Service quality

Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention in Saudi Telecom Company

Abstraction

Quality remains an issue for organizational strategic activities refering client service, satisfaction and keeping. Such activities are determined by the organizational civilization and value for clients. There seems to be a critical correlativity in demand of farther survey at smaller houses found in emerging market places because this will non merely shed some visible radiation on merchandise lifecycle but besides how behaviors are smaller houses may differ from larger multi-national corporations. Formally state-run administrations may hold different activities and cognition systems that carry over to client relation theoretical accounts or CRM and strategic determinations refering activities runing from marketing to developing to publicities. Therefore this construct of quality has the power to spread down the administration and impact every employee and this can be reflected in the service clients expect when covering with a company like Saudi Telecom.

Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention in Saudi Telecom Company

Title

The rubric of this proposed thesis is: Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention in Saudi Telecom Company and this rubric was chosen to embrace the many issues confronting administrations in retaining clients as economic systems of graduated table alteration and the market fluctuates in response to crisis. Companies worldwide are looking at ways to crush the competition, to go leaders in market portion. Customers and actions that retain them are cardinal to success, growing and wealth for any administration. This rubric looks to research the many relationships between the constructs spoken in this rubric and how these constructs reflect the actions of companies like Saudi Telecom.

Statement of Purpose

The overall intent of this proposal and ensuing survey is to analyze quality of service within the model definitions of client satisfaction, client keeping and factors make up one’s minding a client relationships scheme within the organisational environment of Saudi Telecom Company. It is the mission of this paper to detect the factors that influence client service schemes and how these schemes are defined by the administration ‘s definition of quality. This probe requires an in-depth survey of the general definition of quality and so elaborate definition of the different theories within historical context. Because this survey focuses intently on the telecom employee as the people to interview, it is of import to understand what defines quality and hence service within his or her concern environment.

With this in head, one can take an apprehension of the client relationship theoretical account, its applications within the concern context but besides in general to the following degree and to look at how such steps predict quality of service. This is the end of the paper. As portion of the resulting, one will analyze non merely bing literature and instance survey but besides capture the telecom environment via study questionnaire in order to derive farther cognition of how CRM schemes are constructed, deployed and accepted throughout the concatenation of bid at a house the size of Saudi Telecom. One will trust to see correlativities between a defined sense of quality and CRM schemes. From here administrations can larn and concentrate future CRM activities upon carry throughing higher degrees of service.

Scope

On a broader range and in a general sense, this undertaking aims to research many different avenues because its chief pursuit is to analyze client dealingss and quality service activities within the Telecom scene of a Middle Eastern administration. Such activities are a portion of a greater program at work within the kernel of the organizational aim. Planning is merely another word for scheme and on the organizational degree it requires an in deepness apprehension of how direction works closely with the employee to pass on corporate values, civilization and image. Many activities found within any administration will be based upon a set of value systems and group of determination shapers. This undertaking aims to travel beyond looking at client service and quality direction activities but to besides analyze the ground behind such determinations. This undertaking embarks upon a challenge and an ambitious way to fall in both qualitative and quantitative methods of research in order to garner appropriate informations. Still this offers a myriad of models from which the research worker can use this state of affairs and informations. First a literature reappraisal of client relation direction experts who have explored the connexion between CRM activities, quality, client satisfaction and keeping will be written. From this literature, one can invent an attack to roll uping the informations and making a study questionnaire for cardinal findings. A matrimony of the quantitative and quantitative attacks will seek sentiments but the informations will organize concrete measurings and actions at the activity degree and hence demo a leaning toward quality steps for the house. Finally a treatment and contemplation will reason the undertaking.

Introduction

Choice of Topic

The research worker chose this subject because of the built-in issues such a term as ‘quality ‘ rises in footings of the concern environment and how this term is defined and by whom. The writer found this term to be wholly intriguing as it can differ depending on civilization and value systems across the universe. As concerns move from regional competitory advantage into the planetary endeavor of expected actions, one begins to inquire how choice transportations over to this new kingdom of activity. To foster the issue of quality as a service, one besides found how this influences other behaviors at the organizational degree. It seemed of import to concentrate upon quality in footings of client service, or satisfaction and keeping. What are the relationships here in footings of scheme and how does this translate to activities found at a specific company called Saudi Telecom. As the research worker, I chose this company because I come from this state and it is of involvement to me as I watch my state alteration due to increased globalization and exposure to the West. I find the subject of client service interesting but besides how such actions have far-reaching impacts upon organizational schemes. I would happen this of involvement non merely from the point of view of the client when asked: ‘What makes Saudi Telecom different or particular? ‘ but besides from the point of view of the employee when asked: ‘How does choice impact service and is this reflected in how Saudi Telecom handles client dealingss? ‘ I found this of involvement as the competitory nature of the telecom industry worldwide tightens and companies have no pick but to retain bing clients. How does this impact the bottom line? Make client relationship theoretical accounts come into drama and does this specify client satisfaction and perchance stigmatization every bit good as employee morale? I want to reply these inquiries.

