Customer Satisfaction Idea 60 12 (1)

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TABLE OF CONTENTSPage No

CHAPTER-1 1-11

INTRODUCTION

NEED FOR THE STUDY

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER-2 12-35

LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER-3 36-47

INDUSTRY PROFILE

COMPANY PROFILE

CHAPTER-4 48-59

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

CHAPTER-5 60-62

FINDINGS

RECOMMENDATIONS

APPENDEX 63-65

QUESTIONNAIRE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied

by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance

indicator within business and is part of the four perspectives of a Balanced Scorecard.

In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer

satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of

business strategy.

There is a substantial body of empirical literature that establishes the benefits of customer

satisfaction for firms.

Customer satisfaction is one of the main objectives of any organization. Every organization

tries to know the customer satisfaction about their products. So a study on customer

satisfaction helps the organization as well as me to gain a vast knowledge over the real

world tastes and preferences of customer

Whether the buyer is satisfied after purchase depends on the offers performance in relation

to the buyers expectations. In general satisfaction is a persons feelings of pleasure or

disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance in relation to

his or her expectations.

NEED FOR THE STUDY

Customer Satisfaction plays a major role for the growth of the company in the modern

market scenario. The basic idea of this study is to find the customer satisfaction towards

Idea cellular ltd. The needs have to be recognized and necessary steps have to be taken to

make the changes.

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India is growing rapidly and changes are dynamic. People are changing, the preference and

the demand is changing. The market also has to change accordingly.

The purpose of customer satisfaction is not only for retaining the customers but also

attracting new customers and increasing the sales also creating and maintenance of brand

awareness.

In this competitive market the level of customer satisfaction decides the success of any

product and any company. The right customers have to be targeted and the right strategy

should be implemented at the right time. This will give the desired results.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To measure the satisfaction level of the customers.

To analyze factors influencing the customers.

To improve the retention of the customers.

To find out the problems faced by the customers in the process.

To identify what type of strategies are suitable for the company to reach the

targeted customers.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Idea cellular ltd is spread all over AP. My Scope is limitation to Hyderabad Zone VI. The

scope of the study is to identify the customer satisfaction towards Idea cellular ltd. It is

aimed at enlightening the company about different steps to be taken up to increase the

share of Idea cellular with regard other competitors and also to make the company toprovide better customer satisfaction.

The scope of the study is only confined to the area covered under Hyderabad zone VI and

only confined in studying about the customer satisfaction towards Idea cellular.

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METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

After the objective of the study has been clearly stated, the next step in formal research

project is to determine the sources from which the data is required to be collected. The data

collection is an interesting aspect of the study. For the purpose ofachieving data effectively

the information consists of two kinds of data.

REASONS FOR WIDE USE OF THIS METHOD:

It can secure both quantitative and qualitative information directly from the

respondents.

It is the only method of directly measuring attitudes and motivations.

Sample Size: - Sample size of 100 respondents was taken.

Sampling technique: -

All the respondents were selected on random basis. So far every surveyed entity, the

respondents are an essential prerequisite. For broader perspective the customers were

contacted directly and by there association.

Research Instrument: -

A standard questionnaire was prepared for the collection of data from the various

respondents. The questionnaire was designed to keep objectives of the study with the aim

of collecting important information for the study.

It is quite flexible in terms of the types of data to be assembled, the method

of collection or the timing of research

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Primary data.

Secondary data

The primary data are those, which are collected freshly and for the first time, from

the customers directly.

The secondary data are those which have already been collected by someone or else

which have been passed through statistical process.

Collection of Primary Data: -

Primary data has been collected directly from the customers of various age groups

by using the following methods.

Questionnaire.

Interview.

Customers are often reluctant to take the time to respond the surveys. For this, the

questionnaire is made interesting, objective, unambiguous and easy to complete truthfully

and completely. In interview, oral discussion is used as a tool for data collection.

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Secondary data:-

These are collected from the compendiums, Journals, annual reports, manuals, organization

chart, materials from net and the theoretical concept compiled from various books has been

properly verified for the relevance of the study.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The report to know customer satisfaction levels was constructed after a study was as in all

visits inputs were collected to give a clear picture on the subject. However, a more

accurate and comprehensive study could have been made but for the constrains mentioned

below.

The survey results are based on the information gathered from respondents. It may

possible that information supplied might be other biased or exaggerated and the results

might be influenced by various factors, which are beyond the control of the survey.

The sample selected is limited to 100 customers only.

The time was a major constraint, as the time is restricted to a short period it is not possible

to gather more information.

Many of the respondents were busy with their work.

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CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE REVIEW

INTRODUCTION

One thing that we have in common is that we all are Consumers. In

Fact everybody in this world is a consumer. Every day of our life we are buying and

consuming an incredible variety of goods and services. However, we all have different

tastes, likes, dislikes, and adopt different behavior patterns while making purchase

decisions.

The term Consumer Behavior refers to the Behavior that Consumers display in searching

for purchasing using evaluation and disposing in searching for purchasing using evaluating

and disposing of products and services that they exact will satisfy of how individuals make

decisions to send their available resources (time, money and effort) on consumption related

items. It includes the study of What they buy, Why they buy, When they buy it,

Where they buy it, how often they by it and how often they use it.

Customer Satisfaction Articles from MarketingProfs

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As competition continues to increase, businesses are forced to find new and innovative

ways of creating and keeping new customers. Loyalty means profitability. Take the first

step toward developing positive relationships with your customers by allowing us to share

our experience and knowledge about the art of customer satisfaction with you. We have

accumulated customer satisfaction articles and other relevant articles into an easily

navigated database which is readily available whenever you need a fresh perspective.

