The thesis concerns quality of service in the context of business advisory services. The economic rationale for improving any quality standard is based on the theory that by creating customer satisfaction and a perception of service quality, an organisation can retain its existing customers and attract new business, thus improving market share. This argument is based on the assumption that by improving the quality of the service delivered to customers, product offerings can be differentiated in such a way as to improve customer value. This is a customer defined approach to quality and assumes that the provider has understood and responded to customer requirements. In order to achieve this it is necessary to understand the particular situational characteristics of this market and the criteria customers use to assess the service they receive. In order to investigate service quality in business advisory services, the public relations industry in Scotland is considered as a specific case. Public relations is a business advisory service concerned with the management of image or reputation. However it is not a homogeneous product and is made up of a number of specific functions that equate to two main product variants. Based on these product variants, the research identifies three main purchaser groups in Scotland. However, although outcome expectations are consistent across purchaser groups, there are different expectations of the process of delivering the service according to the product variant purchased. The research concludes that when purchasers are buying a task level service their perceptions of quality are based upon tangible, measurable service features, whilst purchasers of a managerial product variant are concerned with process factors that lead to developing a relationship of trust. There are also a number of 'bottom-line' expectations, common across purchaser groups, which are essential to a perception of quality. Service quality, in the business advisory service context, is dependant on recognising what constitutes the core product and tailoring the process of delivery to satisfy purchaser expectations. The implications of this research are that an understanding of context is essential when considering service quality, in order that customer expectations and provider delivery combine to achieve added value. Secondly, that product definitions are required in determining the expectations associated with performance quality; and thirdly, that customer segmentation based upon product variant is a viable proposition in business advisory services.

"July 2003" / Bibliography: p. 161-170. / 170, [28] p. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Builds a model of performance based on customer defined market orientation and which includes customer service (customer process) and customer retention (business performance). Examines the nature of market orientation and its impact on customer satisfaction and customer retention in the service sector. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Commerce, 2003

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.

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.

M.Comm. / The aim of this study was to prove the effectiveness of a Customer Service Index in improving customer service in a financial services environment. For this purpose, the implementation of a CSI in WesBank Corporate Finance was used as a case study. The success of this service strategy was dependent upon constant interaction with the customer in order to identify specific needs, to measure the delivery of these requirements, and to monitor the responses received from the customer base. By making comparisons between the two CSI's used, it was possible to discern a significant improvement in the ratings concerning various aspects of WesBank's service to customers, in addition to an increase in production, profitability and professionalism. The overall success of this measurement strategy was made possible by the total commitment and dedication of the entire staff of the organisation, and is clearly evidenced by the high standard of service quality which was attained, and is being maintained, through the implementation of this monitoring system.

Contact centres (CC), are the primary interaction point between a company and its customers and these are rapidly expanding in terms of both workforce and economic scope. An important challenge for today's CC solutions is to increase the speed at which CCAs retrieve information to answer customer queries. CCAs, however, differ in their ability to respond to these queries and do not interact with the computer user interface (UI) in the same way as they each have different capabilities, experience and expertise. Studies have provided empirical support that user performance can be increased when the computer UI characteristics match the user skill level. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) are the key to creating personalised systems. Their sole task is to provide an interface most suitable to users' needs whilst facilitating the users' varying skill levels. The aim of this research was to develop an AUI model for CCs to support and improve the expertise level of CCAs. A literature review of CCs, user expertise, AUIs and existing AUI models resulted in the proposal of an AUI model for CCs. The proposed AUI model was described in terms of its architecture, component-level and interface design. An AUI prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed AUI model. A literature review on existing AUI evaluation approaches resulted in an evaluation strategy for the proposed AUI model. The AUI prototype was evaluated according to the evaluation strategy that was identified. User testing incorporating eye-tracking and a post-test questionnaire was used to determine the usefulness and usability of the AUI prototype. Significant results were found with regards to user satisfaction ratings, the learnability of the AUI prototype and its effectiveness. This dissertation makes an important contribution in the design of an AUI model that supports and improves the expertise level of CCAs. The model could be used to assist the development of CC applications incorporating AUIs. Future research is however needed to evaluate the effect of the proposed AUI model in a larger CC environment.