Background or Theoretical Framework

An administration ‘s competitory advantage and standing within the market depends upon its relationships with consumers. This in its ego defines quality steps if one has value for first-class service. In footings of satisfaction, experts look at trueness theories to measure quality. It seems logical the best manner to understand keeping is to inquire the client. Otherwise concern will neglect to specify trueness in the same manner that client do. Customer trueness has typically been defined and measured by repetition concern and recommendation of the shop to others. Within the service industry with possible for greatest net income, Moura and Yurtcan ( 2008 ) guess, companies “ look after inventions in the field of services to break distinguish themselves from other rivals ” ( p. 1 ) and this can be done by specifying relationships with clients. Businesss make the errors of looking at clients in footings of gross revenues. To some, that is the terminal of specifying satisfaction. Satisfied clients provide improbably valuable referrals but besides generate word of oral cavity that merely can non be purchased through advertisement. This word of oral cavity besides carries over and is validated by the sum of clip a company employee can pass with a client either in individual, on the phone or via email communicating. It is of import to develop really deep relationships with the clients.

Customer relationship direction ( CRM ) has been called an inevitable, grim motion as it represents the manner clients want to be served and offers a more effectual and efficient manner of carry oning concern ( Srinivasan 2004, p. 2 ) . CRM is the belief that clients define the merchandise and hence define quality for the company alternatively of company specifying these constructs. Srinivasan ‘s work suggests the direct relationship between using deep relationships with clients and how this reflects upon company values for quality service. A company can non hold trueness or satisfaction without quality and a value for such patterns. To further this thought, it is understanding outlook that allows a company to transform its scheme in alliance with client relationships.

Reinartz and et Al ( 2004, p. 1-2 ) suggest the importance of keeping CRM elements as this relates to non merely net income but besides team-building, employee morale and leading steps. In kernel, service quality must fit client intelligence and hence, the administration ‘s squads must besides keep this quality. This does non go on without the factor of alteration impacting organizational behavior and this is where values, the chief mission of the company must be cardinal to the scheme for client relationships. The communicating must be clear in order to keep satisfaction. Woodward and Hendry ( 2004, p. 157 ) write, “ This position can non work in state of affairss where ends are non specific… and where there is increasing internal and external complexness. ” While many administration find themselves advancing mini-strategies truly there must be one value and that is for the client, otherwise, there will merely be failure to any planning.

Research Aims and Aims

Purposes

The chief purpose of this research is to set up a foundation for understanding client service quality, satisfaction, keeping in footings of client relationship theoretical accounts and theories but besides taking into history the value system for quality. How is quality defined? And how this quality definition impacts client service schemes on a whole. The purpose here is to show non merely bing literature as a footing for advancing a theory but besides detecting that these relationships exist within the organizational environment, specifically for the Saudi Telecom Company.

Aims

The chief aims of this survey are as follows:

• Specify the construct of quality within the environment of Saudi Telecom
• Establish the Telecom value system and if this is reflected in quality service schemes
• Define client satisfaction and keeping with regard to client relationship direction theoretical accounts and analyzing correlativities between these schemes and success at the telecom
• Examine possible correlativities between client satisfaction and employee morale
• Analyse quality in footings of client service public presentation and trade name individuality
• Make recommendations for the betterment of client relationship direction.

While these aims create high outlooks, it is the intent of this survey through two primary research methods that these elements will be explored to the full.

Proposed Methodology

Typically methodological analysis embraces both primary and secondary beginnings of stuffs available as a agency of fostering the probe. Primary research is a aggregation of information that does non be antecedently. This is the research that remains alone to the undertaking and allows for the hypothesis to be valid. Surveying or oppugning a sample of people about his or her experiences by and large acquires primary research. This would be considered a information aggregation or quantitative attack to research. Still there is a difference depending upon how the study is written if specific concrete informations will ensue from the aggregation. This is why many research workers look to secondary beginnings or old surveies and experts in the field to offer farther accounts and cogent evidence of alone ideas. Primary research can non stand-alone. This undertaking deploys a combination of primary ( study of Saudi Telecom ) and secondary ( bing literature and instance survey ) beginnings in order to turn out the hypothesis that Saudi Telecom does value quality and this is reflected in client relationships theoretical accounts and activities.

Secondary Data Research

While many research workers look at primary research as indispensable to the procedure, it is besides of import to analyze old literature and instance survey as a footing for farther survey. This being said, it seems logical that before one embarks on a survey with a peculiar thesis in head, one must first go familiar with the experts in the field. It is of import that one know what they speaking about and organize new theories upon the original thought. Merely in this manner can a new thought be born.