By Adrian Thompson

February 11th 2006

It's a well known fact that no business can exist without customers. In the business of

Website design, it's important to work closely with your customers to make sure the site or

system you create for them is as close to their requirements as you can manage. Because

it's critical that you form a close working relationship with your client, customer service is

of vital importance. What follows are a selection of tips that will make your clients feel

valued, wanted and loved.

1. Encourage Face-to-Face Dealings

This is the most daunting and downright scary part of interacting with a customer. If you're

not used to this sort of thing it can be a pretty nerve-wracking experience. Rest assured,

though, it does get easier over time. It's important to meet your customers face to face at

least once or even twice during the course of a project.

My experience has shown that a client finds it easier to relate to and work with someone

they've actually met in person, rather than a voice on the phone or someone typing into an

email or messenger program. When you do meet them, be calm, confident and above all,

take time to ask them what they need. I believe that if a potential client spends over half the

meeting doing the talking, you're well on your way to a sale.

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2. Respond to Messages Promptly & Keep Your Clients Informed

This goes without saying really. We all know how annoying it is to wait days for a

response to an email or phone call. It might not always be practical to deal with all

customers' queries within the space of a few hours, but at least email or call them back and

let them know you've received their message and you'll contact them about it as soon as

possible. Even if you're not able to solve a problem right away, let the customer know

you're working on it.

A good example of this is my Web host. They've had some trouble with server hardware

which has caused a fair bit of downtime lately. At every step along the way I was emailed

and told exactly what was going on, why things were going wrong, and how long it would

be before they were working again. They also apologized repeatedly, which was nice. Now

if they server had just gone down with no explanation I think I'd have been pretty annoyed

and may have moved my business elsewhere. But because they took time to keep me

informed, it didn't seem so bad, and I at least knew they were doing something about the

problems. That to me is a prime example of customer service.

3. Be Friendly and Approachable

A fellow Site Pointer once told me that you can hear a smile through the phone. This is

very true. It's very important to be friendly, courteous and to make your clients feel like

you're their friend and you're there to help them out. There will be times when you want to

beat your clients over the head repeatedly with a blunt object - it happens to all of us. It's

vital that you keep a clear head, respond to your clients' wishes as best you can, and at all

times remain polite and courteous.

4. Have a Clearly-Defined Customer Service Policy

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This may not be too important when you're just starting out, but a clearly defined customer

service policy is going to save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. If a customer has

a problem, what should they do? If the first option doesn't work, then what? Should they

contact different people for billing and technical enquiries? If they're not satisfied with any

aspect of your customer service, who should they tell? There's nothing more annoying for a

client than being passed from person to person, or not knowing who to turn to. Making sure

they know exactly what to do at each stage of their enquiry should be of utmost

importance. So make sure your customer service policy is present on your site -- and

anywhere else it may be useful.

5. Attention to Detail (also known as 'The Little Niceties')

Have you ever received a Happy Birthday email or card from a company you were a client

of? Have you ever had a personalized sign-up confirmation email for a service that you

could tell was typed from scratch? These little niceties can be time consuming and aren't

always cost effective, but remember to do them.

Even if it's as small as sending a Happy Holidays email to all your customers, it's

something. It shows you care; it shows there are real people on the other end of that screen

or telephone; and most importantly, it makes the customer feel welcomed, wanted and

valued.

6. Anticipate Your Client's Needs & Go Out Of Your Way to Help

Them Out

Sometimes this is easier said than done! However, achieving this supreme level of

understanding with your clients will do wonders for your working relationship.

Take this as an example: you're working on the front-end for your client's exciting new

ecommerce endeavor. You have all the images, originals and files backed up on your

desktop computer and the site is going really well. During a meeting with your client

he/she happens to mention a hard-copy brochure their internal marketing people are

developing. As if by magic, a couple of weeks later a CD-ROM arrives on their doorstep

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complete with high resolution versions of all the images you've used on the site. A note

accompanies it which reads:

"Hi, you mentioned a hard-copy brochure you were working on and I wanted to provide

you with large-scale copies of the graphics I've used on the site. Hopefully you'll be able to

make use of some in your brochure."

Your client is heartily impressed, and remarks to his colleagues and friends how very

helpful and considerate his Web designers are. Meanwhile, in your office, you lay back in

your chair drinking your 7th cup of coffee that morning, safe in the knowledge this happy

customer will send several referrals your way.

7. Honour Your Promises

It's possible this is the most important point in this article. The simple message: when you

promise something, deliver. The most common example here is project delivery dates.

Clients don't like to be disappointed. Sometimes, something may not get done, or you

might miss a deadline through no fault of your own. Projects can be late, technology can

fail and sub-contractors don't always deliver on time. In this case a quick apology and

assurance it'll be ready ASAP wouldn't go amiss.

Conclusion

Customer service, like any aspect of business, is a practiced art that takes time and effort to

master. All you need to do to achieve this is to stop and switch roles with the customer.

What would you want from your business if you were the client? How would you want to

be treated? Treat your customers like your friends and they'll always come back.

Customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied

by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance

indicator within business and is part of the four perspectives of a Balanced Scorecard.

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In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer

satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of

business strategy.

There is a substantial body of empirical literature that establishes the benefits of customer

satisfaction for firms.

Customer satisfaction is one of the main objectives of any organization. Every organization

tries to know the customer satisfaction about their products. So a study on customer

satisfaction helps the organization as well as me to gain a vast knowledge over the real

world tastes and preferences of customer

Whether the buyer is satisfied after purchase depends on the offers performance in relation

to the buyers expectations. In general satisfaction is a persons feelings of pleasure or

disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance in relation to

his or her expectations.