Contact centres are the first point of contact between a company and a customer after the purchase of a product or service. These centres make use of contact centre agents to service customer queries. In the past contact centres hired as many agents as they could in order to service customers, which have led to an increase in personnel costs causing contact centres to become costly to run. Automation techniques were introduced to decrease personnel costs and one such technique is the Interactive Voice Response (IVR). The usability of IVR systems is, however, dismal. Customers would rather speak to a contact centre agent than navigate through the menu structure found in these systems. The menu structure has come under scrutiny because it is difficult to use and navigate, is often not aligned to caller usage patterns, and the menu options are long and vague. This research investigated whether a Natural Language Interface (NLI) could alleviate the problems inherent to IVR. NLIs, however, come with their own disadvantages of which the main ones are ambiguity and the loss of context of a conversation. Two prototypes were implemented, one of which resembled an IVR and the other an NLI (using ALICE concepts). An evaluation of two prototypes confirmed the advantages and disadvantages of these concepts in accordance to theory. A Hybrid prototype was proposed with the aid of two models. The model which proposed an NLI using a rule base was chosen for implementation. The Hybrid prototype was then evaluated against the NLI and IVR prototypes to deduce which prototype was the most effective, efficient and satisfying. The evaluation through the aid of descriptive and inferential statistics showed that the Hybrid prototype was the most usable prototype. The evaluation of the Hybrid prototype confirmed that a Hybrid approach could limit the shortcomings of IVR through the elimination of the menu structure found in these systems, thereby allowing users to state their queries in natural language. The incorporated rule base provided the Hybrid system with long term memory, eliminating one of the main disadvantages of NLIs.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The networked economy has resulted in the customer having an unprecedented choice and control over how he/she chooses to do business and with whom. In addition, the ever-increasing commoditisation of products and services has forced businesses to re-evaluate their sources of sustainable competitive advantage. The ability to differentiate an organisation from others has therefore become a major business advantage. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is considered the most significant and only remaining differentiator. Given this importance, it is of concern that high failure rates of up to 70% have been recorded with regard to CRM systems implementations. Findings from literature confirm that lack of or insufficient attention to both technical and social aspects contribute to failed implementations. A hypothesis has therefore been formulated that a lack of and/or insufficient attention to a socio-technical approach to CRM-systems is a major contributor to the high failure rate of implemented CRM-systems. The hypothesis was tested based on identifying the social and technical aspects from literature that must be addressed to ensure successful implementation and was utilised as a basis for conducting empirical research to ascertain to what extent these aspects have contributed (or not) to successful implementations. The empirical research entailed circulation of a questionnaire to organisations that have already implemented CRM systems for B2C purposes and are wholly situated in the Western Cape or have a head office in the Western Cape. Due to the limited responses received, it must be noted that the research results are not necessarily representative of the sample in general or the population as a whole. The research did however indicate some important trends. CRM systems have only been implemented in a relatively small number of organisations and are particularly prevalent in industries such as Life Insurance, Financial Services and Retail. This is considered to be directly linked to the cost and complexity of implementing these systems. Based on the responses received, it can be concluded that the nine organisations that responded generally followed a socio· technical approach to their CRM systems implementations and in most instances respondents rated their implementations fully successful. This is contrary to the high failure rates described in literature and CQuid in part be due to the fact that organisations with failed implementations may have opted not to complete questionnaires in this regard. Inconsistencies between the recorded successful implementations relating to, inter alia, certain aspects being addressed by some and not by others or being addressed during as opposed to prior to implementation warrant further research to establish the interrelatedness of the various aspects with one another and the extent to which certain aspects may carry more weight than others in ensuring success. It is recommended that further research be done regarding a socio-technical approach to CRM-systems implementation with a view to obtaining a representative sample and