research proposal on customer satisfication (part 2)

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onynonynon

Business Finance

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The research question is: 1.The Bose Corporation, makers of high-end speakers, headphones, etc., has noted a decrease in the customer satisfaction levels with their customer support system, primarily their telephone support (1-800-379-2073). The primary issue appears to be perceived wait time; how long people feel they have been on-hold (in a queue), waiting for service. As customer satisfaction is very important to Bose, they are interested in improving it at this point of customer contact (the call center). They are looking to improve this measure (without the major investment of expanding the call center and the number of people answering telephones). What, if anything can be done to mitigate this problem?


The following documents are part 1, research proposal requirements, research proposal requirement and online survey example. The whole paper should be written and cited in APA style.

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Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 MAX RADIO WEB SITE SURVEY -- 6 Station Pop-Ups on Homepage Exit -MAX RADIO WEB SITE SURVEY [THIS TITLE ON ALL PAGES] [ALL DIRECTIONS IN BRACKETS [ ] AND CAPITAL LETTERS ARE PROGRAMMING AND LOGIC INSTRUCTIONS. THESE WILL NOT BE VISIBLE TO SURVEY RESPONDENTS] [ENTRY FROM POP_UP LINK ON EACH SITES HOME PAGE. TERMINATE: S1 = 1, 2, 3, or 4 S2 = 1 S3 = 1 S4 = 1 S5 = 1 or 10 QUOTAS: 500 NO AUTO SHUT-OFF, CLIENT WILL REMOVE EACH POP-UP UPON OUR NOTIFICATION. MODALIS WILL MONITOR RESPONSES BY SOURCE PAGE. FORCE ALL RESPONSES, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED] Shaping the Future of Max Radio Interactive Welcome to the Max Radio Interactive Web Site Survey. We invite you to participate in this survey that will help us provide Max Radio Interactive members with the services and features they want from this Web site. If you qualify for and complete this survey, we’ll enter your name into a drawing to win one of the following prizes: *One Digital Camera valued at $300! *One of 12 Amazon.com gift certificates worth $25 each! This survey is being conducted by Boyd Research, a market research firm that specializes in Webbased research on behalf of Max Radio Interactive. This survey is easy to complete and should take no more than 10 minutes of your time. Simply follow the instructions on the screen. All Information Will Remain Confidential Your answers will be kept strictly confidential. Your name will not be given, sold, or traded to anyone, and no information about you will be released to anyone. Your answers will be combined with hundreds screen. How to Complete the Survey To record your responses, either type your answer in the space provided or select/click on the box (using your mouse) that corresponds to your answer choice. When the answer choices have a box next to them, you may “check” all that apply. When the answer choices have round buttons next to them, you will only be able to select one answer. Other questions require you to type a number or a screen. Whom to Contact with Questions Max Radio Interactive has contracted with Boyd Research Technologies, an independent market research firm that specializes in this type of research, to conduct this study. If at any point you have questions about the survey, please contact the Project Director, XXX, at Boyd Research. XXX’s email address. ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 1 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 SCREENING S1 Are you, or is any member of your household employed by any of the following? Please select all that apply. [CHECK BOXES] _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 Advertising or public relations agency ............. [Terminate, Disposition = 2] Market research firm ........................................ [Terminate, Disposition = 2] Computer or Internet company ......................... [Terminate, Disposition = 2] A Radio Station ................................................. [Terminate, Disposition = 2] None of the above ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------S2 Removed – see appendix 1 ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------S3 Excluding reading and composing email, about how much time do you spend using the Internet during a typical week? Please select only one. [RADIO BUTTONS] Less than 1 hour per week ..................................... [1; TERMINATE, DISPOSITION = 4] 1 to 2 hours ............................................................ [2] 3 to 4 hours ............................................................. [3] 5 to 6 hours ............................................................. [4] 7 to 8 hours ............................................................. [5] 9 hours or more ...................................................... [6] ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------S4 About how much time do you spend listening to the radio during a typical week? Please select only one. [RADIO BUTTONS] Less than 1 hour per week ..................................... [1; TERMINATE, DISPOSITION = 5] 1 to 2 hours ............................................................ [2] 3 to 4 hours ............................................................. [3] 5 to 6 hours ............................................................. [4] 7 to 8 hours ............................................................. [5] 9 hours or more ...................................................... [6] ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 2 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) S5 August 29, 2001 What is your age? Please select one. [RADIO BUTTONS; DO NOT FORCE] Under 16............................................................................ [1; Terminate; Disposition = 6] 16-19 years old.................................................................. [2] 20-24 years old.................................................................. [3] 25-29 years old.................................................................. [4] 30-34 years old.................................................................. [5] 35- 39 years old ................................................................ [6] 40-44 years old.................................................................. [7] 45-49 years old.................................................................. [8] 50-54 years old.................................................................. [9] 55+ .................................................................................... [10; Terminate; Disposition = 6] Refused ............................................................................. [11] ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- QUESTIONNAIRE Q1 As far as you can recall, which of the following capabilities/information are available at the radio station web site you just left? Please select all that apply. [CHECK BOXES] _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 _7 _8 _9 _10 _11 _12 _13 _14 _15 _16 _17 A calendar of upcoming concerts and events The ability to listen to the song currently playing on the station Search for the song and/or artist of a recently played song Station promotions and contests Information about a CD or artist Showtimes and locations for movies currently in theaters Find something to do this week or weekend The ability to request a song to be played on the radio Information about local attractions Reviews of movies currently playing in theaters Reviews of new movies out on video The ability to access station’s most recent news, traffic, and weather reports The ability to buy the CD that’s currently playing on the radio The ability to search for a movie by title or theater The ability to search for a movie by keyword The latest music news headlines Read CD or concert reviews ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 3 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q2 August 29, 2001 What were your reasons for coming to this station’s web site today? Please select all that apply. [CHECK BOXES] _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 _7 _8 _9 _10 _11 _12 _13 _14 _15 _16 _17 _18 To find the date or location of an upcoming concert To find the name/artist of a song recently played To find the name/artist of a song currently playing To listen to the station’s live broadcast To find out more about a song that played on the air recently To check on the time/location of upcoming DJ remote broadcasts. To find out about station promotions and contests To find detailed information about a CD or artist To find times and locations where current movies are playing Just checking out the site to see what’s there. To search/look for something to do this week/weekend To request that a song be played on the radio To get information about the station (e.g., corporate information, advertising information, how to book a promotion, etc.) To find tour dates for a specific artist To access the station’s most recent news, traffic, or weather report To download music To read the latest music news To find CD or concert reviews ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q3 Removed – see appendix 1 ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 4 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 Q4 .... On previous visits, how satisfied were you with the information you were provided regarding …? Please select one for each. [RADIO BUTTONS; SHOW VALUES] 1 Not at all Satisfied _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 _7 _8 _9 _10 _11 _12 _13 _14 _15 _16 _17 _18 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strongly Satisfied 8 This is my first