As this definition makes clear, satisfaction is a function of perceived performance and

expectations. If the performance falls short of expectations, the customer is dissatisfied. If

the performance matches the expectations, the customer is satisfied. If the performance

exceeds expectations, the customer is highly satisfied or delighted.

Many companies are aiming for high satisfaction because customers who are just satisfied

still find it easy to switch when a better offer comes along. Those who are highly satisfied

are much less ready to switch. High satisfaction or delight creates an emotional bond with

the brand, not just a rational preference. The result is high customer loyalty. Xeroxs senior

management believes that a very satisfied or delighted customer is worth 10 times as much

to the company as a satisfied customer. A very satisfied customer is likely to stay with

Xerox many more years and buy more than a satisfied customer will.

How do buyers form their expectations? From past buying experience, friends and

associates advice and marketers and competitors information and promises. If marketers

raise expectations too high, the buyer is likely to be disappointed, For example, Holiday

Inn ran a campaign a few years ago called No Surprises Yet hotel guests still encountered

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a host of problems, and Holiday Inn had to withdraw the campaign. However, if the

company sets expectations too low, it wont attract enough buyers (although it will satisfy

those who do buy).

Some of todays most successful companies are raising expectations and delivering

performances to match. These companies are aiming for TCS- total customer satisfaction.

Xerox for example, guarantees total satisfaction and will replace at its expense any

dissatisfied customers equipment within a period of three years after purchase. Cigna

advertises Well never be 100% satisfied until you are, too. And one of Hondas ads says:

One reason our customers are so satisfied is that we arent. Nissan invites potential

infinity buyers to drop in for a guest drive (not a test drive) because the Japanese word

for customer is honored guest. Look at what high satisfaction can do

Saturn In the late 1980s, Saturn (General Motors newest car division) changed the whole

buyer seller relationship with a New Deal for car buyers There would be a fixed price

(none of the traditional haggling); a 30-day guarantee or money back; salespeople on

salary, not on commission (none of the traditional hard sell). Once a sale is made, the sales

staff surrounds the new owner for commemorative photo, with everyone smiling. The

companys fifth anniversary celebration at the Tennessee headquarters was attended by

more than 4000 Saturn from all across the country. Said Saturns president Saturn is more

than a car its a whole new way of doing things, of working with our customers and with

one another.

A customers decision to be loyal or to defect is the sum of many small encounters with the

company. Consulting firm Forum Corporation says that in order for all these small

encounters to add up to customer loyalty, companies need to create a branded customer

experience. Heres how Canadian Pacific Hotels, a chain with 27 properties, did just that.

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1.2.1 Assuring Customer Satisfaction:

"Those who enter to buy, support me. Those who come to flatter, please me. Those who

complain, teach me how I may please others so that more will come. Only those who hurt

me are displeased but do not complain. They refuse me permission to correct my errors and

thus improve my service." - Marshall Field.

The attitude of the professional is summed up in this statement. It establishes the customer

as the person to whom you are responsible. Customers support you; therefore, they deserve

VIP treatment.

When your customers are happy, you are happy. When they complain, you are unhappy,

but you examine the complaint calmly and see it as an opportunity to learn as well as

satisfy their needs. The quote echoes the fear that customers will not vocalize their

dissatisfaction, but instead take their business elsewhere.

There's another quote that's even more important to salespeople and companies

immediately upon making a sale--

"The Sale Begins When the Customer Says...Yes."

In the old days, It used to be, "The Sale Begins When the Customer Says...NO," but that's a

totally Inappropriate attitude to embrace in today's customer-driven business environment.

1.2.2 Keeping Your Customers Happy

Since your first concern is customer satisfaction you should be aware of some emotional

stumbling blocks in your path: selective perception, user error and buyer's remorse.

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Selective perception is the process in which a person sees only selected details from the

entire picture. This attention to detail is sometimes petty. For example, a customer may

have a new copying machine that works like a charm, but he is irritated by the sound of the

motor. He focuses only on what is wrong rather than what is right.

This occurs because buyers expect their purchases to be perfect. Regardless of the purchase

price, they figure that for what they spent, they deserve perfection. When you encounter

someone who practices selective perception, evaluate the situation to determine if the

complaint is reasonable or exaggerated.

If it is exaggerated, try to resolve the problem by pointing out benefits and features that

compensate. Put the negative detail in a different perspective for your client so that it

becomes one small part of the total picture.

Many sales involve the installation of a new system or piece of equipment, and the buyer or

their employees must be trained to use it. Their successful use of the equipment depends

upon the effectiveness of the training, and it is imperative that the salesperson follows

through after the training period to make sure the client uses the purchase properly.

It is not uncommon for people to forget 75 percent of what they hear after two days. This

can cause "user error", which will significantly affect the outcome of your test and may

prevent your client from reaching his success criteria.

Often a client will be unhappy about a purchase and not realize that it is due to improper

operation. The more complex something is, the more training it requires using it properly.

In the interest of implementing the product quickly, users may settle for incomplete

training or become sloppy in their application of good training. In any case, look for user

error whenever a success criterion is not reached.

"Buyer's remorse" refers to the regret that a buyer feels after making a purchase. It could be

caused by selective perception, user error, or the client's error. Whatever the reason, the full

benefits of the product are not realized.

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Buyer's remorse can also be caused by the economics of the purchase: until the benefits

prove themselves to be cost effective, a buyer regrets having made the purchase. It is the

responsibility of the salesperson to assuage these fears by assuring the client that his

investment is wise and sound. Reiterate some of the selling points that convinced him to

buy it originally, present data, and put him at ease.