conclusive evidence as to whether this approach does contribute to success or not within South Africa. The research should also focus on the impact that addressing the various social and technical issues during implementation, as opposed to prior to implementation, has on the success of the implementation. This exploratory research can be utilised as a basis for further in-depth research regarding the impact of various social and technical issues on successful implementations. In addition it can be utilised as a guideline or roadmap for implementation by organisations intending to implement CRM-systems or to assist organisations in addressing problems occurring as a result of fa iled CRM systems implementation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die netwerk ekonomie het tot gevolg dat die klient 'n ongeewenaarde keuse en beheer het oor hoe en met wie hy/sy besigheid wil doen. Daarbenewens word besighede gedwing om, as gevolg van die toenemende gebruikersgerief van produkte en dienste, hulle bronne van volhoubare kompeterende voordeel te herevalueer. Die vermoe om 'n organisasie van 'n ander te kan onderskei het dus 'n belangrike besigheidsvoordeel geword. Klienteverhoudingsbestuur (CRM) word beskou as die belangrikste en enigste oorblywende onderskeidingsfaktor. Gegewe die belangrikheid daarvan is dit kommerwekkend dat hoë mislukkingssyfers van tot 70% aangeteken is met betrekking tot CRM stelsel implementerings. Bevindings uit die literatuur bevestig dat gebrek aan/of onvoldoende aandag aan beide tegniese en sosiale faktore bygedra het tot mislukte implementerings. 'n Hipotese is dus geformuleer dat 'n gebrek aan/of onvoldoende aandag aan 'n sosiotegniese benadering tot CRM-stelsels 'n belangrike bydraende faktor is tot die hoë mislukkingssyfer van CRM stelsel implementerings. Hierdie hipotese is getoets deur die sosiale en tegniese aspekte uit die literatuur te identifiseer wat aangespreek moet word om suksesvolle implementering te verseker en dit is as basis gebruik vir die empiriese navorsing ten einde vas te stel tot watter mate hierdie aspekte bygedra het (of nie) tot suksesvolle implementering. Die empiriese navorsing het die uitstuur van 'n vraelys behels na organisasies wat reeds CRM stelsels geimplementeer het vir besigheid tot klient (B2C) doeleindes en wat in die Wes-Kaap gevestig is of 'n hoofkantoor in die Wes-Kaap het. In die lig van die beperkte terugvoering , moet daarop gelet word dat die navorsingsresultate nie noodwendig as verteenwoordigend van die steekproef of die populasie as geheel beskou kan word nie. Die navorsing het egter 'n paar belangrike tendense uitgewys. CRM stelsels is slegs in 'n relatiewe klein aantal organisasies geimplementeer en spesifiek in industriee soos Finansiele Dienste, Lewensversekering en Kleinhandel. Dit wil blyk dat dit direk gekoppel is aan die koste en kompleksiteit verbonde aan CRM stelsel implementerings. Gegrond op die terugvoering wat ontvang is, kan afgelei word dat die nege organisasies wat gereageer het in die algemeen 'n sosio-tegniese benadering tot CRM stelsel implementerings gevolg het. In die meeste gevalle het respondente hulle implementerings as ten volle suksesvol beoordeel. Dit is in teens telling met die hoe mislukkingssyfer wat in die literatuur beskryf word en kan gedeeltelik daaraan toegeskryf word dat organisasies wie se implementerings nie geslaag het nie, moontlik verkies het om nie die vraelys in hierdie verband te voltooi nie. Teenstrydighede tussen aangetekende suksesvolle implementerings met betrekking tot, onder andere, sekere aspekte deur sommige aangespreek en nie deur ander nie en daarmee tesame of dit aangespreek is tydens of voor implementering, regverdig verdere navorsing om die onderlinge verband tussen die onderskeie aspekte te bepaal, asook die mate waartoe sekere aspekte meer gewig dra as ander om sukses te verseker. Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing ten opsigte van 'n sosio-tegniese benadering gedoen word met die doel om 'n verteenwoordigende monster en onweerlegbare bewys te vind van hierdie benadering se bydrae tot sukses, aldan nie in Suid-Afrika. Die navorsing behoort ook te fokus op die sukses daarvan met betrekking tot die aanspreek van verskeie sosiale en tegniese aangeleenthede tydens implementering teenoor voor implementering. Hierdie verkennende navorsing kan aangewend word as 'n basis vir verdere in-diepte navorsing oor die mate waartoe die onderskeie sosiale en tegniese aangeleenthede bydra tot suksesvolle implementering. Voorts kan dit ook as 'n riglyn dien vir organisasies wat die implementering van CRM stelsels oorweeg en kan van nut wees om probleme wat ontstaan het as gevolg van mislukte CRM stelsel implementerings aan te spreek.