visit Details about an upcoming concert (date, location) The name/artist of a song recently played The name/artist of a song currently playing The web-enabled live broadcast Information on the recently played song The time/location of upcoming DJ remote broadcasts Station promotions and contests Information about a CD or artist Times and locations where current movies are playing The web site Something to do this week/weekend Your song request Information about the station (e.g., corporate information, advertising information, how to book a promotion, etc.) List of tour dates for a specific artist The station’s most recent news, traffic, or weather report The music you downloaded Top music news stories Reviews of CDs or concerts ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q5 Overall how satisfied are you with this web site? Please select one for each. [RADIO BUTTONS] 1 Not at all Satisfied 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strongly Satisfied [8] Don’t Know ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 5 of 17 Cox Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q6 August 29, 2001 Which of the following screen formats do you prefer with regards to the location of the Navigation Bar? [ALTERNATE ORDER OF BOTH RESPONSES AND GRAPHICS] Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] Strongly prefer A .......................................................................................................................................[1/4] Somewhat prefer A....................................................................................................................................[2/3] Somewhat prefer B....................................................................................................................................[3/2] Strongly prefer B .......................................................................................................................................[4/1] Technical problems/can’t see the screen shots ........................................................................................[5] Format A[/B] — Vertical Navigation Bar (Image Q6_v.gif). Method B[/A] — Horizontal Navigation Bar (Image Q6_h.gif) [DO NOT SHRINK IMAGES] ---------------------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------------------------- Modalis Research Technologies Page 6 of 17 Cox Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q7 August 29, 2001 How useful would it be to have each of the following capabilities available directly on the homepage of a radio station’s web site? Please select one for each. [RADIO BUTTONS; RANDOMIZE] 1 Not at all Useful _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 _7 _8 _9 _10 _11 _12 _13 _14 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely Useful Search for information about a particular artist Search for an event by keyword Click on a date in a calendar to see what was going on that day. Search for movies by keyword Search for movies by zip code Listen to the station’s live broadcast Request a song Listen to music broadcasts other than the station’s live on-air broadcast Get the top music news headlines Listen to best bits from the morning show Download featured music Search the entire site by keyword Listen to the station’s most recent news, traffic, and weather report Today’s weather forecast for your area ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q8 The Event Calendar at the radio station web site you just left permits you to take a look at upcoming events by clicking on a specific date on a calendar. When searching for events taking place on a specific day, which calendar would you prefer to use? Please select only one. [Radio Buttons; Alternate Order] [1] [30-day calendar [Insert Q9_30day.gif] Boyd Research [2] 7-day calendar [Insert Q9_7day.gif] Page 7 of 17 Cox Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q9 When using an Event Calendar at a radio station web site, would you prefer 1) a calendar that combines music and non-music related events or 2) separate calendars for music- and non-music-related searches? Non-music events include things like community events, family-oriented events, station on-location events, etc. Please select only one. [Radio Buttons; Alternate] A calendar that combines music and non-music related events .................[1] Separate calendars for music- and non-music-related events ....................[2] ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q10 Which search criteria do/would you find useful when searching for events on a radio station’s web site? Please rate each criteria. [RADIO BUTTONS; RANDOMIZE ORDER _1 through _6] 1 Not at all Useful _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely Useful Keyword Artist name Specific date Range of dates Venue or location Type or genre of event ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q11 One of the search criteria for events at this station’s web site is the ability to search a range of future dates for a specific event. If you were searching for a future event, how far into the future would you want the search to look? Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] 3 days ..........................................................................................................[1] 1 week .........................................................................................................[2] 2 weeks........................................................................................................[3] 1 month ........................................................................................................[4] 2 months ......................................................................................................[5] All future dates .............................................................................................[6] ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 8 of 17 Cox Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q12 August 29, 2001 When conducting searches at web sites, do you prefer to be able to conduct: Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] [1] Global site searches from a single search window [Insert Q12_1.gif] [2] Searches from a single search window where the scope may be narrowed using multiple search options [Insert Q12_2.gif] [3] Searches where there are separate search windows for each type of search [Insert Q12_3.gif] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------------------------------------ Boyd Research Page 9 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q13 August 29, 2001 Which of the following formats would you prefer when viewing the results of a global search? (Non-music events include things like community events, family-oriented events, station onlocation events, etc.) Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] With music- and non-music-related events combined in a single list ..........[1] With separate lists for music-related and non-music related events ...........[2] ----------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------Q14 Streaming audio of the station’s live broadcast is currently available from the station’s homepage. In addition to the ability to listen on the web, what information would you find useful about that live broadcast? Please rate each option. [RADIO BUTTONS; RANDOMIZE ORDER _1 through _8] 1 Not at all Useful 2 3 4 5 6 _1 The title of the song currently playing on the air _2 The name of the artist currently playing on the air _3 The name of the CD on which the song appears _4 Image of the CD cover _5 Detailed information about the artist _6 Detailed information about the song _7 Detailed information about the CD _8 Link to purchase the CD on which the currently playing song appears 7 Extremely Useful -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------Q15 It is also possible to get information about other songs that have been played recently on the station. If you were searching for recently played songs, what criteria would you prefer to use to specify the recently played songs? Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] By time period (e.g., all songs played within the last 30 minutes or the last 3 hours) ....................................................................................[1] By the number of songs (e.g., the last 5 songs or the last 20 songs played) ..................................................................................................[2] Either way is fine. ........................................................................................[3] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 10 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q16 August 29, 2001 [SKIP IF Q15 = 2] When looking for the last songs played by time period, which time period would be most useful? Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] All songs played in the last half hour ...........................................................[1] All songs played in the previous hour ..........................................................[2] All songs played in the previous 2 hours .....................................................[3] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------Q17 [SKIP IF Q15 = 1] When looking for the last songs played by song list, how many songs would you wish to view? Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] The last 5 songs ..........................................................................................[1] The last 10 songs ........................................................................................[2] The last 20 songs ........................................................................................