M. Tech. Business Administration / An efficient canteen that serves the needs of its employees leads to employee satisfaction and adds value to the organisation. Canteens in the service industry constantly need to re-align their service delivery and image to their client base in order to remain viable. Theoretical models have been widely used in the business environment to gauge customer satisfaction. Companies are constantly measuring service quality in an effort to improve turnover and increase their client base. The need to understand customer expectations on service quality was the key motivation behind this study. The study evaluated service quality as perceived by employees in an industrial canteen operating within the automotive sector using the five components of the service quality (SERVQUAL) model. Service delivery monitoring tools are necessary in a catering environment to enable staff and management to identify customer service areas requiring improvements. The quality of service delivery impacts on brand equity and loyalty.

M.Tech. Business Administration. Business School..

The Workers' Compensations Board of British Columbia (WCB) operates 4 call centers in the province devoted to compensation services. This thesis describes a review of operations at the call center in the head office, located in Richmond, B.C. We identified the need for a mathematical model to schedule telephone operators (called CSRs in WCB) in order to minimize the workforce required, while assuring minimal staffing levels to provide good customer service. We developed two integer programming models and built an interface that would enable the supervisors to use the model interactively. We compared the results from the model to one of their schedules and found that the model used 5 fewer CSRs than currently in their schedule. The potential savings derived from such a test convinced management that WCB needed to acquire and implement software to schedule staff.

The presence as well as the nature of the relationship between customer perceptions of service customization and reliability is investigated in the first of three studies of the dissertation by applying an exploratory analytical approach---"probabilistic scaling analysis." Results suggest the existence of a positive and ordinal relationship between customer perceptions of customization and reliable quality. The second study of the dissertation applies a more confirmatory, 'contingency theory' approach to validate, and further develop the findings of the first study. Results are consistent in that a positive and ordinal relationship is observed between customer perceptions of service customization and reliability. Further, findings suggest that customization quality moderates the affect of reliable quality on overall service evaluations. Some support is also found for the moderating role of reliable quality. Together, these findings help unravel the relationship between customer perceptions of service customization and reliability, and demonstrate how each of them affects the marketplace efficacy of the other. / Overall, results of the probabilistic scaling analysis, as well as contingency theory demonstrate that among customers at the lower end of the latent scale, it is primarily the 'things gone wrong,' i.e. lack of reliability that governs the unfavorability of their overall perceptions. Among customers on the higher end, it is 'things gone right,' i.e. favorable customization quality perceptions that govern the favorability of their overall perceptions. Together, these results suggest that a service provider must minimize 'things gone wrong' and then focus on 'things gone right' to elicit favorable overall evaluations. / In a service environment however, 'doing things right' requires an immediate understanding of individual needs that a customer brings forth during every service transaction, and that must be met to create value for the customer. Qualitative data are analyzed using a conceptual framework to provide a systematic understanding of these issues. Such understanding also provides diagnostic information towards exploring key segment level differences observed in the second study of the dissertation. Overall, the analyses of the third study extend current subject understanding by providing a contextual development of value-creating individual customer needs as they relate to service customization and reliability, and their implications on service design. / Overall, the dissertation develops current subject understanding of service customization and reliability, and therefore of service quality in general. Customers evaluate service offerings on both elements of quality---customization and reliability, and thus one of them cannot be studied without understanding its affects on the other component of quality. The research, we believe, would develop the understanding of the subject, and would also aid service providers in more scientific service design as well as decision-making.

Despite many efforts to promote the importance of considering consumer experience, few studies have provided empirical evidence of their impact on immediate consumption outcomes and on their relationship with existing product/service design attributes, while considering the subjective nature of consumer experiences. In the present dissertation, we propose that important insights could be gained in building such evidence by considering research on emotions and rigorous empirical approaches that account for the subjectivity of the experience. Specifically, we propose a framework that builds on the consumption emotion literature and on functional theories of emotions and that is based on a Bayesian approach that takes into consideration individual differences in emotional experience. The framework rests on four core elements: (1) assessment of emotional experience emerging over the consumption episode, (2) link between this experience and immediate evaluative and behavioral outcomes, (3) exhaustive consideration of potential eliciting factors among elements of the consumption object and environment, and (4) assessment of the added value of the experience elicited by the consumption offering and consideration of alternative influences of consumption emotions on consumption outcomes consistent with their functional values. / The framework was applied in the context of extended health services in which repeated consumption episodes were observed. Results show that emotional states that arise during consumption do impact satisfaction measures, but have a limited impact on consumers' immediate consumption behavior. These relationships however could not be explained by the added value brought by the experience, as no evidence for mediation by emotional experience was found between service attributes and consumption outcomes. Emotional states experienced either prior or immediately following consumption showed a superior ability to predict consumption outcomes, with their influence being tied to their respective informational and, to some degree, motivational functions. We also provide evidence that emotions experienced before and elicited during consumption moderated the impact of service attributes on both satisfaction and immediate consumption behavior. Results highlight the importance of considering emotional states experienced at any stage during consumption, but also the challenge of doing so with existing resources in the present context. Contributions, limitations, and future directions are also discussed.