1.2.3 Handling Customer Complaints

Whether your customer's complaint is legitimate or not, follow it up with a service call.

Whenever possible, do it personally instead of sending someone from the customer service

department. It provides the personal service that your customer appreciates and it may

obviate the need for a technician or serviceman to call. As an alternative, both of you can

go together to handle customer complaints. Keep the following guidelines in mind:

1. Don't procrastinate making the call.

Often the problem is not as serious as it sounds. Some customers "read the riot act" when

they call about a complaint. A delay in responding will only irritate your client more.

2. Admit mistakes and apologize.

Just because you made the sale does not mean you can become defensive about your

company, product or service. Even the most reputable companies make mistakes and have

problems with their products. You may want to restate the customer's complaint to show

that you are listening and have an understanding of the problem.

3. Show compassion for your customer.

Whether the complaint proves to be true or false, show your customer that you are

concerned and will investigate the problem immediately. Help the customer calm down by

saying, "I can understand why you feel the way you do."

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4. Actively listen to your customer's complaint.

Talking will make him feel less anxious about it. Let your customer "vent" his feelings

before you react to the situation. Be sympathetic and encourage the customer to "blow up."

Afterward, he'll feel better; this means he'll be in a better frame of mind.

5. Don't pass the buck to your company or someone else within it.

This may take the blame off you, but it undermines the integrity and organization of the

company, and your customer will lose confidence in your firm.

1.2.4 Maintaining Customer Satisfaction

The philosophy behind maintaining your customers is simple; now that you have them,

maintain them. When you consider the amount of time and money invested in them, you

cannot afford to lose them. This investment goes beyond your personal expenditures. It

also includes your firm's advertising and marketing costs to reach that particular market

segment. Your customers, therefore, should be treated as if the life of your business

depended on them - which it does!

1.2.5 15 Ways to Keep Your Customer Satisfied

1. Show them that you think of them.

Send them helpful newspaper clippings or articles, cartoons related to their business and

"Here's an idea I thought you'd enjoy" notes. Send your clients Christmas/New Year's

cards, birthday cards, and thank you notes.

2. Drop by to show them new products and brochures and offer additional services.

Always make an appointment before making your call! Respect your clients' time as you do

your own.

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3. Offer a sample gift to enhance the use of your product.

See how they are utilizing your product or service and suggest other ways that they can

benefit from it. They may not be realizing its full potential.

4. Offer "customer discounts" on new products or services to encourage additional

business.

5. When new employees are hired, offer to train them free of charge in the use of your

product.

6. Repay or compensate them for lost time or money caused by problems encountered with

your product.

If you pinch pennies, your customer may do the same.

7. Be personal.

Record details about your client's life and enter these in your file. It's so much nicer to say

to someone, "How is Bob?" rather than, "How's your husband?"

8. Tell the truth.

Lies have a way of coming back to haunt you.

9. Accept returns without batting an eyelash.

In the long run, they are much less expensive than finding a new customer.

10. Be ethical.

Keep all your information about the account confidential.

11. Be certain that your company follows through on its commitment.

This includes delivery, installation, packaging, and so on.

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12. Show your appreciation for their referrals by reporting back to them on the outcome.

13. If your company has a newsletter, obtain permission from your successful clients to

write about them in it.

Naturally, you would send them a copy.

14. Keep track of their results with your product and meet periodically to review the entire

picture (their business, industry, trends, competition, etc.)

15. Keep the lines of communication forever open.

As in any relationship, you must be able to exchange grievances, ideas praises, losses, and

victories.

What all of this comes down to is that you should be willing to "go the extra mile" for your

accounts. They extra effort you expend now will be repaid handsomely in the future.

The bottom line in maintaining your clients is service, service and more service. Be there

for your customers and they'll want to stick with you. If you meet their needs, they'll think

twice before switching to another company, even if they've voiced some serious concerns.

"Make new clients, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." Develop the "gold"

you have and the silver may take care of itself.

1.2.6 Customer satisfaction measurement:

In the final phase of the project, research findings will be used to build a model of customer

satisfaction management for each customer segment. Ultimately, QIC will be able to give

its members an objective measurement of the industry's quality as perceived by the

customer. That overall index will serve as a benchmark on the state of quality for the P/C

industry. Members will also be able to use this information to determine which areas of

product and service performance have the greatest impact on overall quality, and will be

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able to target improvement efforts in an informed and efficient manner. For the first time,

the industry as a whole will have addressed customer-perceived value, as other sectors of

the U.S. economy have done.

"Voice of the system" preliminary research results

Surveys and in-depth interviews with industry leaders revealed general agreement that the

market is in a tumultuous state, with pricing very soft for all but the most catastrophic

coverage. As revenue thins, expense concerns rise. Leaders cite inefficiencies in

technology and product delivery both within and across firms. Coupled with this internal

change, customer demands and expectations for value and service continue to evolve.

The senior managers expressed genuine concern for customer-perceived quality and value,

as well as the need to better understand and measure it.

1.2.7 Customer Satisfaction in 7 Steps

It's a well-known fact that no business can exist without customers. In the business of

Website design, it's important to work closely with your customers to make sure the site or

system you create for them is as close to their requirements as you can manage. Because

it's critical that you form a close working relationship with your client, customer service is

of vital importance. What follows are a selection of tips that will make your clients feel

valued, wanted and loved.

1. Encourage Face-to-Face Dealings

This is the most daunting and downright scary part of interacting with a customer. If you're

not used to this sort of thing it can be a pretty nerve-wracking experience. Rest assured,

though, it does get easier over time. It's important to meet your customers face to face at

least once or even twice during the course of a project.