[3] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------Q18 A list of songs that have been played recently on the radio station is presented on the station’s web site. In addition to the song’s title and artist, what other information would you like to have available about each song? Please rate each option. [RADIO BUTTONS; RANDOMIZE ORDER _1 through _11] 1 Not at all Useful _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 _7 _8 _9 _10 _11 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely Useful Audio clips Image of the CD cover Detailed information about the artist Artist tour schedule Detailed information about the album Song lyrics Other CD Info (such as number of copies sold, current billboard rank) Link to a site for easy purchase of the CD Other CDs by same artist Other artists who perform the song Information on advertisers who aired commercials around the time the song was played. -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------Q19 How useful would you find the following search methods when looking for information about a song that had been played recently on the radio station? Please rate each option. [RADIO BUTTONS; RANDOMIZE ORDER _1 through _3] 1 Not at all Useful _1 _2 _3 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely Useful By time song played By artist By song title -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 11 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) Q20 August 29, 2001 [Ask only if response to Q19_1 => 5] If you were looking for a song by the time it played, how would you want the time range to be determined?” Please select only one. [Radio Buttons] By a specific hour (e.g. 2 o’clock hour) .......................................................[1] By a predetermined range of hours (e.g., between 3 pm and 6 pm)...........[2] By a time range that you select ..................................................................[3] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------Q21 All of the following information is currently available on the radio station’s website. If you were looking for ALL of these different types of information, in which of the following categories would you expect to find them? Local concert listings Local community and family-oriented events Local club listings Searchable event calendar Tour dates Movie reviews Searchable movie listings Local sports schedules Station on-location appearances _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 _6 _7 Things to Do Event Guide Around Town Going-out Guide Out and About Local scene None of the above -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 12 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 DEMOGRAPHICS The following questions are asked solely for statistical purposes. D1 What is your gender? Please select one. [RADIO BUTTONS; DO NOT FORCE] Female .............................................................................. [1] Male .................................................................................. [2] Refused ............................................................................ [3] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------D2a For classification purposes, are you of Spanish or Hispanic origin? Select one. [RADIO BUTTONS; DO NOT FORCE] Yes .................................................................................... [1; Skip to D3] No ................................................................................... [2] Refused ............................................................................ [3] D2b So that we may represent all respondents fairly, what is your race? Please select one. [RADIO BUTTONS; DO NOT FORCE] White................................................................................. [1] Black / African-American .................................................. [2] Asian ................................................................................. [4] Native American / American Indian .................................. [5] Other ................................................................................. [6] Refused ............................................................................ [7] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------D3 From where do you access the Internet? Please check all that apply: _1 _2 _3 _4 _5 Boyd Research From home From work From school Other Don’t know Page 13 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------D4 At what speed/bandwidth are you currently connected to the Internet? Select one. 28.8 K modem ................................................................. [1] 56 K modem ..................................................................... [2] Cable modem ................................................................... [3] DSL ................................................................................... [4] T1 / T3 .............................................................................. [5] Other / Don’t know ............................................................ [6] -------------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 14 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) D6 August 29, 2001 Which of the following genres of music do you listen to? Please check all that apply _1 Country (artist examples: George Strait, Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson) _2 Urban Adult Contemporary (artist examples: Marvin Gaye, Tyrese, Anita Baker, Yolanda Adams, Teddy Pendergrass) _3 Top 40 Mainstream (artist examples: Destiny's Child, Sugar Ray, Nelly, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson) _4 Rhythmic CHR (artist examples: Jay Z, 112, Missy Elliott, Jagged Edge, Ja Rule) _5 Classic Rock (artist examples: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, ZZ Top) _6 Rock Adult Contemporary (artist examples: Melissa Etheridge, Tom Petty, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Journey) _7 Hot Adult Contemporary (artist examples: Sheryl Crow, Sugar Ray, Matchbox 20, Aerosmith, Sting) _8 Mainstream Adult Contemporary (artist examples: Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, The Backstreet Boys, Elton John, Whitney Houston) _9 Oldies (artist examples: The Beatles, The Supremes, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Temptations) _10 Jammin' Oldies (artist examples: Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Donna Summer, The Commodores, O-Jays) _11 Active Rock (artist examples: Metallica, Nirvana, Guns and Roses, Limp Bizket, Ozzie Osbourne) _12 Alternative (artist examples: Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Blink 182, The Beastie Boys) _13 Eighties (artist examples: John Cougar Mellencamp, U2, The Police, Phil Collins, INXS) _14 Mainstream Urban (artist examples: Nelly, Mary J. Blige and Destiny's Child, DMX, Joe) ----------------------------------------------------SCREEN BREAK--------------------------------------------- Boyd Research Page 15 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 CLOSING Thank you, Your responses have been recorded. Please provide your email address so that we can enter you into the drawing for the Digital Camera or the Amazon.com gift certificates. Email Address [Text box, Test for @] If you are interested in taking other surveys on the web, please click on the link below … http://www.forummodalis.com/ Otherwise, thank you for your time, and thank you for visiting this Max Radio Station web site. http://www.cxri.net/index.html TERMINATE SCREEN Thank you, but we already have enough respondents with your characteristics. If you are interested in taking other surveys on the web, please click on the link below … http://www.forummodalis.com/ Otherwise, thank you for your time, and thank you for visiting this Max Station web site. http://www.cxri.net/index.html Boyd Research Page 16 of 17 Max Interactive Radio 408-001 (Draft 3) August 29, 2001 Appendix 1: Removed questions and explanations The following questions have been removed in order to allow us to meet our maximum requirement of 29 questions. S2 How long have you been using the Internet? Please select only one. [RADIO BUTTONS] Less than 1 year ..................................................... [1; TERMINATE, DISPOSITION = 3] 1 to 2 years ............................................................. [2] 3 to 4 years .............................................................. [3] 5 years or more ....................................................... [4] Questions S2 and S3 both speak to the “internet-savviness” of the user. While length of time using the Internet and frequency of use are not the same thing, we can somewhat gauge the user’s savviness based upon the amount of time they spend on the Internet per week. Users who are not comfortable with the Internet have lower frequency-of-use rates. Perhaps by increasing the requirement to 2 hours per week, we can get users who are more familiar with the Internet, and eliminate the need for question S2. Q3 Is this your first visit to this station’s website? Please select only one. [RADIO BUTTONS] Yes ...........................................................................................................[1; Skip to Q5] No ............................................................................................................[2] We can remove this question and add an option to Q4 for first time visitors. Boyd Research Page 17 of 17 Business Research Proposals A research proposal can serve a number of useful purposes during the research process. However, its basic function is to describe what will be done during the research process (and why it will be done). Research proposals are assessed to determine the likelihood that the research will be useable in the specific business decision making context. An effective research proposal will report on the following phases of the research process: 1) Introduction: The impetus for conducting the research. 