Primary Research

While geting a qualitative, descriptive foundation for research with the scrutiny of bing literature, it is besides of import to sketch the exact attack to planing the instrumentality and informations aggregation exactly. What was the primary attack to roll uping and analyzing the information for Telecom and how was it successful? Could the attack been better planned and implemented? What stands out as strength of the attack and what remains a failing?

For this survey, the writer found it imperative that a long side of bing literature about marketing planning direction, one must besides seek out existent universe experiences within the concern environment. For the intents of this survey, the writer chose the Saudi Telecom Company because of experience and acquaintance with the topic every bit good as personal connexions. Besides it seemed the most dependable, reliable beginning of informations right at the writer ‘s fingertips. With this head, the writer wrote many bill of exchanges of a questionnaire in order to non merely study the population but to besides garner sentiments about client relationship schemes. The writer programs to utilize electronic mail but besides perchance one on one-phone conversations every bit good as instant messaging to discourse the survey but besides gather consequences.

Datas Analysis

Upon aggregation of both primary and secondary research, an analysis will take topographic point. This analysis will be divided into two separate attacks as discussed above. One will be qualitative in nature and hence secondary in nature. This analysis will look at the subjective, sentiments of people working within the Telecom environment. This may intend that there are different emotions involved with the replies. A qualitative reappraisal is needed to augment the quantitative attack of rigorous Numberss. Therefore the other type of analysis done will be primary and quantitative in nature, intending that all informations will be synthesised harmonizing to different ways of filtrating informations. In this instance, it will be of import to use a figure of mathematical equations to the informations gathered in order to acquire an accurate image of the situational at Saudi Telecom. Such equations may change from a simple norm to acquire a mean or a more complex criterion divergence application. These equations will be decided upon one time the information is collected. These equations can be run in an Excel plan to demo non merely tabular arraies of informations for different replies but besides exemplifying charts and graphs to advance the hypothesis.

Validity and Reliability

With any analysis for any research worker, there is ever the concern: will this information be valid, will it formalize the hypothesis? Or will it turn out to undependable feedback? There is the concern that past literature validated the hypothesis as redundant and uneffective, non alone but alternatively a reworking of old survey. Qualitative restraints lead to the issue of how immensely of import the personal experience may or may non be in the concern universe of Numberss and bottom line figures that justify concern determinations. A batch of times particularly in times of hapless economic public presentation, concerns will non look at the large image but whether does it do sense to go on remaining in concern? Sometimes particularly in instances of client satisfaction or keeping, it is following to impossible to foretell how these can be measured in footings of public presentation. Is it a affair of gross revenues or bing clients staying in the system or trade name acknowledgment? Part of set uping how to formalize the information is puting up standards for understanding non merely Numberss but besides qualitative steps but within footings that can picture informations. The attack to breaking CRM as a scheme must utilize a blend of both theoretical, analytical thought but besides creativeness, outside the safety cyberspace of public presentation steps. This is the lone manner to make a alone work, is to research countries others have been hesitating to move upon.

Ethical Considerations

It is the occupation of the research worker to stay impartial but to besides make a survey that remains within the parametric quantities of ethical consideration. This is non a simple undertaking as many attack life with a set of ethical motives and established value system. Part of being able to run a survey such as this requires one to make an ambiance of trust ( particularly with respect to the qualitative survey where 1 ‘s sentiments may hold negative branchings ) and namelessness. The topics need to be protected unless they want their individuality included. The questionnaire must be written within the guidelines set 4th by old surveies. By using an established model, one can transport the survey into countries that may non be explored otherwise. It is about making a comfort degree while besides understanding the restrictions of inquiring such engagement. Of class, there is besides the concern that the survey must be done within the guidelines and parametric quantities of such survey. These parametric quantities should be established a portion of the informations aggregation attack.

Possible Research Limitations

General Limitations

With any survey, there will be restrictions faced by the research worker during many stages of work. This is particularly true when combined both primary and secondary beginnings of research. Restrictions can be frustrating, as many times, the information does non fit up with outlooks considered in the beginning. It is of import to gain, this is all a portion of the acquisition procedure.

Secondary Data Restrictions

Secondary informations restrictions may be that these beginnings are more qualitative nature and subjective. The client satisfaction field covers a big sum of subjective experience and it would be unjust to measure up this information with the same features as quantitative resources. Really in some respects, secondary information has restrictions non merely in who is offering the information but besides in who is circulating the information. A research worker will look at the literature from a point of position, does it suit the purposes of the survey and the large inquiry is here: does that put a restriction of researching the full image or merely contract the range of survey? Restrictions are meant to do barriers in the procedure but besides allow the research worker to see new possibilities.