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My experience has shown that a client finds it easier to relate to and work with someone

they've actually met in person, rather than a voice on the phone or someone typing into an

email or messenger program. When you do meet them, be calm, confident and above all,

take time to ask them what they need. I believe that if a potential client spends over half the

meeting doing the talking, you're well on your way to a sale.

2. Respond to Messages Promptly & Keep Your Clients Informed

This goes without saying really. We all know how annoying it is to wait days for a

response to an email or phone call. It might not always be practical to deal with all

customers' queries within the space of a few hours, but at least email or call them back and

let them know you've received their message and you'll contact them about it as soon as

possible. Even if you're not able to solve a problem right away, let the customer know

you're working on it.

A good example of this is my Web host. They've had some trouble with server hardware

which has caused a fair bit of downtime lately. At every step along the way I was emailed

and told exactly what was going on, why things were going wrong, and how long it would

be before they were working again. They also apologies repeatedly, which was nice. Now

if they server had just gone down with no explanation I think I'd have been pretty annoyed

and may have moved my business elsewhere. But because they took time to keep me

informed, it didn't seem so bad, and I at least knew they were doing something about the

problems. That to me is a prime example of customer service.

3. Be Friendly and Approachable

A fellow Site Pointer once told me that you can hear a smile through the phone. This is

very true. It's very important to be friendly, courteous and to make your clients feel like

you're their friend and you're there to help them out. There will be times when you want to

beat your clients over the head repeatedly with a blunt object - it happens to all of us. It's

vital that you keep a clear head, respond to your clients' wishes as best you can, and at all

times remain polite and courteous.

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4. Have a Clearly Defined Customer Service Policy

This may not be too important when you're just starting out, but a clearly defined customer

service policy is going to save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. If a customer has

a problem, what should they do? If the first option doesn't work, then what? Should they

contact different people for

billing and technical enquiries? If they're not satisfied with any aspect of your customer

service, whom should they tell?

There's nothing more annoying for a client than being passed from person to person, or not

knowing who to turn to. Making sure they know exactly what to do at each stage of their

enquiry should be of utmost importance. So make sure your customer service policy is

present on your site -- and anywhere else it may be useful.

5. Attention to Detail (also known as 'The Little Niceties')

Have you ever received a Happy Birthday email or card from a company you were a client

of? Have you ever had a personalized sign-up confirmation email for a service that you

could tell was typed from scratch? These little niceties can be time consuming and aren't

always cost effective, but remember to do them.

Even if it's as small as sending a Happy Holidays email to all your customers, it's

something. It shows you care; it shows there are real people on the other end of that screen

or telephone; and most importantly, it makes the customer feel welcomed, wanted and

valued.

6. Anticipate Your Client's Needs & Go Out Of Your Way to Help Them

Out

Sometimes this is easier said than done! However, achieving this supreme level of

understanding with your clients will do wonders for your working relationship.

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Take this as an example: you're working on the front-end for your client's exciting new

ecommerce endeavor. You have all the images, originals and files backed up on your

desktop computer and the site is going really well. During a meeting with your client

he/she happens to mention a hard-copy brochure their internal marketing people are

developing. As if by magic, a couple of weeks later a CD-ROM arrives on their doorstep

complete with high-resolution versions of all the images you've used on the site. A note

accompanies it, which reads:

"Hi, you mentioned a hard-copy brochure you were working on and I wanted to provide

you with large-scale copies of the graphics I've used on the site. Hopefully you'll be able to

make use of some in your brochure."

Your client is heartily impressed, and remarks to his colleagues and friends how very

helpful and considerate his Web designers are. Meanwhile, in your office, you lay back in

your chair drinking your 7th cup of coffee that morning, safe in the knowledge this happy

customer will send several referrals your way.

7. Honor Your Promises

It's possible this is the most important point in this article. The simple message: when you

promise something, deliver. The most common example here is project delivery dates.

Conclusion

Customer service, like any aspect of business, is a practiced art that takes time and effort

to master. All you need to do to achieve this is to stop and switch roles with the customer.

What would you want from your business if you were the client? How would you want to

be treated? Treat your customers like your friends and they'll always come back.

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Measuring customer satisfaction

Organizations are increasingly interested in retaining existing customers while targeting

non-customers; measuring customer satisfaction provides an indication of how successful

the organization is at providing products and/or services to the marketplace.

Customer satisfaction is an ambiguous and abstract concept and the actual manifestation of

the state of satisfaction will vary from person to person and product/service to

product/service. The state of satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and

physical variables which correlate with satisfaction behaviors such as return and

recommend rate. The level of satisfaction can also vary depending on other options the

customer may have and other products against which the customer can compare the

organization's products.

Because satisfaction is basically a psychological state, care should be taken in the effort of

quantitative measurement, although a large quantity of research in this area has recently

been developed. Work done by Berry, Brodeur between 1990 and 1998 defined ten 'Quality

Values' which influence satisfaction behavior, further expanded by Berry in 2002 and

known as the ten domains of satisfaction. These ten domains of satisfaction include:

Quality, Value, Timeliness, Efficiency, Ease of Access, Environment, Inter-departmental

Teamwork, Front line Service Behaviors, Commitment to the Customer and Innovation.

These factors are emphasized for continuous improvement and organizational changemeasurement and are most often utilized to develop the architecture for satisfaction

measurement as an integrated model. Work done by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry

between 1985 and 1988 provides the basis for the measurement of customer satisfaction

with a service by using the gap between the customer's expectation of performance and

their perceived experience of performance. This provides the measurer with a satisfaction

"gap" which is objective and quantitative in nature. Work done by Cronin and Taylor

propose the "confirmation/disconfirmation" theory of combining the "gap" described by

Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry as two different measures (perception and expectation of

performance) into a single measurement of performance according to expectation.

