Isolating the consumer determinants of choice when making a purchasing decision in a supplier company
- Authors: Williams, Rita Christine
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Customer relations , Customer services -- Management Consumer satisfaction -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36048 , vital:33885
- Description: The objective of this research was to establish the determinants of purchase choice by customers and to establish the modality of their decision-making process. The study was conducted at PerkinElmer a scientific equipment supplier company. PerkinElmer South Africa supplies equipment to industrial laboratories, academic laboratories and laboratories in government institutions. It has become clear to the researcher that understanding the customer and what their perceptions are is the key to business success. These insights would give the researcher the knowledge of important factors in the customer modality of purchase decisions. The literature review revealed that there are numerous factors that influences a customer buying decision namely: Customer relationships management, Unique selling proposition, the importance of salespeople, customer satisfaction levels, the brand name, Brand awareness, brand perception, brand loyalty, price, the service levels that the company provides after sale. The customer decision-making process and the various stages involved, an empirical study was conducted utilising in-depth interviews. The five main themes that were investigated through in-depth interviews were the following: Customer relationship management, brand, customer satisfaction levels, price, service. The factors were probed, analysed and compared and each customer’s preference was noted. The study employs a qualitative approach as this stance supports the researcher’s interest in the customer views and perceptions. A small sample was utilised from the scientific sector in the Eastern Cape and the Gauteng area. The empirical results indicated the importance of service support and if this is not in place it can mean the loss of future business. The customers in academia had the common view that the price is most important. The university policy forces the lowest priced equipment to be purchased. The respondents unanimously voiced their concerns regarding the expensiveness of PerkinElmer consumables.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Factors affecting customer retention at an automative manufacturing organisation
- Authors: Yam, Bonga Sherperd Elvis
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Consumer satisfaction , Customer relations , Automobile industry and trade -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8809 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018573
- Description: South African vehicle manufacturers are under immense competition from vehicle manufactures from India and China. The global financial crises also put these organisations under intense pressure and this resulted in these organisations having to start seeing the need to focus on issues that affect customer retention. The way that business is done in the 21st Century is forcing organisations to implement strategies that are geared towards increasing customer retention and growing the business. Organisations need to build relationships with their customers with the hope that these customers will in turn extend their stay with the organisation when an opportunity to replace their vehicles arises or keep on servicing with them. In order to establish a good relationship with customers, organisations need to understand customer expectations by being customer orientated and by providing customers with value. The primary objective of this study is to improve customer retention for a selected vehicle manufacturer after the warranty and service plans have expired, by investigating the relationship between customer service quality, customer loyalty, and customer retention. The results obtained from the 64 respondents who participated in the survey revealed that although all the above-mentioned variables play a role in increasing customer retention, customer service quality exerts the most influence. The study also highlights areas that should be improved, as well as recommendations on how to improve them. Recommendations for future research are also provided.
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- Date Issued: 2013
A guide for using online social media and social networking activities for SMME's
- Authors: Morley, Charmaine Joan
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Electronic commerce , Social media -- Economic aspects , Customer relations , Online social networks
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8873 , http://hdl/handle.net/10948/d1020350
- Description: Social media is playing an increasingly important role in people’s lives and is becoming a part of most organisations’ business models. Businesses cannot ignore this phenomenon due to the increasing influx of Generation Y employees in their businesses and the Generation Y consumers who are going to buy their products and services in the future. Social media is changing the way that marketing is being conducted, in a positive way. It is changing from businesses focusing on selling products or services to customers, to businesses building relationships with customers and adding value to their lives through their products and services. This phenomenon was the base for this study. The research problem was identified as follows: SMME business owners do not understand the importance and impact of social media on their businesses. Sub-problems were identified as: defining social media and networking, describing the importance of this, which strategies are currently being used in business, how it compares to traditional networking, how this is used in recruitment strategies and what are the disadvantages of social media and networking. The research problem and sub-problems were addressed in a literature study and an empirical study. The literature study included information on SMME businesses, their importance in our economy and how social media can help them. The empirical study was done using SMME’s registered with the George Business Chamber. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to the owners of the businesses by email. The answers were analysed and collated on a spreadsheet which were presented in graph and diagram format. Social media and networking are becoming an integral part of businesses especially small businesses. They specifically have an important role to play in creating economic wealth and creating employment. SMME’s are faced with a lot of challenges which make it difficult for them to become successful and sustainable. Social media can play a role in overcoming a lot of these challenges by helping SMME’s with marketing, customer engagement, relationship building, recruitment, and finding valuable information, experience and partners. Social media also has disadvantages which include: virus attacks, risk of confidential information leaking and so forth, but these can easily be managed by social media polices and rules. A bigger risk lies in the fact that if a business owner ignores the existence of social media, this can lead to conversations by consumers about this business being ignored and not responded to. Another big risk for SMME’s is the fact they are at a competitive disadvantage by ignoring this new technology. This was clear from the empirical results in this study which stated that 53 percent of the businesses surveyed, were aware their competitors are using social media. The empirical results indicated a very low use of social media activities among the SMME’s surveyed but showed potential as the SMME’s understood the importance of social media and were eager to implement strategies in their businesses. The reasons offered for not using social media included the fact that it was difficult to measure its worth in time and money, advice is needed from experts and so forth. Social media and networking are not quick or cheap methods for businesses to advertise and sell their products or services. They are tools to be used over time, in order to engage with customers and build relationships. Consumers and customers expect value for their money and if they find this from a business, they will gladly share it with others. On the other hand, if they do not find value for money it could have a negative impact on the business. SMME’s must not try to replace their current marketing strategy with social networking activities. They should integrate it slowly into their current business models and search for unique ways in which it could improve the relationship with their current customers and find new customers. It should help them to either showcase their existing value added products or services, or improve it if it is not worth selling. Small businesses now have the platform to compete.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Retaining customers through customer service in the telecomminications industry
- Authors: Mtatsi, Siyabonga Chris
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Customer services -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Telecommunication -- Customer services -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Customer relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8812 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018641
- Description: South African Mobile network industry has seen many developments since its inception in 1994. When mobile technology was introduced in this country, the first two mobile network operators, namely Vodacom and MTN, enjoyed vast benefits of being early entrance in this business space and they grew at rate that was much faster than they themselves had expected. As expected, in the past five years this growth rate has slowly diminished due to various economic factors; these factors included increase in Government regulations, increase in number of players in the mobile network space and ever evolving technology. The mobile network operators saw interconnect fees, which amounted to fifteen per cent of total revenue for each of these operators, being reduced by more than half, with Government foreseeing total removal of these fees. At the same time, the number of competitors grew from one to three within a period of five years forcing all operators, especially Vodacom and its Vodashops, to search for winning strategies that could ensure retention of their customers thus their revenue. Therefore, the intention of this research is to investigate various strategies that are suitable and can be implemented for one of the Vodashops in Cape Town, namely Canal Walk Vodashop, to ensure that this store manages to retain and possibly grow its existing customers. The investigation led the researcher to find that, in a situation where the affected organisation is at the maturity level of the business, as it is the case with the selected store, the most effective strategy to retain and grow customers is the customer service strategy. This strategy includes various elements which are very important to its success; these elements include providing job specific skills to employees, designing and implementing suitable processes and creating best value for customers on products and services that the company offers. The research was achieved by following the approach below: A literature study was done in order to determine the key elements of an effective customer service strategy; A survey of literature focusing specifically on employee skills development, design and implementation of processes and creation of value for the offered products and service; Insights of customers from the selected Vodashop were obtained via interviews to determine their perception on products and services offered; and Lastly, interview results were analysed to determine the areas of improvement and also what customer service strategies are suitable for highlighted problems. Through this research, various customer service strategies that must be consistently and continuously executed in order to achieve this excellent customer service were recommended. The recommended strategies include training and development of employees, design and implementation of processes that are aligned to the selected Vodashop and also to the needs and expectations of customers.