2) Background: A discussion of the theories involved and the hypotheses developed 3) A detailed methodology: Exactly what will be done, by whom to generate the data used for analysis. 4) A specific analysis plan: How, quantitatively, will you know the answer to your research question? 5) Qualifications, timetable, and the budget. The following sections provide a more detailed (but not exhaustive) explanation of these areas. 1. Introduction This is a statement as to the underlying reasons that prompted the research. The researcher needs to provide the reader (client, professor) with some level of confidence that they understand the surrounding issues (e.g., the external and internal environmental contexts) that raise the question that is to be answered. That involves an explanation of what is expected to be learned, and why it is of importance (to the organization). This section communicates why the research is being undertaken. It will focus around a problem statement and the resultant research objectives and research questions that are derived. It should answer the questions: “What is to be learned?” and “Why is it relevant?” It would also be important at this stage to identify the research to be conducted as exploratory, descriptive, or causal. 2) Background (Literature review) A discussion of what is already known about the subject and any hypotheses that may have been developed. Depending upon the nature of the research questions asked, the researcher will need to describe their understanding of the theoretical (and practical) factors that contribute to the situation (above) that raises the research question. This will involve a general description of the variables that are believed to contribute to the issue. (Literature reviews are particularly helpful at this point.) A thorough discussion of the concepts, indicators, and variables developed should be presented here, along with any operational definitions. Page | 1 The theory described should lead to the specific hypotheses that are to be tested by the research. A hypothesis is an, as of yet, untested belief about the nature of the world. Business research hypotheses typically fall into two basic categories: a) Statements about a specific characteristic of a population (or the differences between the same characteristic in more than one population) and b) Statements about the relationships between two or more variables within a population. Any hypotheses must be testable (through an analysis of quantifiable information). To be useful in research and analysis, there must be a good (e.g., logical or theoretical) reason to believe that the hypothesis is true. Otherwise, the research tends to be more prone to errors (typically Type I errors). Hypotheses must also be quantifiable and testable if they are to be used for drawing conclusions (i.e., if they are to be tested statistically). Each research question should suggest at least one hypothesis. Here are some examples of business hypotheses (in plain language): More than 75% of our customers comparison shop online before making a purchase through our website. The average 401(K) contribution for programmers in our industry is less than $2,000 per year. There is a statistically detectable relationship between the age of our customers and the amount of RAM they expect in the computers they purchase. Fine dining restaurant customers (at our restaurant) would prefer a table with chairs but proximity to a fireplace over a booth with no view of a fireplace. 3) A detailed methodology The most important section of any research proposal is the methodology section. It is here where the researcher identifies the specific steps that will be taken to collect the information needed to answer the research questions. Identify the type of research to be conducted: exploratory, descriptive and/or causal/experimental (and your logic for your decision). The research design will: a) Identify the type of research to be undertaken: exploratory, descriptive, and/or causal. b) Define the nature of the information to be collected, c) Identify the population of interest, the sampling frame, and the sample from which the data will be collected, d) Describe the instrument (e.g., questionnaire) to be used to collect the information (i.e., measure the variables) – including the scales to be used, Page | 2 e) Outline the fielding technique (the data collection method for administering the questionnaire), and f) Explicitly state any known shortcomings of the research design. When causal/experimental studies are proposed, this section should also define the experimental design to be used to control threats to internal and external validity. For complex hypotheses, this section will also include a description of the method by which subjects will be assigned to the various experimental and control groups. An effective research design will ensure that the methodology can account for (identify and measure) the presence of any extraneous variables (e.g., threats to validity). 4) A specific analysis plan Since the hypothesis is an explicit, quantifiable statement and the nature (i.e. levels of measurement) of the data to be collected are known in advance, the statistical analysis may be determined in advance. As a result, the null hypothesis should be described along with the specific statistical test to be performed. This process should include the level of significance (i.e., alpha). The proposal should include a description of the procedures to be run and, where appropriate, the nature of the output (e.g., crosstabs) to be produced and delivered (e.g., crosstabs). 5) Qualifications, timetable & budget The researcher should also a statement of the ability of the researcher to conduct the proposed research in a professional, objective manner. Clients would like some assurance that the researcher is aware of the potential pitfalls that are inherent in research situations. The research proposal should also include a timeline indicating the times at which the various steps will be completed (questionnaire development, fielding, data analysis, and report writing). Finally, the proposal should include the budget (fee) for the services to be performed. The document you submit should be capable of being implemented based upon the information you have provided. That is, any reasonably competent researcher should be able to conduct the research you describe without (much) further reference. Page | 3 3 Research Project – Question 2 (Chiquita) 4 Introduction and Background It is important for any successful company to know not only how its consumers view its product, but also how they view the company itself. Chiquita Brand International includes various food product lines including, but not limited to bananas and other whole fruits, prepackaged healthy snacks (i.e. sliced apples), fruit drinks and the Fresh Express salads line. Chiquita has had over one hundred years of operation in Colombia. It began as the United Fruit Company, which was a well known U.S. army backed opponent to agrarian reform and agricultural workers’ union (Howard, 2007). They were later known as United Brands in 1970 and Chiquita in 1989. In 1928 laborers began a strike for contracts promising better working conditions and shorter working hours. This strike became nationally known when the army fired on strikers during one of their demonstrations. The workers have gone on strike more than 40 times during the company’s history, with protection from the army and marines. In 1930 Juan Pablo Wainwright, a workers union leader, was assassinated (Howard, 2007). Years following would be similar as workers kept striking demanding fairer labor practices. The most recent cause of negative publicity occurred on March 2007, when an indictment was filed in U.S. District Court, charging Chiquita, through their Colombian company Banadex, with “engaging in transactions with a specially-designated global terrorist”. It charged that Chiquita, from 1997 through February 2004, paid the AUC (Auto Defensas Unidas de Colombia) directly or indirectly almost every month. They made over 100 payments totaling $1.7 million. On September 10, 2001, the United States designated the AUC a Foreign Terrorist Organization, making it a crime for any United States person to provide material support or resources, including money and currency to AUC. The United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) is described as a violent right-wing organization in Columbia that engaged in illegal activities 5 including kidnapping and murder. In March 2007, a plea agreement was filed with the courts. Chiquita entered a plea of guilty to “Engaging in Transactions with a Specially-Designated Global Terrorist”. They agreed to pay a criminal fine of $25 million and agreed to corporate probation of 5 years. In September 2007, Chiquita’s plea agreement was accepted and entered into the record (Department of Justice, 2007). Chiquita has endured a long history of negative publicity but in recent years has made great strides in addressing and changing its image. In 1996, Chiquita allotted $20 million to overhaul the environmental and employment standards at all its 127 farms, which employ 30,000 workers in seven Latin American countries. Today all of its company-owned farms and independently owned farms conform and are certified by the Rainforest Alliance (Alsever, 2006). Looking to the future, Chiquita must continue to address the negative publicity to avoid what could be a disastrous affect on its product lines and brand image. Effects of Negative Publicity According to Dahlén and Lange’s (2006) literature review for their own study, “…negative publicity research uncovers a number of effects on the focal brand, such as reducing effectiveness