This study has empirically analyzed the significance of emotional satisfaction in the financial service encounters. The specific focus of this study is around finding out if the relationship between emotional satisfaction and the following important concepts exists i.e. service quality, customer loyalty and relationship quality. Furthermore, the study seeks to clarify the role of emotional satisfaction in predicting customer loyalty and relationship quality. The relationship between emotional satisfaction, service quality, customer loyalty, and relationship quality as a context, was utilized, as well as data from a sample survey of 1,261 Inland West First National Retail Bank customers. The aim of this study is to establish using probable sampling technique if there are merits in support of customer experience strategic choice within retail banking sector. A survey approach has considerable ability in generating answers to business questions such as the what? why? and how? through use of questionnaires. Interviews will also be conducted as part of the greater FNB survey. The results showed that service quality is positively associated with emotional satisfaction, which is positively associated with both customer loyalty and relationship quality. In addition, customer's feelings of enjoyment proved a best predictor of customer loyalty, while feelings of happiness served as the best predictor of relationship quality. The findings of the survey imply the need for a FNB to strategically leverage of the key antecedents of customer loyalty and relationship quality in its pursuit of customer retention and long-term profitability / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

Ms Jennie Chua, President and Chief Operating Officer of Raffles International, Singapore once said that if "high-tech" represents the higher spectrum of industries in the manufacturing sector, then "high-touch" would represent the pinnacle of the service industry. "High-touch" is the art of service. It is the personal touch, the extra effort, the Attention and alertness to customer needs and preferences. Excellent service is both a skill and an attitude. Training equips our people with the know-how to provide good service. Excellent service exudes warmth and friendliness, not cold efficiency. Yet how many of our catering companies have reached that pinnacle? For our enterprises to stay productive and competitive in the midst of high business and labour cost, offering excellent service is one differentiating factor. This study was concerned with analysing the Fedics division of KZN, with special emphasis on the customer service. According to Strauss and Frost (2001), there are many trends that are apparent about individuals and businesses, which are important in developing marketing strategy that involves the catering industry. The research analyses the effects of buying behaviour and makes recommendations for the improvement of Customer service, which is an important strategy for any service related organization to survive and grow. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

This study was conducted among clients of Mediterranean Shipping Company with three principal aims in mind. Firstly, adopt the appropriate measuring instrument to measure customer satisfaction levels within MSC, using the five SERVQUAL dimensions namely Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy. The second is to measure the levels of customer satisfaction within MSC and lastly to make recommendations towards improving the levels of service quality and ultimately begin implementing a customer orientated quality assurance programme within MSC. The results show that there are significant differences between the respondents' expectation and their perceptions. All five dimensions showed that customers' expectations exceeded their perceptions, with Tangibles having the smallest gap and Reliability having the largest gap. It has been the talk of many customers that MSC provides very good service to their customers. On the contrary, this study reveals that there is still some level of dissatisfaction among the customers. Therefore, it is hoped that this study would contribute to MSC's understanding of their clients' perception of service quality and develop a marketing strategy that will increase their customers' level of satisfaction and improve their relationship with MSC. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

