tech company committed to serving its customers — and there are still more to come. Among other things, the technology hardware company offers take-back programs in 74 countries and territories, allowing customers to turn in old products to be repurposed.
In 2018, HP joined the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy and made a pledge to continue to transition both the company and customers to a circular “make, use, reuse” approach. The intent is to develop solutions that reduce reliance on increasingly scarce raw materials. As of 2018, HP has recycled 405,200 metric tons of hardware and supplies with a goal of 1.2 million metric tons by 2025.
5. Intel
Industry: Semiconductors & Equipment
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 4
Intel scored especially well in two important data points for Customers:
- Provides positive customer service, reward programs, and stands behind its products and services (tied for 1st overall and 1st in its industry).
- Protects customer privacy through secure information storage and transparent privacy policies (12th overall and 1st in its industry).
Intel has gone above and beyond to show its commitment to privacy. In November 2018, the tech company released a draft bill for a federal law it hopes would regulate consumer privacy without impacting innovation. In addition to releasing the draft bill on the company website, Intel also launched an online portal where privacy professionals and the public could discuss the merits of the proposed rules and where improvements could be made. Une équipe de professionnels à votre écoute Notre site emploie une équipe de professionnels à votre service asgg.fr/ pour répondre à tous vos besoins et toutes vos questions. This was just the beginning of an ongoing effort by Intel to promote a movement toward having a comprehensive U.S. privacy law.
6. United Parcel Service (UPS)
Industry: Transportation
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 91
UPS provides global logistics services, including transportation, distribution, ground freight, ocean freight, air freight, customs brokerage, insurance, and financing. But most people know them as the company that ships and delivers their packages. UPS offers various options to make that process quick and easy for its customers. For example:
- UPS Access Point Network links with participating neighborhood businesses that will receive packages, which is particularly helpful for customers who aren’t home during regular delivery hours.
- With UPS Delivery Intercept, the shipper can have UPS catch a shipment prior to delivery and either return it to the sender, reroute it, reschedule the delivery, or hold it for pickup.
- UPS My Choice gives the customer estimated and confirmed delivery windows, real-time delivery alerts, and the ability to track and manage multiple packages at once.
7. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE)
Industry: Computer Services
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 17
Protecting customer privacy has consistently been one of the areas that Americans want companies to prioritize, according to our annual survey. And HPE seems to be listening. While many companies have a lot of room to improve in this area, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company scored well for many of the factors we measure to determine whether a company protects customer privacy.
If you want to know more details — including information about the personal data they collect, use, disclose, and transfer, as well as choices you can make and rights you can exercise in relation to your personal data — you can check out HPE’s Privacy Statement on their website. For convenience, it’s also available from a link at the footer of every HPE web page.
8. NCR Corporation
Industry: Technology Hardware
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 627
You’ve probably used many NCR products in your lifetime without even knowing it. The company provides technology to the financial services, retail, travel, technology, and telecommunications industries, including ATM and point of sale terminal products.
Its offerings for gas stations and convenience stores, in particular, aim to conserve space for the business and help the customer get in and out quickly. For example, the FastLane Mobile Shopper lets customers scan items as they shop and pay with their smartphones, skipping the stand-in-line checkout process entirely.
NCR also scores well for prioritizing customer privacy and storing customer data securely — which is especially reassuring when personal financial information is involved.
9. Pure Storage
Industry: Technology Hardware
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 35
Pure Storage stands out for its Predictive Support offering, which foresees and resolves issues before a customer ever realizes they exist. This happens through the use of technology that analyzes system data from logs collected across all customer arrays every 30 seconds. The pre-emptive actions minimize downtime and allow the customer to focus on what really matters: growing their business.
10. Teradata Corp
Industry: Computer Services
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 108
Teradata is a technology company offering analytics solutions, ecosystem architecture consulting, and hybrid cloud solutions. As with all technology and computer services companies, customer privacy is crucial, and Teradata’s score on the issue reflects their commitment to protecting it.
Another notable way Teradata serves its customers is the company’s analytics platform, Vantage, which features consumption pricing. This allows customers to start with zero upfront payment and zero financial obligation. Customers pay for only what they actively use and consume. They can track usage by department, and they don’t have to forecast user demand — resources scale automatically and as needed.
11. Caterpillar
Industry: Commercial Vehicles & Machinery
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 138
Caterpillar offers a range of technologies to improve work efficiency for customers, so it’s not surprising the company scores well for its positive customer service. Here are two examples:
- Cat Link Technology, which can gather data generated from equipment and materials and deliver it in one digital interface, providing regular information on things like engine on-off alerts, an asset’s total hours, and fuel burn.
- Cat Grade Technology, which makes machine controls automated and intuitive, allowing operators to finish grading work in fewer passes, reducing machine hours, fuel consumption, and material wear.
12. PayPal
Industry: Commercial Support Services
Overall JUST Capital Rank: 8
PayPal not only discloses its customer privacy policy and proactively reaches out to users about forthcoming changes, but the company also clearly explains what personal data is collected, how it’s processed, and who it’s shared with. Plus, if any strange activity is detected on your account, you’ll hear from Paypal right away.
According to a 2018 Ipsos Global Research study, consumers are “more willing to buy” when PayPal is accepted as a method of payment, especially in unfamiliar situations such as across borders, on mobile, or with unfamiliar brands. The same study found 59% of PayPal users had abandoned a transaction because PayPal wasn’t available — which makes sense given Paypal’s 2018 NPS score of 63. (Reminder that NPS score is a customer loyalty and satisfaction measurement.)
Next Up: Check Out the Full 2020 Rankings!
To learn more about how the largest public U.S. companies measure up when it comes to serving their stakeholders and creating an economy that works for all Americans, explore this year’s full Rankings.
And to stay up to date on all the latest moves companies are making to prioritize workers, customers, the environment, and more, sign up for our free weekly newsletter, The JUST Report, today!