of the company's advertising, damaging reputation reducing brand equity, negative attitudes, and unfavorable associations” (p. 388). Any publicity damage from one product can contaminate the brand and negatively impact another food product line. A negative change in consumers’ opinion and attitudes can quickly affect the company’s sales. Therefore, it is critical for the company to determine whether the negative publicity has affected consumers’ opinion and attitudes so that it may take the appropriate measures to restore its image. Previous studies have found that “negative publicity, in particular, has the potential to damage corporate image. This is due to its high credibility as well as the negativity effect, a 6 tendency for negative information to be weighted more than positive information in the evaluation of people, objects, and ideas” (Hal Dean, 2004). Understanding what the current consumer views are will help Chiquita to better strategize and develop business plans that will address any potential crisis. Company response to negative publicity is a critical element affecting consumer attitude towards the company and the brand (Menon, Jewell, & Unnava, 1999). The way Chiquita addressed the situation by going to the Department of Justice and then accepting the plea agreement will way favorably in consumers’ minds. And although they did continue the payments even after notifying the Justice department, they explained their actions as safety precautions for the Columbian workers until they were able to sell the company. A company response in the face of negative publicity can take multiple forms: outright denial, no comment, redirect audience attention, voluntary admission of guilt, compliance with regulatory authority and implicit admission of guilt, admission of guilt and voluntary proactive restitution action (Sherell and Reidenbach 1986). Still another listing of specific responses outlined in Reidenbach et al. (1987) includes instinctive reaction to or denial of all allegations, stonewalling tactics in which a company responds by saying that they "would fight all the way," formal compliance as a result of intervention by a governmental agency, or seizing the initiative etc., to name a few. (Menon, Jewell, Unnava, p. 325) Menon, Jewell, and Unnava’s research also supported the view that a strong response from the company in a negative publicity crisis will create a more positive attitude from the consumer than if the company had been passive or in denial of the crisis. Fernando Aguirre, Chairman and CEO of Chiquita Brands International, Inc., himself acknowledged that although 7 the company had been making payments to a terrorist group, Chiquita went to the Department of Justice when it was discovered the payments were illegal. He states “Chiquita is completely committed to corporate responsibility and compliance. The fact that we voluntarily came forward and disclosed the payments to the paramilitaries did not simply acknowledge an illegal act, it proved our willingness to take responsibility for our actions, even when such a step comes at considerable cost” (Aguirre, 2007). This type of strong response is what will help to keep Chiquita positive in their consumers’ views. Hypothesis Development The way Chiquita has decided to handle its publicity crisis will have had some type of affect on their consumers’ attitudes. Consider the story of Tylenol’s capsule poisoning. In 1982, when seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Tylenol extra-strength capsules laced with cyanide many business and marketing experts forecasted that this was the end of the Tylenol brand (Yang & Levenson, 2007). This expectation, however, did not take into account the maker of Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson’s determination to protect its product, reputation, and brand equity. In fact, the company went on the offensive by recalling 31 million bottles of capsules from the market and by organizing a massive advertisement campaign to inform the public. Burke, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson became the face of Tylenol appearing on many TV programs such as 60 Minutes in order to persuade the public that the scandal was a result of an isolated criminal act rather than a defect originating from his company. This strategy, along with the company’s perseverance ultimately paid off. In fact, just a few months later, the brand's food store share of the analgesic market bounced back to 29.9 percent from 6.5 percent the week after the poisonings (Advertising Age, 1999). 8 In contrast to Tylenol’s approach, Exxon’s actions did nothing to effectively address their negative publicity crisis. In 1989, an oil tanker named Exxon Valdez spilled 10.9 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound, Alaska. It was one of the worst environmental disasters in U. S. history (Christian Science Monitor, 2002). Consequently, the media quickly took control of the situation broadcasting pictures of birds suffocating from the oil and dead fish on the shore. These images quickly traveled across the world plummeting Exxon’s corporate image to its lowest point. What made the situation even worst for the company, however, was that its managers did not use the media to disseminate information to the public. In fact, Exxon conducted all of its communications from the small town of Valdez, Alaska. With very limited communication capabilities, this remote site was inadequate and Exxon seemed unwilling to disseminate its information using any other method or location. Instead, it told reporters "it was Valdez or nothing." Worst yet, Exxon’s executives were often inconsistent and often provided contradictory information, leading the public to question the credibility and truthfulness of Exxon.” Despite the billions of dollars that Exxon paid in fines and other settlements, the company's image was permanently tarnished. Customers were so angered against the corporation that many of them discontinued their Exxon credit cards and boycotted Exxon products (Christian Science Monitor, 2002). By understanding how its consumers feel about the company today, Chiquita can learn what they can do to better address future crisis. The variables in this study are the consumer attitudes and opinions and the negative publicity. The company’s negative publicity is the independent variable which this study will research to see if it has had a causal relationship on the dependent variable, or consumer attitudes and opinions. 9 H1: In the United States market, Chiquita’s negative publicity affected consumer opinion and attitudes towards the Chiquita brand. H0: In the United States market, Chiquita’s negative publicity did not affect consumer opinion and attitudes towards the Chiquita brand. Operationally, the research will view consumer attitudes as having three possibilities. Either, consumers dislike the brand, like the brand, or are neutral about it. The limitation of this, however, is the lack of a baseline to compare the responses to; therefore the affect of the negative publicity will be assessed by reviewing the answers within the survey. The questions will address how important company morals and ethics are to that particular consumer when selecting a product to purchase. This study will be essentially a baseline for any future research studies on consumer attitudes on Chiquita. Methodology: Questionnaire Design & Development This study will conduct a survey to generate data on consumers’ attitudes towards Chiquita as well as corporate image itself. The objectives of the survey are as follows: • To identify the major influence on consumer food choices • To identify sources of information used by consumers to make their food selections • To examine how consumers view bad publicity • To determine how consumers view corporate ethics in general • To examine how consumers view Chiquita • To characterize the “typical” Chiquita consumer (Kearney, Kearney, Gibney, p S3) The survey will be a combination of closed and open-ended questions. It will also provide some socio-demographic information. There should be some disparity between the answers from different areas of the country. The disparity should mirror the culture of each 10 region. Since most of the negative publicity took place in South America, it is expected that the immigrants or descendants from that area will have a more vocal and negative view of the publicity than someone from the northeast who may not even be aware of the negative publicity that has occurred. To obtain a sample reflective of the population, the sample selection for this study will need to be a more than just a random selection of subjects in one area of the country. The United States is a combination, or as many people say, a ‘melting pot’ of cultures from around the world. Some areas are denser in one culture than another. Take for example, Miami, Florida, a city that has an extremely large Cuban population due to its proximity to Cuba, cannot be compared to Boston, Massachusetts, a city known for its Irish roots. To avoid bias, and get the best random selection, we will have to repeat the survey throughout the different regions of the United States. A list will be purchased from one of the online research companies, such as NPD Online Research, Harris Interactive, or Greenfield Online, to address the need for a random sample of the entire population. There are four regions from which a minimum of 100 samples will be selected. They are: Northwest, South, West and Midwest. For a more in depth study it is recommended that the U.S. market be divided into 9 divisions: New England Division, Middle Atlantic Division, East North Central Division, West North Central Division, South Atlantic Division, East South Central Division, West South Central Division, Mountain Division