According to Garbrand, customer satisfaction equals perception of performance divided by

expectation of performance.

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The usual measures of customer satisfaction involve a survey with a set of statements using

a Likert Technique or scale. The customer is asked to evaluate each statement and in term

of their perception and expectation of performance of the organization being measured.

Methodologies

The University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is the

scientific standard of customer satisfaction. Academic research has shown that the national

ACSI score is a strong predictor of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, and an even

stronger predictor of Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) growth. On the

microeconomic level, research has shown that ACSI data predicts stock market

performance, both for market indices and for individually traded companies. Increasing

ACSI scores has been shown to predict loyalty, word-of-mouth recommendations, and

purchase behavior. The ACSI measures customer satisfaction annually for more than 200

companies in 43 industries and 10 economic sectors. In addition to quarterly reports, the

ACSI methodology can be applied to private sector companies and government agencies in

order to improve loyalty and purchase intent. Two companies have been licensed to apply

the methodology of the ACSI for both the private and public sector: CFI Group, Inc.applies

the methodology of the ACSI offline, and Foresee Results applies the ACSI to websites

and other online initiatives.

The Net PromoterR score is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a

firm's customer relationships. It serves as an alternative to traditional customer satisfaction

research. Companies obtain their Net Promoter Score by asking customers a single

question (usually, "How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or

colleague?"). Based on their responses, customers can be categorized into one of three

groups: Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. In the net promoter framework, Promoters are

viewed as valuable assets that drive profitable growth because of their repeat/increased

purchases, longevity and referrals, while Detractors are seen as liabilities that destroy

profitable growth because of their complaints, reduced purchases/defection and negative

word-of-mouth. Companies calculate their Net Promoter Score by subtracting their %

Detractors from their % Promoters.

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The Kano model is a theory of product development and customer satisfaction developed

in the 1980's by Professor Noriaki Kano that classifies customer preferences into five

categories: Attractive, One-Dimensional, Must-Be, Indifferent, Reverse. The Kano model

offers some insight into the product attributes which are perceived to be important to

customers. Kano also produced a methodology for mapping consumer responses to

questionnaires onto his model.

SERVQUAL or RATER is a service-quality framework that has been incorporated into

customer-satisfaction surveys (e.g., the revised Norwegian Customer Satisfaction

Barometer) to indicate the gap between customer expectations and experience.

J.D. Power and Associates is another measure of customer satisfaction, known for its top-

box approach and automotive industry rankings. J.D. Power and Associates' marketing

research consists primarily of consumer surveys and is publicly known for the value of its

product awards.

Other research and consulting firms have customer satisfaction solutions as well. These

include A.T. Kearney's Customer Satisfaction Audit process, which incorporates the Stages

of Excellence framework and which helps define a companys status against eight critically

identified dimensions.

Customer Satisfaction a Critical Component of Profitability

Exceptional customer service results in greater customer retention, which in turn results in

higher profitability. Customer loyalty is a major contributor to sustainable profit growth.

To achieve success, you must make superior service second nature of your organization. A

seamless integration of all components in the service-profit chain employee satisfaction,

value creation, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profit and growth links all the

critical dynamics of top customer service.

Sadly, mature companies often forget or forsake the thing that made them successful in the

first place: a customer-centric business model.

They lose focus on the customer and start focusing on the bottom line and quarterly results.

They look for ways to cut costs or increase revenues, often at the expense of the customer.

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They forget that satisfying customer needs and continuous value innovation is the only path

to sustainable growth. This creates opportunities for new, smaller companies to emulate

and improve upon what made their bigger competitors successful in the first place and steal

their customers.

Customer Expectations

Customer is defined as anyone who receives that which is produced by the individual or

organization that has value. Customer expectations are continuously increasing. Brand

loyalty is a thing of the past. Customers seek out products and producers that are best able

to satisfy their requirements. A product does not need to be rated highest by customers on

all dimensions, only on those they think are important.

Kaizen Mindset

Customer-driven strategy for improvement any management activity should

eventually lead to increased customer satisfaction... More

Canon Production System (CPS)

The Canon Production System (CPS) is about:

1. Environmentally-conscious manufacturing and logistics

2. Quality-oriented methods

3. Lower costs

4. Shorter deadlines

5. All aim for maximum customer satisfaction.

Customers for Life

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By: Brian Tracy

The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer. If a business successfully

creates and keeps customers in a cost-effective way, it will make a profit while continuing

to survive and thrive. If, for any reason, a business fails to attract or sustain a sufficient

number of customers, it will experience losses. Too many losses will lead to the demise of

the enterprise.

According to Dun and Bradstreet, the single, most important reason for the failure of

businesses in America is lack of sales. And, of course, this refers to resales as well as

initial sales. So your companys job is to create and keep a customer, and your job is

exactly the same. Remember, no matter what your official title is, you are a salesperson for

yourself and your company...