Primary Data Restrictions

In order to determine the demands of client relationship theoretical accounts, quality, satisfaction and keeping and schemes utilised within the telecom concern environment, the writer will do usage of questionnaires via electronic mail. However to guarantee that the right gaining control techniques have been chosen, it is indispensable that the advantages and disadvantages be discussed.

Questionnaire

A questionnaire is a systematic list of inquiries designed to obtain information from people about:

• Specific Events
• His or her Requirements
• His or her Attitudes
• His or her Valuess
• His or her Beliefs

Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires

• An economical manner of garnering informations from a big sample size.
• If designed and conducted good, a questionnaire ‘s consequences can be analysed easy.
• Good questionnaires are hard to build.
• There is non a mechanism to examine deeper or follow up to responses.
• These suffer from a low response rate.

Decision

This proposal acts as a bluish print for farther scrutiny of client service quality models and theories. The thought behind this proposal nevertheless beyond looking at and researching bing literature and instance survey is the demand for using these theories to existent universe state of affairss. One can take what they know as the research worker and use these thoughts to a certain population in order to derive insight into existent universe client relationship theoretical account rules. Do they work in the concern environment of the Saudi Telecom Company? Will such schemes exist or be incomplete? Will correlations between such activities mirror success and if so, how? How, in footings of net income or other more elusive footings like trade name individuality and employee morale? This survey serves to research such thoughts and remain focussed upon the impression that quality is so valued and this influences all scheme at the house, non merely client dealingss.

Proposed Bibliography

• Ackers, P. & A ; Wilkinson, A. ( eds. ) . 2003. Understanding Work and Employment, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Aspinall, E. , Nancarrow, C. , & A ; Stone, M. ( 2001 ) . ‘The Meaning and Measurement of Customer Retention ‘ , Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 79-87.
• Dunning, JH. ( Year Unknown ) . Multinational Enterprise and the Growth of Services: Some Conceptual and Theoretical Issues, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom.
• Lifland, S. ( 2002 ) . ‘Effective Branding ‘ , MWorld, summer.
• Lynch, R. ( 2006 ) . Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Pearson Education, Harlow.
• Moura, F. & A ; Yurtcan, S. ( 2008 ) . ‘Service Science ‘ , Technology University of Wien, Vienna.
• Reinartz, W & A ; et Al. ( 2004 ) . ‘The CRM Process: Its Management and Impact on Performance ‘ , Journal of Marketing Research, January, pp. 1-35.
• Srinivasan, S. ( 2004 ) . ‘Customer relationship direction: its dimensions and consequence on client results ‘ , Journal of Personal Selling and Gross saless Management, vol. 9, p. 1-20.
• Thompson, H. ( 2004 ) . What They Want: Ten Myths About Your Customers, Prentice-Hall, Clifford Falls, New Jersey, pp. 103-112.
• Woodward, S & A ; Hendry, C. ( 2004 ) . ‘Leading and get bying with alteration ‘ , Journal of Change Management, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 155-183.
• Yu, L. ( 2001 ) . ‘Do Relationships Matter? ‘ , MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 43, no. 1, Fall, p. 14.F.
• Zhang, F. , & A ; et. Al. ( 2008 ) . ‘The Innovation Study of Management Theory ‘ , The 11th Joint Conference on Information Sciences, Atlantis Press.

Appendixs: A-B

Appendix A: Proposed Timetable

****Please see Excel Spreadsheet for Gantt chart

Appendix B: Proposed Questionnaire Questionnaire

Prerequisite

You must be an employee, former or current, of Saudi Telecom You may hold been faced with the challenges of a altering client service direction scheme and understand there may be factors that come into drama when such determinations are made about how to advance client satisfaction, keeping in footings of quality service.

Survey Questions:

1. Name: ( Optional )
2. Department
3. Position:
4. Education or Background Experience:

Age:

5. Gender: Male Female

Specific Questions

6. Make you understand the construct of Quality Service?
7. What is Quality?
8. How is Quality measured?
9. How does the administration define CRM scheme?
10. What does client satisfaction mean to you?
11. 0What does client keeping mean to you?
12. In your sentiment has advertisement and publicities been cost effectual? Does it reflect trade name individuality? …

Explain

13. Can CRM be measured? In what footings?
14. Does the Telecom ‘s CRM scheme have universal entreaty within all sections?
15. In your sentiment, does your squad advance the CRM scheme?
16. Is this value reflected in your squad ‘s public presentation?
17. Make you see a connexion between satisfied clients and satisfied employees?
18. Is at that place high employee keeping at Saudi Telecom?
19. Is quality a value reflected in the mission statement of the administration and its chief aim?
20. Make believe quality is communicated as a portion of CRM scheme? Explain…

Thank you really much for your penetration and engagement in this study questionnaire.