M. Tech. Business Administration / South Africa has been marred by an increase in service delivery protests, with communities demanding service delivery. The purpose of the study is to assess service quality at the Victor Khanye Municipality. The objective of the study is to identify the gap that exists between residents' expectations and perceptions and leads to residents' dissatisfaction.

With the several changes taking place in the retail, wholesale, manufacturing and academic sectors of pharmacy, the practice of pharmacy is becoming a challenging one in South Africa. As a result of this, it is important to prove to the government as well as to other health care professionals that pharmacy can do more than deliver a supply function. This would involve the pharmacist becoming more committed to the quality of service and value (irrespective of the sector), and in so doing raise the overall standard of the profession. This research involves a survey amongst 100 customers who live in the Pinetown area. It investigates service quality in a retail pharmacy by using the SERVQUAL instrument as a measuring tool. It involved assessing respondents expectations and perceptions of service quality in retail pharmacy. The respondents indicated that understanding patient needs, assurance, reliability, efficiency, tangibles, attention and staff presentation were important factors that they expected from service of any retail pharmacy. With respect to the service provided by Pinelands pharmacy, respondent perceptions of service quality included patient individualisation, pharmacy staff competence, efficiency, staff presentation and convenient operating hours, aesthetic appeal and a modern pharmacy. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

M.Tech. Business Administration. Business School..

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.

Thesis (MTech (Marketing))--Peninsula Technikon, 2001 / Companies operating in the service industry must take note of three important marketing tasks. The first of these tasks is that companies should realise that they must provide the market with a variety of products. Businesses should therefore furnish the market with a diversified product range. Secondly, customers expect from the business sector to provide them with a quality service that even exceeds their own expectations. Thirdly, to ensure its survival in a competitive environment, the company should improve the productivity of its employees e.g. by improving the level of customer service provided to customers. Kotler (1997: 488) argues that such an improvement in productivity levels of employees can be achieved through employees working more skillfully, increasing the quantity of service by surrendering some quality, industrialising the service, inventing new-product solutions, designing more effective services, presenting customers with the incentive to substitute their own labour for company labour, or using technology to save time and money. Keeping these facts in mind and taking into consideration that tourists have been arriving in South Africa from all over the world for decades, it is of great importance for visitors to South Africa to receive customer service of the highest quality. A tourist travelling in the Republic of South Africa will most probably make use of a local travel agency if they should be in need of any further travel related services. A travel agent representing a particular travel agency, will not be engaged in the sale of travel related services only to tourists, but also to any other consumer interested in making use of the Travel Agencies' services. The Association of Travel Agents' (ASATA) code of conduct stresses that "ach travel agent engaged in the sale of travel-related services direct to consumers shall maintain the highest standard of service possible, complying with all statutory requirements, including those applicable to travel agents and with all provisions of this code" (Business Practices Committee Consumer Code For Travel Agencies, 1994: 5). This thesis is an analysis of the "marketing concept", with specific reference to customer service. It focuses on the top management in the travel agency industry and will be concerned with the degree to which top management is marketing orientated and the influence their marketing-orientated outlook will have on the performance of the travel agency. With marketing being defined as: "the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational goals", it must be emphasized that marketing can be seen as, amongst others, the anticipation and satisfaction of customer needs (Boshoff & Terblanche, 2000: 4). This research study would also include a study of the travel agency's level of customer service, which will have a direct reflection on top management's marketing outlook as well as the travel agency's level of performance.

This study was evoked by a discussion with one of Dimension Data’s Service Management Executives. The discussion was centred around customer service management focus and on how to bring all stakeholders within the organisation to share this common goal. The critical aspect does not merely mean improving quality, but to exceed customers’ expectations according to Manning (1989:63). Quality and customer service have become a way of life rather than, short-term projects that can begin and end at will emphasises Manning (1989:91). There is a myriad of evidence to suggest that services are becoming critical to economic growth in most developing economies, one of such is South Africa. Thus South African industry requires substantial reflection both from the government and private sector regarding issues of service. Organisations therefore need to understand products and services as complex clusters of value adding satisfactions. The main problem of this research is as follows: What customer service management strategies are at the disposal of an information technology organisation? The main problem will be solved in the form of three sub-problems, by identifying what customer service management is. Secondly, depicting a customer service management model and lastly recognising customer service strategies that exist within Dimension Data.