Customer Satisfaction Illusion and Trap

Today, "it would be difficult to find a company that doesn't proudly claim to be a customer-

oriented, customer-focused, or even-customer driven enterprise. But look closer at how

these companies put their assertions into practice, and often you discover an array of

notions and assumptions that range from superficial and incomplete to misguided."3 Some

examples of customer satisfaction illusion include:

believing that by conducting market surveys and focus groups you know all there is

to know about your customers

believing that investing in awareness programs for employees and putting

customers' pictures on the cover of your annual report is enough to achieve

customer satisfaction

believing that the job of CEO is done by giving his or her direct phone number to

some valued customers

All these approaches are well intentioned, but "all of them offer, at best, partial solutions totheir customer satisfaction, and all, as a result, fall short."3

There is nothing wrong with the notion of customer satisfaction per se. "The problem

comes with its pursuit, which if fraught with peril. Most plans to improve customer

satisfaction stand on two shaky and dangerous assumptions." What they create is an

illusion the customer satisfaction trap. Too often, measurements of customer satisfaction

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are misleading they tell you very little about where you are, and they can't show you

where to go.

Process-managed Enterprise

A process-managed enterprise supports, empowers and energizes employees, encourages

their initiative, enables and allows its people to perform process work. "Process work is

work that is focused on the customer, work that is directed toward achieving results rather

than being an end in itself, work that follows a disciplined and repeatable design. Process

work is work that delivers the high-level of performance that customers now demand." 6...

More

Benefits of Business Process Management

The payoffs of process mastery can be breathtaking. Costs melt away, quality goes through

the roof, and time spans shrink to a fraction of what they were. In 1999 Hammer and

Company6 surveyed dozens of companies that had adopted the process approach to work

and business.

In order fulfilment, cycle times had typically decreased by 60% to 90%

"Perfect orders" (those delivered on time, with no mistakes) had increased by 25%

These improvements in process performance paid off in the critical enterprise currencies of

customer satisfaction, customer retention, and corporate profits...

Customer Satisfaction is Paramount

Customer Satisfaction

How important are your customers to you?

I have had a couple of my readers on my Dive site email me saying how they had contacted

a particular Dive shop that I recommended, only to get a blunt negative response.

You see they rang the shop to get more information E mailed to them as they were too busy

to get in for themselves. One of these gentlemen was going to spend in excess of $3000.00

and to get the response that he did was very off putting, not to mention making me ending

up looking a bit stupid for the Recommendation.

This annoys me no end as I hear how tight and how hard some shops have had it over the

winter period only to be treated like this really makes me start to wonder. Here are a few

questions that I would like to put forward to the Dive Shops of New Zealand.

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How important are your customers to you?

Would you not do your best to provide info that could lead to a repeat customer?

How many shops would not email information to a potential customer?

Are your customers only important to you when you are not busy?

Do you think summers coming so no worries now?

Why complain about how slow things are then not trying to do your best to please a

customer?

Please send me your opinions as I will eagerly await your replies.

When I am asked for advice on what Dive Shops are best to deal with I look at all the shops

in the local area and recommend the closest to the customer that I know will provide a

good service. Taking this very negative feedback I have had it will be interesting to see this

shops response.

Dive Planet aims to build a one on one relationship not only with business owners but also

the potential customers that frequent these services. I spend on average 18 hours a day on

the computer and Internet 6 days a week with Four hours a day responding to my visitors.

This is not a way of earning money as I am doing my best to promote my country to the

world.

My firm belief is to build solid relationships, friendships and trust. Once you have these

key factors in place and maintain a good rapport both with customers and businesses, will

you be able to make small profits along the way.

99.99% of the Dive Shops and Charter operators in NZ I am sure will do their best to look

after customers or potential customers within reason. But the above in my personal opinion

is atrocious. Hopefully this would have been a miscommunication on both parties.

CHAPTER-3

INDUSTRY PROFILE & COMPANY PROFILE

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Introduction

The Indian Telecommunications network with 562.21 million connections is the fifth

largest in the world and the second largest among the emerging economies of Asia. Today,

it is the fastest growing market in the world and represents unique opportunities for U.S.

companies in the stagnant global scenario. The total subscriber base, which has grown by

40% in 2005, is expected to reach 893 million in 2012. According to Broadband Policy

2004, Government of India aims at 9 million broadband connections and 18 million

internet connections by 2011. The wireless subscriber base has jumped from 33.69 million

in 2004 to 525.15 million in 2011. Consequently, wireless now accounts for 90% of the

total telephone subscriber base, as compared to only 40% in 2003. Wireless subscriber

growth is expected to bypass 24 million new subscribers per month by 2012. The wireless

technologies currently in use are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). There are primarily 9 GSM and 5CDMA

operators providing mobile services in 19 telecom circles and 4 metro cities, covering 2000

towns across the country.

Evolution of the industry-Important Milestones

History of Indian Telecommunications

Year

1851 First operational land lines were laid by the government near Calcutta (seat

of British power)

1881 Telephone service introduced in India

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1883 Merger with the postal system

1923 Formation of Indian Radio Telegraph Company (IRT)

1932 Merger of ETC and IRT into the Indian Radio and Cable Communication

Company (IRCC)

1947 Nationalization of all foreign telecommunication companies to form the

Posts, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT), a monopoly run by the

Governments Ministry of Communications

1985 Department of Telecommunications (DOT) established, an exclusive

Provider of domestic and long-distance service that would be its own

regulator (separate from the postal system)

1997 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India created.

1999 Cellular Services are launched in India. New National Telecom Policy is

adopted.

2000 DoT becomes a corporation, BSNL2002 Another major step was to set up the Universal Service Obligation Fund

with effect from April 1, 2002

2003 Unified access license regime was introduced in November2003

2011 Introduction of 3G.

Major Players

There are three types of players in telecom services:

-State owned companies (BSNL and MTNL)

-Private Indian owned companies (Reliance Infocomm, Tata Teleservices and Idea

Cellular)

-Foreign invested companies (Vodafone, Bharti Tele-Ventures,Escotel, BPL Mobile, Spice Communications)

Telephony Subscribers (Wireless and Landline): 562.21 million (Dec 2011)

Cellphones: 525.15 million (Dec 2011)

Land Lines: 37.06 million (Dec 2011)

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Broad Band Subscription: 7.83 million (Dec 2011)

Monthly Cell phone Addition: 19.20 million (Dec 2011)

Teledensity: 47.89% (Dec 2011)

Projected teledensity: 893 million, 64.69% of population by 2012.

