Google customers ranked most loyal among Fortune 100
Companies often ask, “How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?” to gauge customer satisfaction and loyalty through the Net Promoter Score (NPS).
NPS is now widely adopted, used by over two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies, as stated by Harvard Business Review. By June 2022, searches for ‘Net Promoter Score’ surged by 752% worldwide compared to past averages, with interest quadrupling from 2021.
However, some stakeholders sought high scores by gaming the NPS system instead of improving services.
In response, a new study, the Customer Loyalty Index by B2B Marketplace DesignRush, identifies the Fortune 100 companies with the most loyal customers, with Alphabet (Google) topping the list.
The Customer Loyalty Index evaluates loyalty through six equally weighted pillars: company finances, average rating and volume of reviews, an NPS of reviews, social media following and engagement, customer service-related Google searches and YouGov popularity.
Top 10 Fortune 100 companies with the highest customer loyalty
Taking a list of the 100 largest U.S. companies by revenue, according to Fortune, each company was ranked according to 20 data points relating to six Customer Loyalty Index pillars. The top ten is revealed, with tech companies sweeping four places. Alphabet takes the top spot, with Lowe’s and Intel ranking second and third.
| Rank | Company | Finances | Reviews | NPS | Social Media | Customer Service | YouGov Popularity | Overall |
| 1 | Alphabet | 69.9 | 79.2 | 83.3 | 77.9 | 23.3 | 97.5 | 71.9 |
| 2 | Lowe’s | 39.5 | 47 | 100 | 58.2 | 28.7 | 100 | 62.2 |
| 3 | Intel | 37 | 41.7 | 70.1 | 66.1 | 72.3 | 84.1 | 61.9 |
| 4 | Apple | 80 | 60.7 | 41.5 | 83.9 | 19.1 | 85.6 | 61.8 |
| 5 | Coca-Cola | 39 | 45.7 | 39.6 | 73.3 | 72.3 | 88.4 | 59.7 |
| 6 | PepsiCo | 44.5 | 28.9 | 48.8 | 74.4 | 70.1 | 84.1 | 58.5 |
| 7 | Amazon | 61.9 | 65.3 | 53.4 | 67.1 | 1.8 | 100 | 58.2 |
| 8 | Allstate | 17.2 | 96.3 | 92.9 | 47.3 | 29.9 | 63.1 | 57.8 |
| 9 | Microsoft | 78.0 | 38.1 | 33.9 | 72.3 | 30.2 | 88.4 | 56.8 |
| 10 | Johnson & Johnson | 50 | 30.8 | 37.6 | 42.5 | 89.3 | 89.7 | 56.7 |
Alphabet (Google) leads with a score of 71.9 out of 100. Google excelled in five of six metrics. The highest scores came from reviews, NPS, and YouGov ratings. However, its customer service is below average.
Google’s average customer review is 3.1 stars at the time of writing, the second highest among the Fortune 100. Over half of its 6,000-plus reviews are five stars. Google’s 73% popularity rating, according to YouGov, is the second-highest in the study. However, Google’s customer service is below average, with the tenth-highest number of service and support-related queries.
Lowe’s has the second-highest customer loyalty with a score of 62.2. Customers gave the retailer the second-highest NPS, an overwhelmingly positive 70.47%, and the highest YouGov rating of 75%. However, compared to other retailers, customer service and complaint-related searches are above the median at 66,600 and 6,600 monthly searches, respectively.
Intel ranks third, scoring 61.9. The company boasts one of the largest social media followings, with an impressive 43.5m followers across all social channels. Despite having among the lowest number of online reviews, its average rating was third-best among the Fortune 100. Even with an NPS of -8.33%, it was the third-highest of all companies. This translated to Intel having some of the lowest volumes of customer service and complaint-related searches.
Apple ranks just behind Intel after scoring 61.8. The tech giant has the best financial score and the fourth-best customer reviews. Surprisingly, Apple scored among the lowest ten for customer service, with over 1.2 million monthly searches for customer service and support.
Coca-Cola ranks fifth with a 59.7 score. The company ranks in the top ten for three criteria. Coca-Cola has 117 million social media followers, ranking second in the category. It has some of the most satisfied customers, with some of the fewest customer service and complaint-related searches, and is the 10th most popular, according to YouGov.
PepsiCo ranks sixth at 58.46, scoring well in NPS and social media engagement compared to Coca-Cola.
Amazon places seventh, scoring 58.25, praised for popularity, finances, and NPS, but the highest customer service demand and some of the highest complaint searches.
Allstate stands at eighth with a score of 57.8, earning the highest NPS and average review rating.
Microsoft is ranked ninth with a score of 56.82, ranking high for finances, social media, and popularity.
Johnson & Johnson completes the top ten with a score of 56.66, earning high marks in customer service and popularity.
Gianluca Ferruggia, General Manager at DesignRush, commented on the findings: “The Customer Loyalty Index expands on the NPS system, considering more data points related to loyalty, such as social media presence and how customers rate you to others. Out of the Fortune 100, the companies with the highest valuations, revenues, and profits tended to score higher on the Customer Loyalty Index, indicating a correlation between loyalty, profit, and long-term success.
“For many businesses, a large number of customers will come through a web search, whether new or returning, so ensuring your search engine optimization is the best it can be will make a considerable difference to customer engagement and retention.”
The study was conducted by DesignRush, which provides valuable data on relevant trends that help businesses make educated decisions coming from their years of experience in the B2B community.
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