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has been referred to as the new "mantra" of marketing management (Winer, 2001: 89), however CRM is a business strategy that calls for the establishment, development, maintenance and optimisation of long-term profitable and mutually beneficial relationships between organisations and their customers. It is a journey of strategic, structural, process, organisational and technological change through which an organisation can manage its enterprise better around customer behaviour. CRM as a business strategy was thought necessary due to stronger and rapidly changing forces that influence business. Forces include globalisation, mature markets, emerging markets, deregulation, convergence of industries and continuous changes in customer behaviour. These changes forced business to realise that customers are an organisation's only sure revenue source and that building relationships with its customers is the best source of profitable and sustainable revenue growth (Brown, 2000: xii). Organisations worldwide spent almost US$44bn in 2000 on CRM initiatives and it is estimated to grow to US$125bn by 2004. The promise of CRM is enchanting, however many organisations will quickly point out that in practise it can be extremely costly to implement and it can be disastrous for building relationships with customers. One of the biggest mistakes that were made when organisations implemented CRM programmes is that CRM was regarded as a technology intervention or solution that would enable any organisation to build long-lasting and profitable relationships with its customers. Not all CRM programmes succeed or achieve the strategic objectives organisations want it to achieve. It is therefore necessary to develop a framework that can assist organisations in their efforts to develop and implement a CRM programme. This thesis provides a system approach and assessment toolkit to guide and assist service organisations to develop and implement CRM programmes and through this to become a CRM enterprise. A CRM enterprise holds the customer-driven vision necessary to succeed in the ever changing environment of the global economy. A system approach was chosen as the preferred method to develop and implement a CRM programme for two reasons. First, CRM programmes are extremely complex as it is a business strategy that impact organisation wide when it is developed and implemented. And secondly, a system approach requires a person to think systemic about systems like CRM. It forces the developer and implementer of a CRM programme to consider the whole impact of the changes across an organisation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kliënte verhouding bestuur is beskryf as die nuwe deuntjie bemarking bestuur (Winer, 2001: 89), maar kliënte verhouding bestuur is veel meer 'n besigheids strategie was vrae oor die vestiging, ontwikkeling, onderhoud en optimaliseering van lang termyn winsgewende en wedersydse begunstigde verhoudings tussen organisasies en hul kliënte. Dit is 'n reis van strategiese, strukturele, proses, organisatoriese en tegnologiese verandering waardeer 'n organisasie sy besigheid beter kan bestuur rondom kliënte gedrag. Kliënte verhouding bestuur is nodig as 'n besigheid strategie as gevolg van sterker en vinniger kragte wat besigheid beinvloed. Kragte sluit in globalisering, ontwikkelde markete, ontwikkelende markte, deregulering, samesmelting van industrieë, en die alewige verandering in kliënte behoeftes. Hierdie kragte forseer besigheid om te besef dat kliënte 'n organisasie se sekerste bron van inkomste is en dat 'n organisasie verhoudinge moet bou met hul kliënte om 'n bron van volhoubare inkomste te verseker (Brown, 2000: xii). Organisasies wêreldwyd het ongeveer US$44bn in 2000 spandeer op kliënte verhouding bestuur initiatiewe en dit is vooruit geskat dat dit kan groei tot US$125bn teen 2004. Die belofte van kliënte verhouding bestuur is betowerend, maar verskeie organisasies sal dit vinnig uitwys dat kliënte verhouding bestuur in die praktyk baie duur wees om in werking te stel en dat dit rampsoedig kan wees vir die bou van verhoudings met kliënte. Een van die groostste foute wat organisasies gemaak het met die implementering van 'n kliënte verhouding bestuur program was om dit te beskou as 'n tegnologiese intervensie wat die organisasie in staat sou stelom lang termyn winsgewende verhoudinge te bou met hul kliënte. Nie alle kliënte verhouding bestuur programme is suksesvol nie. Dit is daarvoor nodig om 'n raamwerk te ontwikkel wat organisasies sal help on 'n kliënte verhouding bestuur program te ontwikkel en te implementeer. Hierdie tesis verskaf 'n sisteembenadering en 'n evalueringprogram wat organisasies kan help om 'n kliënte verhouding bestuur program te ontwikkel en te implementeer en deur middel hiervan In kliënte-organisasie te word. In Kliënte-organisasie het die kliënte-aangedrewe visie wat nodig is om in vandag se al veranderde omgewing volhoubaar en suksesvol te wees. In Sisteem benadering was gekies as die voorkeur metode om In kliënte verhouding bestuur program te ontwikkel en te implementeer vir twee redes. Die eerste rede is dat In kliënte verhouding bestuur program baie kompleks is aangesien dit In organisasie wyd impak het wanneer dit ontwikkel word en geïmplementeer word. Die tweede rede is dat In sisteem benadering die beplanner en implementeerder forseer om die hele impak van verandering in ag te neem oor die hele organisasie.

This research conducted an interdisciplinary field experiment to identify relationships between productivity, user satisfaction and IS Helpdesk USP's use of effective communication behavior. An experimental group of Helpdesk USPs of a large retail organization were trained by communication professionals in communication effectiveness, with emphasis on the needs of the telephone environment.