Sage??
Second article today mentioning SageCRM, is El Reg now the Sage fanclub??
Predicting customer behaviour is an essential part of answering the vital question: will the business grow or shrink, swim or sink? Marketers like to measure customer behaviour using “RFM” – recency, frequency and money, meaning value. These three dimensions should provide an accurate picture of past purchasing patterns and an …
Seems a bit futile while crooked ISPs like BT/TalkTalk/Virgin are allowed to flog your communications data to crooks like Phorm, and Experian Hitwise... allowing your competitors to purchase commercial intelligence about your business, your products, your sales, your purchases, your customers, and your suppliers... and thus strip your business away from underneath you (regardless of the law).
It's strange that you mention the "OLD" Reichheld and not the "NEW" one who since 2003 evangelizes that you need to identify promoters, detractors and neutrals in your database while asking them the famous "One Question". Only then you know the real recommendation power of your brand, which has a high correlation with future market share growth ... or decline.