and Pacific Division. This will ensure a more random selection of the population that will more accurately reflect the U.S. market (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Once the sample has been selected, the survey will be administered by the online research company. Since there will be a minimum of 100 samples from each of the regions, it would be 11 impractical as well as time- and cost-prohibited to conduct face-to-face surveys with all the sample subjects. The online survey will also avoid other threats to validity such as testing and experimental interaction, as well as adverse reactive variations to the test itself. The survey answers will be reviewed and a synopsis of each region will be created summarizing the attitudes and opinions of each region. This information can be used to pinpoint areas of the United States where Chiquita’s image is poorly viewed, as well as, where Chiquita may have an opportunity to expand future product lines. Threats to Validity As mentioned above the potential threats to validity include sample bias and survey limitations. Sample bias will be avoided by using an online research company of Chiquita’s choice generate a random sampling of subjects. Survey limitations will require the study to be more qualitative than quantitative in nature since the results cannot be compared to a prior study result. The instrument used is itself a threat to validity in that it will not allow for any subjects without internet access. There is no other method planned at this moment to capture these sample subjects, however, if Chiquita decides to continue with this research, more in-depth surveys or face-to-face interviews can be designed. The questions will also be randomized each time the survey is administered to minimize bias. Another threat to validity stems from the answers themselves in that they will reflect the socio-demographic of the respondent. Analysis of the survey answers will have to take in to account the culture of each respondent to avoid response bias. 12 Conclusion This study will take approximately six months to complete not including the three month preparation period. Month 1: Sign contract for research study’s statement of work Contract regional research companies to begin collecting the sample for their region Month 2: Finalize the questionnaire Month 3: Month 4-7: Email all samples Analyze each survey response Month 8: Write report analyzing the data Month 9: Submit final results to Chiquita Assist Chiquita representatives in understanding the analysis and how it relates to Chiquita Final cost of this study, not including the contracting of the research companies, is $100,000. A retainer of $25,000 will be due at the signing of the contract, with the final payment due upon delivery of the final report. 13 REFERENCES Howard, April (2007, April 3). Chiquita in Colombia: Terrorism Gone Bananas?[Online exclusive]. Retrieved from http://upsidedownworld.org/main/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id Department of Justice. (2007). Chiquita Brands International Pleads Guilty to Making Payments to a Designated Terrorist Organization And Agrees to Pay $25 Million Fine [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/March/07_nsd_161.html Alsever, Jennifer (2006). Chiquita Cleans Up Its Act. Fortune, 154(11), 73-74. doi: 11.2706 Dahlén, Micael & Lange, Fedrick (2006). A Disaster Is Contagious: How a Brand in Crisis Affects Other Brands. Journal of Advertising Research, 46, 388-397. doi: 10.2501/S0021849906060417 Hal Dean, Dwane (2004) Consumer Reaction to Negative Publicity, Effects of Corporate Reputation, Response, and Responsibility for a Crisis Event Journal of Business Communication, 41(s),192-211 doi: 10.1177/0021943603261748 Menon, Geeta & Jewell, Robert D. & Unnava, H. Rao (1999). When a Company Does Not Respond to Negative Publicity: Cognitive Elaboration vs. Negative Affect Perspective. Advances in Consumer Research, 26. 325-329. doi: 10.1177/0021943603261748 Sherell, D.L. and Reidenbach Eric R. (1986), "A Consumer Response Framework for Negative Publicity: Suggestions for Response Strategies", Akron Business and Economic Review, 17 (2), Summer, 37-44. Aguirre, Fernando. (2007). An Excruciating Dilemma Between Life and Law: Corporate Responsibility in a Zone of Conflict [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/resources/newsletter/2007/chiquita_newsletter_april200 7.htm Yang, Jia Lynn, & Levenson, Eugenia (2007). Getting a Handle on a Scandal. Fortune, 155(10), 20-20. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?vid=12&hid=112&sid=054c16b1-73a749e0-ae259f3d565fc33d%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a ph&AN=25134348 Advertising Age. (1999). 'Trust us' Tylenol ads working, 70(50), 77-77. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?vid=42&hid=112&sid=4bfe1b77-e2c3478a-80d4b928c3624433%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a ph&AN=2558344 14 Hartill, Lane (1998). The Exxon Valdez. Christian Science Monitor, 90(197), 9. Retrieved from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?vid=89&hid=112&sid=4bfe1b77e2c3-478a-80d4b928c3624433%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a ph&AN=1023546 Kearney, M., Kearney, JM. & Gibney, MJ. (1997). Methods used to conduct the survey on consumer attitudes to food, nutrition and health on nationally representative samples of adults from each member state of the European Union. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 51, S3-S7. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=3&hid=112&sid=a442370f-a9ef-4ac29b80-d86e9c7466c8%40sessionmgr104 SuperSurvey [Samples of survey questions] Retrieved from http://knowledgebase.supersurvey.com/survey-questions.htm Chiquita. (2008, February 19). Chiquita Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2008 Results [Press release]. Retrieved from http://phx.corporateir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=119836&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1258329&highlight= U.S. Census Bureau. (2000). Retrieved from http://www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/0_National_Summar y/2khus.pdf 15 APPENDIX: RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Please answer the following questions based on your personal views and experiences: How many times per month do you purchase groceries for your household? Never 1 2 3 4 5 or more times per week How many times a week do you purchase fruits & vegetables? Never 1 2 3 4 5 or more times per week How important is each category to you when purchasing fruits and vegetables? Freshness Not important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important Not important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important Not important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important Price Brand Company image Not important Organic Not important Locally grown produce Not important 16 How important is a company’s business ethics to you when making a purchase? Not important 1 2 3 4 5 Very important Which brands are you familiar with? Dole Fresh Express Chiquita DelMonte Which brands do you purchase? Dole Fresh Express Chiquita DelMonte Which brands do you not purchase? Dole Fresh Express Chiquita DelMonte Please explain… If you disagree with a company’s business decisions will you still buy their product? Yes Unsure No 17 Please explain… Have you ever purchased Chiquita products? Yes No Have you reduced your purchases of Chiquita products over the past six months? Yes No Please explain… What do think of when you see the Chiquita logo? Do you think Chiquita is a socially responsible company? Yes No 18 Please explain… What should Chiquita do to keep you as a valued customer? Have you heard or read anything about Chiquita in the media this past year? Yes No Please explain… Did the media coverage have any impact on your purchases of Chiquita products? Yes No Please explain… 19 Enter your zip code: Age under 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 – 60 over 61 Marital Status Single Married Divorced Sex Male Female Highest Education Level Completed High School or Equivalent College Post College Employment Status Employed Unemployed Retired Student Primary Caregiver 20 What is your ethnicity/race? White African American Asian Hispanic/Latin Native American Other What did you think of this survey? Would you be interested in taking another survey in the future? Thank you Running head: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Customer Satisfaction 1 2 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Introduction Customer satisfaction is one of the strategies that any firm should use to improve its performance in the industry. Satisfied customers will always refer other customers to the organization they bought goods and services. Satisfying customers effectively will lead to the firm retaining them since they will come again and again for the services offered. For this reason, customer satisfaction is key to improving the performance of a firm in the industry. Due to the high levels of competition in the industry, firms have to develop mechanisms of attracting and retaining customers to their firms. This way, the firms will be able to compete effectively in the market. The management of firms, therefore, have to determine the key competencies that it can use to attract and retain more customers in the industry. This way, the firm will be able to outcompete its rivals in the market hence boost its performance in the market. Customers like being served fast in order for them to save their time for other duties. As such, one of the best ways to satisfy customers is to serve them as fast as a firm can in order to save their time. Long queues in a firm lead to time wastage and consequently customers getting bored. This lowers