Research shows that one of the biggest challenges nowadays for the organisations operating in the restaurants and service industries is to provide and maintain the satisfaction of their customers and ensure the brand loyalty (Mumel & Snoj, 2007). It is important for a company to understand what is expected of the company from a customer perspective, and the level to which the company is meeting this expectation.
There are two themes that must run parallel to each other when delivering a quality service (Szwarc, 2005). The first is that the organisation staff in customer-centric should understand the relationship between customer satisfaction, loyalty and profits. Besides, staff should also know how to use market research to provide a competitive advantage. Furthermore, Szwarc (2005) also give an evident that there is no simple management model or technique that will provide a clear and error-free answer as to what drives customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The second theme is that market researchers have the business tools that can allow organisations to understand their customers’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. The rewards of
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Furthermore, McColl-Kennedy & Schneider (2000) pointed out the customer satisfaction is the most important for a restaurant success. Greywitt & Tewet (2004) stated that there are only four common factors for the customer dining experience, such as the environment: 24%, meal: 30%, service: 26%, and cost: 21%. Mill and Morrison (2003) listed nine attributes of customers’ expectations towards restaurants, including the quality of service, availability of parking, food quality and satisfactory preparation, convenient hour of operation, helpful employees, reasonable prices, cleanliness of operation, food safety, and responsiveness to the customer’s
High levels of customer satisfaction will not guarantee future sales, but are more likely to result in repeat future sales than indifferent or poor customer service. Moreover, satisfied customers are more likely to try out other products/services in the firm’s range, or recommend it to friends and family. Build on customer loyalty Customer loyalty is valued highly by most businesses and can be
Measuring this satisfaction is an important element of providing better, more effective and efficient services. When customers are not satisfied with a service as provided, the service is neither effective nor efficient and can result in a loss of business. Why do we measure customer satisfaction? The level of customer satisfaction with services is an important factor in developing a system of service provisions such as the 7P's: § Product § People § Price § Physical Evidence § Place § Processes § Promotion Theses areas of any business are responsive to the customers needs while minimising costs and time requirements and maximising the impact of the services on target populations.
Another example of the benefits of keeping current customers satisfied are the surveys produced by TARP and PriceWaterhouseCooper. This TARP survey showed that 68% of customer defection takes place because the customer feels that they have been poorly treated and that it can cost up to five times more to buy new customers than to retain existing ones. Customer satisfaction not only benefits sales of goods and services but can also lead to bills being paid earlier by the customer. PriceWaterhouseCooper and the university of Bradfordsurveyed 3000 businessmen and the results show that if there was high customer satisfaction then bills were paid up to 14 days earlier than where there was poor customer satisfaction. All of this evidence shows that customer service is an integral part of a successful company.
Without good customer service and keeping your promises, your company would have loyal customers. According to 5 Focusing Steps, “If you’re not yet sold on the idea, consider that a 2 percent increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10 percent. Not only that, but it costs over six times more to get a new customer than it does to keep one.” Customer satisfaction should be a golden rule of all companies.
In 1955, McDonald’s, a fast-food franchise was started. Its mission was to provide warm customer service at a fast pace. McDonald’s is proud of the way they’re creating an experience to remember: reaching customers wherever they are and innovating new tastes and choices, while staying true to customer favorites. Today, McDonald’s still endeavors to maintain the same mission brand as they serve over 60 million customers at 36,000 locations worldwide in 100 countries. Through a strategic marketing plan with a marketing concept that focuses on customer satisfaction, McDonald’s is a fast-food restaurant that retains a competitive advantage. It’s the company 's belief that customers are the reason for their existence and because of this they have manage to maintain
Close to the Customer: Customer satisfaction is very important throughout all the roles that the business plays. Many companies forget about their customers, whereas successful companies have an obsession with their customers. Excellent product quality and reliability will make a satisfied customer. Great service will keep the customer coming back.
Williams, P. & Naumann, E. 2011, "Customer satisfaction and business performance: a firm-level analysis", The Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 20-32.
Many scholars believe that customer satisfaction has a crucial role in the success of a business, and is pivotal in increasing the overall profitability of the business (Kotier, 1991). Customer value is gained through the experience they receive from the goods or purchases they have obtained from a certain business. Customer value has various definitions and concepts, Holbrook (1999) stated that it is a kind of “interactive, mutual, and preferred experience”; but simply said, “the term customer value has many meanings.”
Customer satisfaction is a key ingredient to the success of any business.It is the most important factor that creates repeated customers. Some people know it but do not realize its importance. If a customer of yours is satisfied with one of your products or services, chances are this customer will purchase more of your products or services, which will increase your revenue. Therefore, in order to have your new or existing customers buy more from you, you will have to follow techniques that work. Customer satisfaction takes a very important place in Marketing. As much as you think that your marketing strategies should help you generate sales, think about how the same marketing strategies could help you achieve Customer satisfaction. There are a lot of elements involved with Customer satisfaction.
With the dilemma stated, the management question would be how do we increase customer satisfaction? Research questions, which are the objective of the research study, would include – what can management do to improve customer satisfaction, how is employee attitude and motivation connected to customer satisfaction, should we add employee incentives to reward increased customer service ratings, and should we modify hiring and training procedures?
Customer satisfaction measures the expectation of a customer relating to the product and services provided by the retail stores. Satisfied customers tend to be loyal to the organization and make more and more purchase from the same store, which in turn is beneficial for the organization. According to Hoyer and Maclnnis (2001) satisfaction can be compared with the feeling of acceptance, relief, pleasure and
To effectively sell a product or service, organizations have to really know how customers behave, regarding to what they buy. The study
Every organization should ask itself, “How do customers see us?” Most organizations mention their dedication to serving their customers in their mission statement. The balanced scorecard, through the customer perspective, requires management to break down their general mission statement on customer service into four specific measures: time, quality, performance and service, and cost (Kaplan and Norton January/February 1992, 72-74). “Customers must believe that, when a product or service is purchased, the value received was worth the price paid” (Kinney and ...
Task 1: Critically evaluate the key concepts/theories on the topic of the effectiveness of loyalty programmes on customer loyalty
More specifically, the fundamental factors that contribute to customer satisfaction in restaurants include the food (hygiene, balance, and healthiness), physical provision (layout, furnishing, and cleanliness), the atmosphere (feeling and comfort), and the service received (speed, friendliness, and care) during the meal experience (Johns and Pine,