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- Date Issued: 2011
Facilitating customer retention in hotels in the Garden Route
- Authors: Slabbert, Gabriel Johannes
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Hospitality industry -- South Africa -- Garden Route , Customer relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8613 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1552 , Hospitality industry -- South Africa -- Garden Route , Customer relations
- Description: Over the past few decades, customer satisfaction, customer retention and policies and procedures to sustain the above mentioned, have earned great amount of lip service. The importance of satisfied customer percentage have been emphasized by theories even longer before the best advised companies have done so. It is only recently, on the eve of the Soccer World cup 2010 that the issue has been narrowed down to truly hard relationships and one hard question: “Will the guest visiting the hospitality establishment frequent the hotel?” Two vital financial catalysts were used as basis for customer retention. The first is that of old customer’s costs much less than acquisition of new ones and the profit generated from the retained customer must therefore handsomely exceed the harvest reaped from the new clientele. Retaining customers have become an intangible asset in the sense that their value demonstrates the return that is won by successful efforts to satisfy the customers so greatly that they and their custom literally and figuratively stays with you. South Africa has lured even the loneliest traveller to the scenic beauty that is cradled by the country and its surroundings. When taking the former into consideration, South African businesses have enjoyed an increased appreciation and application of Business Management and its accompanying principles. The hospitality industry should therefore embrace the business management principles with specific emphasis on Total Quality Management (TQM); providing managers with the capacity to think strategically about the organisation, its business position, how it can gain sustainable competitive advantage and how its business management strategy can be implemented and executed successfully. The latter forms the basis for ensuring the smooth running of operations and ultimately, ensuring guests have a wonderful experience at the particular establishment. There is a strong belief that lodging facilities in the Garden Route area has experienced low customer retention due to a lack of comprehensive implementation of Total Quality Management principles which impedes on the establishments to reach their optimum profit levels. It is for this reason that this thesis will argue the importance of the systematic client retention as a strategic mandate in today’s service markets. Commercial reality demand long and lasting relationships that are beneficial to both the hospitality related establishment and their customers. The hypothesis used is the application of Total Quality Management as a Business Management Strategy which will facilitate customer retention in hospitality related industries such as hotels situated in the Garden Route area. Research shows that service expectations of customers and potential customers have escalated. Hospitality businesses found that implementation of quality processes to be a vital competitive component. However, many hotels are still struggling to reach a real understanding of what is meant by TQM. The research data indicates that 93 percent of hotels in the Garden Route do not follow a TQM program although all the hotels were familiar with the concept. This might be the reason why most hotels neglect customer retention activities. The literature reviewed in chapter two considers the customer retention activities evaluated in the questionnaire as important to retain guests. Hotels in the Garden Route do not perform these activities to the extent of success. Hotel managers thus know what to do in order to retain guests but the problem is quite simple, they do not always implement the necessary strategies.
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- Date Issued: 2010
The use of the enneagram to improve customer relationships with a motor vehicle manufacturer
- Authors: Gallant, Helen Michelle
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Customer relations , Enneagram , Motor vehicle industry
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8564 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/194 , Customer relations , Enneagram , Motor vehicle industry
- Description: Marketing strategy relies heavily on segmentation and positioning. Lifestyle and psychographics are increasingly being used as a basis for market segmentation. Marketers require deeper insight into the motivational factors that encourage purchases in order to tailor make offerings to suit individual needs. The focus is on customer relationship management in order to retain customers over a longer period of time, rather than once-off sales. This study examines how using the ancient and mystical technique of the Enneagram can improve customer relationship management and formulates a model for doing so. The Enneagram can be used as an effective base for psychographic segmentation by harnessing the diagnostic and predicative power therein. It is already being used in human resource development and strategic planning by companies and it seems fitting to apply it in yet another business area that can greatly benefit from this.
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- Date Issued: 2005
An evaluation to assist a metropolitan broker division to improve the level of service quality towards contracted brokers
- Authors: Calitz, Andries P
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Customer services -- Quality control , Insurance companies -- South Africa , Customer relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:10942 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1006206 , Customer services -- Quality control , Insurance companies -- South Africa , Customer relations
- Description: In this study the service quality from a Metropolitan Broker Division towards contracted brokers in the southern region was investigated. From the industry and competitor analyses it can be concluded that service quality has become an important factor in the financial service industry, especially in the insurance industry. It is therefore important to look at options to outperform competitors. The literature survey was aimed at improving the level of quality service to contracted brokers. Based on the information obtained through the literature study and survey, a guideline to assist a Metropolitan Broker Division to improve the level of service quality was developed. The purpose of the empirical study was to determine if the service that contracted brokers receive from the Metropolitan Broker Division is of an acceptable level. The answers from respondents were analysed and compared with findings from the literature study. Recommendations were formulated for improving the level of service quality towards contracted brokers. The empirical study results were satisfactory and informative. The positive responses identified can be utilised to strengthen the marketing strategies by Metropolitan Broker Division while attention should be given to the negative responses.
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- Date Issued: 2001