customer satisfaction and this, in turn, lowers the performance as well as the competitiveness of a firm in the industry. The time that a customer takes to be served should be as minimal as possible. This way, customers will be able to save their time for doing other duties. Bose Corporation should, therefore, look for ways of minimizing the time taken to serve customers in their firm. This way, customer satisfaction will improve significantly. The company should develop effective strategies to reduce the time required to serve customers. This will greatly reduce the queues that customers have to have to wait in before getting served. The key strategies that Bose Corporation can use to reduce time to serve their customers include; getting all the information required to solve a customer problem and keeping it at your 3 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION fingertips. This way, the firm will be able to respond to customers fast hence save a lot of time. Reducing response time as much as possible, prioritizing the requests of customers, ensuring the response is directed to right persons hence ending up in the right hands and finally, educating or rather helping customers in order to be able to help themselves without necessarily asking for help at the call centers. These strategies are very effective in reducing the time taken to respond to customers in a firm. For this reason, Bose Corporation should adopt these strategies and boost their performance. Through serving their customers fast, the company will be able to outcompete its competitors in the market. This is because customer satisfaction will improve significantly. Source List. Hossain, M. Z. (2017). Building Sustainable Relationships through Customer Support Service in Telecommunication Industry. Global Journal of Management and Business Research. Mohammad Zakir Hossain is a renowned researcher and has several publications which are very useful for reference in research work. He graduated from Middlesex University in 2010 and furthered got a master’s degree in health and social care. He has done many types of research which have greatly contributed to solving various challenges faced in organizations today. This is because most of his research work has remained to be very useful as it can be applied in running organizations as well as solving various problems faced in society today. For this reason, he has contributed significantly to the society through his research work. The research on building a sustainable relationship through customer support service in the telecommunication industry is very instrumental to firms struggling to satisfy their customers. The research entails determining the relationship that exists between customers and CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 4 service providers in telecommunication industry through customer support center. The research helps firms with problems of serving their customers effectively. This way, the firm is able to compete effectively in the market. The research entailed interviewing customers who received customer support services from various firms in the industry. The observation was also made on customers who received various support services in different industries. The findings and conclusions were made based on analysis of the observations as well as analysis of the data collected. The findings from the research were that a support service that was not functional was very disastrous to a firm. For this reason, the support service should be effective and efficient in order to promote the performance of a firm in the market. One of the best ways to make a customer support center functional was to make responses to the customers as quickly as possible, this way, customers would be satisfied. Honesty and quick response to customers’ requests are key to promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of a customer support center. Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (2015). Lean solutions: how companies and customers can create value and wealth together. Simon and Schuster. The authors of this article provide crucial information on the importance of treating customers effectively. Having solutions to customer’s problems is very crucial as it will help customers. James P Womack is an active member at International Motor Vehicle Program and a research director in the organization. He is a Ph.D. holder and hence his works are usually of high quality. He is also the president and the founder of Lean Enterprise Institute. Through their work on lean solutions, Jones and have provided one of the best ways to handle customers questions and problems. Customers require a lot of attention from the owners of a business entity. This way, a firm is able to attract and retain more customers in the market. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 5 Handling customers effectively are one of the best strategies that help firms solve their problems hence making them feel valued. Customer’s likes firms that value them hence by creating a good rapport with them, a firm is able to attract and retain more customers in the market. This way, organizations are able to improve their performance in the market. The article suggests one of the most effective and efficient ways of handling customers problems in a firm. Having solutions for customer’s problems at the fingertips is very essential for the success of a firm. This is because customers will receive services fast within a firm hence make them save a lot of time. Time is very crucial hence by serving customers fast, firms are also able to save a lot of costs. Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2015). Management information systems (Vol. 8). Prentice Hall. Laudon is a professor and lecturer of information systems at Stern School of business at New York University. He is a holder of BA in economics in addition to having a Ph.D. which he got from the University of Columbia. Information technology is very essential in business entities. Incorporating it in firms makes their operations effective and efficient. As such, it is very essential since it helps serve customers effectively. Through the use of new technology, firms are able to serve customers fast hence helping in saving their time. According to Laudon, and the other authors, information technology can be applied in business entities hence helping them serve their customers effectively. Information technology is very useful to business firms especially through helping the firms respond to the problems faced by them. Customer support centers should have an effective information system. This way, a firm will be able to respond to customer`s need effectively. This way, customers will not queue waiting to be attended since the rate of serving customers will improve significantly. For this 6 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION reason, information technology is very crucial to improving the functionality and efficiency of customer support centers. Huang, J., Mandelbaum, A., Zhang, H., & Zhang, J. (2017). Refined models for efficiencydriven queues with applications to delay announcements and staffing. Operations 65(5), 1380- Research, 1397. Junfei Huang is an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He works in the department of decision sciences and managerial economics. Together with the other researchers, Junfei Huang carried out research on how efficiency can be improved in business entities. This would greatly reduce queues in firms and promote efficiency in service delivery. Through the research, effective solutions to low service delivery in firms have been solved effectively. Reducing the size of queues and attending to customers fast in firms especially those in telecommunication industries can greatly boost their performance as well as competitiveness. This way, the firm will be able to outcompete its rivals effectively in the market. The research was carried out to determine the impact of delay-time-related information Phone-customers. The finding was that increased delays to the response of customers can lead to hang-up since customers give up easily. Through increased efficiency, however, firms are able to attract and retain more customers in the market. For this reason, firms should adopt measures that lead to quick service for customers. This way, firms will be serving their customers effectively and efficiently. This way, firms will be able to attract and retain more customers in the market. According to the research, delays n announcements leads to hung ups by customers or rather abandon the services they were seeking. As such, firms should make their responses to customers more efficient and effective. This way, firms will be able to perform well. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 7 Mockus, A., Hackbarth, R., Palframan, J., & Shockley, B. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,172,809. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mockus and the other authors provide a lasting solution to delays in customer’s response services. They propose prioritizing of the customers’ needs in the order of their urgency, this way, the firms are able to serve their customers effective and fast. Prioritizing customers’ needs effectively, firms will be able to address the various issues that customers face effectively. This way, customers will be satisfied effectively. Customer satisfaction is very essential for the success of any firm, for this reason, their request and issues should be addressed effectively and efficiently. The article written by Mockus and other authors proposes the use of computer programmers to enhance the functioning of customer service centers. This way, customer request will be arranged in order of their priority. This way, firms will be able to respond to the most pressing customer issues effectively. Firms in the telecommunication industry, for instance, can program their systems to handle some of the customers’ requests and problems. This way, delays in response will be eliminated. Through improved service delivery, customers will be served fast hence save a lot of time. Through improved efficiency in service delivery, firms will be able to deliver quality services to their customer’s hence promoting customer satisfaction. Prioritizing customers’ requests is one of the most effective ways of increasing efficiency in solving their problems as well as improving customer satisfaction. Samad, T., Koch, E., & Stluka, P. (2016). Automated demand response for smart buildings and microgrids: The state of the practice and research challenges. Proceedings of the IEEE, 104(4), 726-744. 