THEY say that if you want to judge a company, look at its customers.

It is certainly true that long-term success depends on winning enough customers in markets that are growing and profitable. It also vital for companies to keep those customers coming back.

So what information do some of our major north west companies provide in their accounts to help investors make judgements about these important factors?

Well in truth, not that much. In their most recent annual accounts, chemical companies European Colour, at Trafford, and British Vita, at Middleton, give little numerical information about market share and market growth. They prefer to talk instead in terms such as ''global presence''.

Engineering companies such as Macclesfield-based Bodycote and Bredbury-based Renold are similar, using unquantified phrases such as ''major player''.

One exception is Trafford-based Carbo, who quote the actual percentage decline in one of their markets. Such candour deserved a better set of figures to report. Some may argue that market share information is too sensitive to disclose.

However, Cheshire healthcare company SSL International evidently doesn't think so. Not only do their 2000 accounts give figures for the market share for Durex, but they also give useful information about market strategy. It would be nice if others followed this example.

Information in company accounts about market profitability is generally more detailed. The engineering and chemical companies I have mentioned were particularly forthcoming.

In some cases, such as European Colour and British Vita, it is even possible to work out the return on investment for particular product groupings. By identifying the areas in which the company is expanding and matching it up with these profitability figures, its possible to make useful judgements about the future.

I found that the biggest gap in customer information related to customer satisfaction. Unless customer satisfaction levels are high, repeat business cannot be guaranteed, yet few companies mention it.

As one might expect, north west holiday companies Airtours and Holidaybreak refer to levels of customer satisfaction in their accounts. But none of the chemical or engineering companies I have mentioned does so. Yet they have customers too. Maybe they think that corporate customers are different? However, Nichols, Newton-le-Willows producer of Vimto, clearly doesn't.

Their annual accounts refer continuously to the importance of customer service and even publish results of customer satisfaction surveys. That gives me real confidence as an investor.

The customer is king, so the old saying goes, but it seems that some companies don't like talking about the king in public. Any well run company will measure market share, market growth, market profitability and customer satisfaction.

It would be nice if they put more of this information in their annual accounts so that shareholders could make better judgements about.