Customer satisfaction with the Information Technology Help Desk is the focus of this study. Technology in the workplace has increased exponentially. Therefore customers are more reliant on the Help Desk then ever before. This has raised the importance of the role that Help Desk plays in the functioning of an organisation. The fundamental aim of this study is to answer the questions below; 1. Is dissatisfaction truly present for individual problems, or is it a generalisation or "urban myth"? 2. Which of the five hypotheses are the most significant in causing dissatisfaction amongst customers? The five hypotheses focus on the areas of Communication, Solutions, Service, Knowledge (up-to-date), and Morale. A computer-based survey was used to query the customers. The survey questions linked back to the hypotheses. The customer was given the opportunity to make an optional comment to discover any sensitive issues that the survey did not address. The average "overall satisfaction" rating for the survey suggested the general population is more satisfied then dissatisfied with the services of the Help Desk. From the study I was able to conclude that dissatisfaction is present for individual problems, but the dissatisfied customer only accounts for 8% of the surveyed population. Having proven that customer dissatisfaction is present the next step was to determine the nature of the problem to provide useful information to reduce customer dissatisfaction. Investigating the surveys on the basis of problem category did this. The results indicated that customer dissatisfaction was most prevalent in calls concerning changes made to PCs and server interruptions. Therefore the Help Desk needs to re-evaluate the processes for handling problems of this nature. In contrast customers were most satisfied with assistance for problems relating to desktop software and hardware. Therefore dissatisfaction is not an "urban myth". Of all the five hypotheses, Help Desk morale stood out as producing more satisfaction than any of the other hypotheses including "overall satisfaction". Help Desk morale proved to be significantly different in nature when compared to the four other hypotheses. Therefore the moral of the Help Desk team is a fundamental ingredient for brewing a successful service. Get this wrong and all aspects of the team and the service will decline. The most important influence on "overall satisfaction" was "satisfaction with keeping up with technological change", and the least important factor was "satisfaction with ability to predict problems through good communication". This would indicate an up-to-date Help Desk is more likely to have satisfied customers.

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Business. / Customer contact personnel (CCP) are recognised as a key determinant in the attainment of customer satisfaction and service quality. While they are readily acknowledged as often representing the service in the eyes of the customer, almost no attention has been given to researching the determinants of service behaviour among CCP, from the perspective of CCP. The work of Shamir (1980), over fifteen years ago, acted as a catalyst for the development of the conceptual model of this thesis. Of particular interest was the inclusion of the first empirical examination of propositions concerning relative status and role conflict. The conceptual model of this thesis extended and developed this work by representing relative status as two constructs, perceived self-status and perceived recognition status, then further, developed the discussion to include the dependent variable of this thesis, service behaviour. Additionally, the conceptual model included other key variables suggested by the literature (uniform perceptions and customer orientation), that directly and indirectly influence service behaviour. Airline flight attendants were considered suitable respondents for this research as they hold a high boundary spanning position. The useable data from the survey of 446 respondents represented a 36% response rate. The data analysis undertaken included path analysis and structural equation modelling. Investigation of the data found that greater insight and better managerial diagnostics could be obtained by splitting the sample dependent on the relative status perspective respondents held concerning their perceived self-status, and refining the conceptual model by dividing the dependent variable, service behaviour, into positive and negative service behaviour. The research findings indicated that the customer orientation of CCP had the greatest influence on service behaviour. Importantly, perceived self-status had a moderating influence on service behaviour, with the direction dependent on the status perspective of `not superior' or `superior'. All other variables of the model were generally found to have significant direct or indirect effects on service behaviour, again influenced by direction if they were mediated through perceived self-status. The structural equation modelling also provided acceptable fits to the data. Although, the study examined relationships that essentially had never previously been empirically tested and therefore, in their research infancy, the findings considerably aid our understanding of antecedents of service behaviour among CCP. Further, the findings have significant implications for management in service organisations where their frontline service personnel occupy a service role that is considered subordinate, both to the customer and the company.

Bibliography: leaves 134-145 and 157-158. / 158 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Evaluates an intervention in the marketplace. Examines the impact of a loyalty program on brand loyalty in a series of seven studies/replications across two countries and five product categories. Supports the use of Dirichlet norms to assess the impact of marketplace interventions, or at least loyalty initiatives. The comparisons against Dirichlet predictions seemed to work as expected in being able to show the impact, or lack of impact, of these marketing interventions. Provides a methodological and analytical framework for further studies of this kind. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Graduate School of Management, 2000?

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2007

Bibliography: leaves 134-145 and 157-158. / 158 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Evaluates an intervention in the marketplace. Examines the impact of a loyalty program on brand loyalty in a series of seven studies/replications across two countries and five product categories. Supports the use of Dirichlet norms to assess the impact of marketplace interventions, or at least loyalty initiatives. The comparisons against Dirichlet predictions seemed to work as expected in being able to show the impact, or lack of impact, of these marketing interventions. Provides a methodological and analytical framework for further studies of this kind. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Graduate School of Management, 2000?

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2007

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2005. / Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2005. / Also available online.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.