The container terminals play an increasingly important role in the economy of many countries. In today’s global competitive environment delivering quality service is considered as an essential strategy for success and survival. In the very competitive container terminals, service quality is important in attracting and retaining customers. The shipping companies are interested in speed and reliability from the terminals. The time a ship stays in a port must be minimised, and, therefore, the handling of containers must be executed in a fast and reliable way. The importance of customer service as a competitive strategy in container terminal has long been recognised. The growth in container volumes and higher productivity by Ngqura Container Terminal has created greater demand than before from its customers in the shipping business. The current growth in container volumes and increased customer demand has made the situation at NCT less encouraging at times, due to additional traffic of vessels awaiting to dock at the port creating congestion problems; resulting in unplanned lengthy dock occupation by vessels and the current status quo is affecting NCT strategy in terms of arrival docking and providing a quick response to customers. The Ngqura terminal is under increasing pressure from its customers and stakeholders to demonstrate that their services are customer-focused and that continuous performance improvement is being delivered. Therefore, a literature study and questionnaire survey forms the main input for this research combined with interviews with terminal managers. The purpose of this research is to examine the service quality concepts and offer an operational approach for the measurement of the quality of Ngqura Container Terminal services. The main research problem in this study was to identify customer service strategies that could be applied by Ngqura Container Terminal in order to maintain and exceed its business growth as well as customer expectations? The study employed the SERVQUAL model as a measuring tool in establishing the customers’ general expectations of a service and their perceptions of the service received at Ngqura Container Terminal. The five elements of SERVQUAL, which are tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, were used to deal with and solve the main problem. Below are the sub-problems that have been identified in order to investigate and develop a research strategy: What is the customer’s perception of service quality at NCT?; What are the specific customer service requirements of NCT’s customers?; Does NCT’s service operations performance enable it to fulfill its customer service requirements?; How can the performance gap between customer service requirements and service operations performance be bridged?; Which service quality elements are important to customers for container terminals? This study wants to concentrate on the customers’ perception and evaluation toward service performance in Ngqura Container Terminal.

Success in today’s highly competitive financial sector requires an organization to have a sustainable competitive advantage that would distinguish it from the rest. Products offered by financial organizations are naturally the same and the quality of service plays a critical role in terms of creating the much needed competitive advantage. This calls for the implementation of quality initiatives like Continuous improvement (CI). This paper investigates the extent to which CI efforts at the Horizon business unit of Absa corporate and business banking have successfully addressed the key concepts of CI set out by Trollip (2008). A literature survey was undertaken into the elements and benefits of CI. Questionnaires were sent to all employees of the business unit for their views on CI and the impact, they believe it has on the unit’s endeavors to deliver faster, defect free, innovative products/services, whilst achieving tougher goals. In conclusion the research paper led to recommendations to improve the CI efforts at the Horizon business unit. The research also confirmed the importance of the commitment of all employees is essential for the success of CI efforts in improving the quality of service offered by an organization.

M. Tech. Business Administration / Review of literature shows that traditional commercial banks in South Africa do not serve low-income earners, micro-entrepreneurs and the poor (collectively referred to as the unbanked population), mostly due to the high cost involved in rendering such services to the poor. South Africa's unbanked population is estimated to be more than 13-million people who have no access to either banking or insurance products. But it appears as if the big four banks have been slow to tap into this potential, preferring to battle for market share among existing customers, competing for a larger slice of an existing cake. At the same time, Capitec Bank is trying its best to fill the gap left open by the big four South African banks. The objective of this research is to explore the innovative banking services and products that have been developed by Capitec Bank with a view to be of service to the unbanked population of South Africa.

All organisations compete on the basis of service. In today‘s highly competitive world, organisations need to compete to retain their customers and to offer good customer service that will give them a competitive advantage. In the South African pharmaceutical market, the introduction of the Single Exit Price (SEP) and generic substitution have led to the price of equivalent medicines no longer being the differentiating factor in a customer deciding which manufacturer‘s product to purchase. The availability of generic medicines at the pharmacy or hospital has become the differentiating factor. Two types of customers exist in any organisation, namely, external customers and internal customers. Much has been written about the external customer, but less about the internal customer. Many managers do not perceive internal customer service as a priority. Any organisation attempting to deliver quality service to their external customers must begin by serving the needs of their internal customers. Internal service quality is characterised by the attitudes that people have towards one another and in the way that employees serve one another inside the organisation. By improving customer service, the organisation can improve its profitability, sustainability and customer retention. The aim of this study was to determine whether the levels of internal customer service between the three sections of Aspen Pharmacare are optimal. Determining the current performance levels between the staff of the sections will assist in highlighting the areas that require attention. The three sections of Aspen Pharmacare that are internal customers of one another and have been used in the study are: - production; - demand planning; and - distribution. The results of the study show that all three sections rate three service quality dimensions (communication, tangibles and reliability) as important. The results were used to develop an internal customer service model for Aspen Pharmacare.