8 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Tariq Samad the graduate studies director at the University of Minnesota. He is one of the most useful individuals at the firm as he manages technological leadership studies. Through his experience in technology, together with other researchers were able to determine how automated customer response is useful to a firm. Applying information technology to automate response to customers’ needs in the industry. This way, firms will be able to solve various customer`s needs effectively hence lead to their satisfaction. Increased customer satisfaction will greatly improve the performance of the organization in the industry. The research is carried out in firms that provide electricity services in the market. Through automation of response, the firms are able to serve their customers effectively and efficiently. This way, the customers get satisfied hence attracting and retaining them. Making response to customers’ requests and problems quick increases the efficiency of service delivery. This way, such firms are able to gain some competitive edge over their rivals in the market. Mei, J., Li, K., & Li, K. (2017). Customer-Satisfaction-Aware Optimal Multiserver Configuration for Profit Maximization in Cloud Computing. T-SUSC, 2(1), 17-29. The research on Customer-Satisfaction-Aware Optimal Multiserver Configuration for Profit Maximization in Cloud Computing explores in deep how cloud computing can help solve the problem of responding to the customers. Implementing cloud computing in a firm can greatly help solve the problem of slow response to various customer problems especially in tell the communication industry. This way, a firm is able to satisfy their customers effectively hence leading to increased performance in the industry. Improved customer satisfaction is also very useful to a firm as it will lead to them referring other customers to purchase products from the 9 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION firm. This way, the organization is able to attract and retain more customers in the market. According to the research. Cloud computing does not only improve quick response to their users but also prevents hanging of the systems. This way, delays in the firms are prevented significantly. Through cloud computing, the systems of the firm will be well protected from the threat of hackers in the market. This way, company information is kept safe. For this reason, adopting cloud computing will not only improve efficiency in the delivery of services to customers but also protects the information of the company. Min, H., Lim, Y., & Magnini, V. P. (2015). Factors affecting customer satisfaction in responses to negative online hotel reviews: The impact of empathy, paraphrasing, and speed. Hospitality Quarterly, 56(2), 223-231. Cornell Hyounae Min is an assistant professor at California State Polytechnic University and is attached to the college of hospitality management. He has done a lot of research work which is helpful to the various organizations in the industry. Through his research, together with other researchers be able to come to determine the various issues that customers face in the market. The research entails analyzing three types of responses given to a negative hotel review. The research was carried out in a sampled number of students in the market. This way, the students were able to respond to various reviews differently. Hypothesis 1: Response containing an empathy statement to a negative review will cause potential guests to evaluate the response more favorably than a response without an empathy statement Hypothesis 2: Response without an empathy statement to a negative review will cause potential guests to evaluate the response more favorably than a response without an empathy statement 10 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION From the research, it is very clear, effective response to customer’s problems yields positive results. As such, firms should respond effectively to their clients in their support centers to increase their performance. This way, firms will be able to outcompete their rivals in the industry. References Hossain, M. Z. (2017). Building Sustainable Relationships through Customer Support Service in Telecommunication Industry. Global Journal of Management and Business Research. Huang, J., Mandelbaum, A., Zhang, H., & Zhang, J. (2017). Refined models for efficiencydriven queues with applications to delay announcements and staffing. Operations 65(5), 1380- Research, 1397. Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2015). Management information systems (Vol. 8). Prentice Hall. Mei, J., Li, K., & Li, K. (2017). Customer-Satisfaction-Aware Optimal Multiserver Configuration for Profit Maximization in Cloud Computing. T-SUSC, 2(1), 17-29. Min, H., Lim, Y., & Magnini, V. P. (2015). Factors affecting customer satisfaction in responses to negative online hotel reviews: The impact of empathy, paraphrasing, and speed. Hospitality Quarterly, 56(2), 223-231. Cornell Mockus, A., Hackbarth, R., Palframan, J., & Shockley, B. (2015). U.S. Patent No. 9,172,809. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 11 Samad, T., Koch, E., & Stluka, P. (2016). Automated demand response for smart buildings and microgrids: The state of the practice and research challenges. Proceedings of the IEEE, 104(4), 726-744. Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (2015). Lean solutions: how companies and customers can create value and wealth together. Simon and Schuster.
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Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

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RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Research Proposal on Customer Satisfaction
To enhance and improve on customer satisfaction, Bose Corporation can implement a
number of strategies that will lead to adaptation of better working outcomes. It is advisable to
instil these features intrinsically one after the other. Gains can be achieved without necessarily
major investments of expanding the call centre premises and number of personnel on the
answering. Understandable methods have been discussed more below as better indulgent
explanations.
Studying complaint patterns is a basic level to start upon. A section of the personnel at
Bose Corporation can be handed this task. Reviewing what are the major complaint avenues
are a start. It will provide a sample blueprint on what can be avoided when receiving a call.
Every single message from a customer presents the opportunity to expand customer
satisfaction. Compliments will direct the person to increase knowledge as complaints point to
new thoughts and action processes for improvement. For example, holding frequent interactive
meetings amongst the crew will provide new possibilities for change. Problems have a
tendency to come in waves.
Asking how your clients would prefer to be responded to. One way to surge customer
satisfaction is by using client communication their most preferred methods. For online
consumers, as the call wait time seems to take long, emails can be used. When clients are
calling, an introductory message can suggest promoting a message link with an email address
tagged Bose Corporation. It should allow them to maintain an anonymous status that is
important to online all consumers. In most instances, where consumers make available their
telephone contacts, they may be surprised and shocked when you contact them by phone.
Therefore, if a client decides so and an agent feels to place a call, it should be taken into
consideration that it is very personal. It is prudent to have noted already and a questionnaire

2
RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
list beforehand. It will ensure the calling agent can be able to maximize agendas in the limited
time span. By contacting people using their preferred methods, you will most likely have a
slightly better chance of reaching them with effective communication and thus achieving your
goals.
Bose Corporation can introduce additional benefits. Providing special offers frequently
by surprising the loyal customers with free unexpected gifts, gift cards and coupons will likely
go a very long way to building solid relationships. Sometimes, an unanticipated reduction on
the prices of the product specific customers have been trying to get for a while can work. In
other regards, Bose agents can be given the go-ahead to avail clients’ consider throwing in an
additional accessory or a week’s worth post-purchase voucher support for free. This would be
a strategy to lift up and view how effective these little stuff can be at building a positive image
of your brands. It immensely benefits in increasing customer satisfaction immensely.
Provision of multi-channel approaches is a method which can be adopte...


Anonymous
Really useful study material!

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