In recent years, the four major South African commercial banks (ABSA, Standard, First National Bank and Nedbank) have been measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty through market research, the results of which reflect their customers’ perception of service delivery by these banks. Standard Bank has shown steadily declining service levels since 2004 as perceived by its customers in the feedback to the monthly customer service surveys. Standard Bank, Personal and Business Banking in KwaZulu-Natal is the case study of this research. The Bank in KwaZulu-Natal implemented structural, technological and process changes during the period 2004 to 2006. Customers expressed dissatisfaction with the installation of centralised contact centres and retail credit centres during their visits to the bank. Customer dissatisfaction was evident in the customer comments in the monthly customer survey. This provided strong motivation to the Standard Bank’s Central Customer Service Support Unit that customers still preferred the personal touch rather than the speed and efficiency that technology and new structures and processes promised to deliver. Senior Executives at the bank were measured on sales and service performance in their areas of responsibility. The customer service component comprised a weighting of 45% of the overall performance scorecard. There was a growing concern that the bank needed to regain customer confidence and as a result, repositioned itself as a bank that focuses on meeting customer needs balanced with a need to be profitable. Enhancing customer loyalty has become a popular topic for managers, consultants and academics. The arguments in support of loyalty are simple to understand. Loyal customers are reported to have higher customer retention rates, commit a higher share of their category spending to the firm, and are more likely to recommend others to become customers of the firm (Keiningham, Cooil, Aksoy, Andreassen & Weiner 2007). The Standard Bank subsequently adopted the strategic operating model with customer centricity as the core theme in August 2006. The operating model is underscored by the strategic C@Ps (Compass Aligned Performance System) that aligns the Bank’s performance with its strategic objectives. To monitor their performance and guide improvement efforts with regard to customer loyalty, managers frequently rely on customer feedback systems. This feedback is typically obtained through customer surveys that contain measures of satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word-of-mouth intention (Keiningham et., al 2007). Customer feedback survey ratings at this bank indicate a downward trend since 2003. This study will focus on customer service ratings in KwaZulu-Natal branches during the period 2004 to 2007, total customer accounts in the bank’s books in KwaZulu-Natal, the ATM availability statistics and attempt to link these changes to the declining service ratings. Customer satisfaction is strongly influenced by customer expectations. The gap between perceived quality and expected quality, called “expectancy disconfirmation is a strong predictor of customer satisfaction (Keiningham et., al 2007). Customer responses in the monthly feedback surveys indicate dissatisfaction with service delivery in some areas of the bank. This study will further investigate the competence of the two core customer delivery channels, the Automated Teller Network and the Branch Network in delivering to customer expectations. The research will be conducted by analysis of secondary data available on the customer service ratings for the period 2004 to 2007. ATM uptime data has been made available from the bank’s ATM reports for the period 2004 to date. To assess whether the declining customer service ratings have contributed negatively to retention of customer accounts, secondary data available from the bank’s database will be analysed and the findings presented in this study. The knowledge and competence level of staff in the bank will be analysed by the results from questionnaires sent to a population of branch and support staff in the bank. This research was conducted through the use of questionnaires handed out to a cross-section of the bank’s population in 6 randomly selected branches in urban KwaZulu-Natal. When conducting research for the purpose of this study, quantitative and qualitative methods were used. From the research it was noted that the performance of the ATM delivery channel could have contributed to declining service levels. This was evident in the ATM availability information from 2004 to date. The research has provided a base for a weak positive correlation between the performance of the ATM and the Customer Evaluation of Branch (CEBS) ratings. Although the ATM performance shows levels above 96%, it is evident that customers are experiencing variations in the service provided at ATM’s in the province. Analysis of secondary data available in the bank’s database, shows that accounts opened during the period 2004 to 2007 were significantly higher that the total number of accounts closed. From the total accounts on hand at the end of each month for the period under review, it is clear that the total accounts are on the increase year on year. It is easy to conclude from the analysis of available data that declining service levels have not contributed to a loss of customer accounts, however, the scope of the research does not allow for investigation into the value of accounts closed and opened. From the analysis of responses to the questionnaires, it is noted that there is a moderate correlation between the knowledge and competence of staff and the creation of value for customers. Good customer service cannot be predicted by trained and knowledgeable staff alone. Employees need to develop a sense of ownership of delivery to customers. This should be facilitated by line managers and supervisors. The bank is fortunate in that it has numerous improvement interventions at its disposal, including a structured framework in which staff can develop and enhance customer service skills and their performance managed accordingly. This will ensure that individual employees are motivated to be a critical link in the chain that delivers quality and creates customer value. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

This research utilized Q Method to learn whether attitudes regarding integrated marketing communication (IMC) among both educators and practitioners are consistent with placing IMC in an inductive or pre-theory stage of development within the theory building-research cycle. The analysis indicates an acceptance of IMC as a valid method of communication management among study participants. However the data is consistent with a negative, or at best ambiguous, conclusion when it comes to placing attitudes regarding IMC in an inductive or pre-theory stage of development within the theory building-research cycle. This then permits the conclusion that IMC at present is a communications management approach, not a nascent communication theory. / Department of Journalism