Wireless telephones

The Mobile telecommunications system in India is the second largest in the world and it

was thrown open to private players in the 1990s. The country is divided into multiple

zones, called circles (roughly along state boundaries). Government and several private

players run local and long distance telephone services. Competition has caused prices to

drop and calls across India are one of the cheapest in the world. The rates are supposed to

go down further with new measures to be taken by the Information Ministry. The mobile

service has seen phenomenal growth since 2000. In September 2004, the numbers of

mobile phone connections has crossed fixed-line connections. India primarily follows the

GSM mobile system, in the 900 MHz band. Recent operators also operate in the 1800 MHz

band. The dominant players are Airtel, Reliance Infocomm, Vodafone, Idea cellular and

BSNL/MTNL. There are many smaller players, with operations in only a few states.

International roaming agreements exist between most operators and many foreign carriers.

The breakup of wireless subscriber base in India as of December 2011 is given below

Operator Subscriber base

Bharti Airtel 118,864,031

Reliance Communications 93,795,613

Vodafone Essar 91,401,959

BSNL 62,861,214

Idea Cellular 57,611,872

Tata Teleservices 57,329,449Aircel 31,023,997

MTNL 4,875,913

MTS India 3,042,741

Loop Mobile India 2,649,730

Uninor 1,208,130

33
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Infocommhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_cellularhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharti_Airtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone_Essarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_Cellularhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Teleserviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTS_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_Mobile_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Infocommhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_cellularhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharti_Airtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone_Essarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea_Cellularhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Teleserviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTS_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_Mobile_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninor


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HFCL Infotel 341,862

Stel 141,411

All India 525,147,922

The list of ten states (including the metros Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in their

respective states) with largest subscriber base as of September 2011 is given below

State Subscriber base Wireless density'"

Maharashtra 58,789,949 51.96

Uttar Pradesh 57,033,513 26.32

Tamil Nadu 45,449,460 63.66

Andhra Pradesh 37,126,048 42.58

West Bengal 32,540,049 34.28

Karnataka 28,867,734 46.76

Rajasthan 27,742,395 39.09

Gujarat 27,475,585 45.49

Bihar 27,434,896 25.04

Madhya Pradesh 24,923,739 33.09

All India 471,726,205 37.71

Wireless density was calculated using projected population of states from the natural

growth rates of 1991-2001 and population of 2001 census.

Landlines

Landline service in India is primarily run by BSNL/MTNL and Reliance Infocomm though

there are several other private players too, such as Touchtel and Tata Teleservices.

Landlines are facing stiff competition from mobile telephones. The competition has forced

the landline services to become more efficient. The landline network quality has improvedand landline connections are now usually available on demand, even in high density urban

areas. The breakup of wire line subscriber base in India as of September 2011 is given

below

34
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HFCL_Infotel&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhya_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Infocommhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Teleserviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HFCL_Infotel&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhya_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Infocommhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Teleservices


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Operator Subscriber base

BSNL 28,446,969

MTNL 3,514,454

Bharti Airtel 2,928,254

Reliance Communications 1,152,237

Tata Teleservices 1,003,261

HFCL Infotel 165,978

Teleservices Ltd 95,181

All India 37,306,334

The list of eight states (including the metros Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in their

respective states) with largest subscriber base as of September 2011 is given below.

State Subscriber base

Maharashtra 5,996,912

Tamil Nadu 3,620,729

Kerala 3,534,211

Uttar Pradesh 2,803,049

Karnataka 2,751,296

Delhi 2,632,225

West Bengal 2,490,253Andhra Pradesh 2,477,755

35
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharti_Airtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Teleserviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HFCL_Infotel&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teleservices_Ltd&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTNLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharti_Airtelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliance_Communicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Teleserviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HFCL_Infotel&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teleservices_Ltd&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Naduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keralahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnatakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bengalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andhra_Pradesh


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Idea An Idea can change your life.

Type subsidiary of Adithya Birla group

Founded 1995

Headquarters Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Industry Telecommunication

Products Sim Cards

Website http://www.ideacellular.com

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http://www.ideacellular.com/http://www.ideacellular.com/


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BOARD OF DIRECTORSMr.Kumar Mangala Birla(Chairman)

Smt.Rajashree Birla

Mr.Sanjeev Aga(Managing Director)

Mr.Arun Thiagarajan

Ms.Tarjani Vakil

Mr.Mohan Gyani

Mr.GianPrakash Gupta

Mr.R.C.Bhargava

Mr.P.Murari

Mr.Biswajit A.Subramanian

Dr.Rakesh Jain

Mr. Juan Villalonga Navarro

Dr. Hansa Wijayasuriya(Alternate to Mr.Juan Villalonga Navarro)

Management Team

Corporate Leadership Team

Mr.SanjeevaAga, Managing Director

Mr.Akshaya Moondra, Chief Financial Officer

Mr.Anil K.Tandan, Chief Technalogy Officer

Mr.Prakash K.Paranjape, Chief Information Officer

Mr.Pradeep Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer

Mr.Navanit Narayan,Chief Service Delivery Officer

Mr.Vinay K.Razdan, Chief HumanResource Officer

Mr.Rajat K.Mukarji, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer

Mr.Rajesh K.Srivastava, Chief Materials& Procurement Officer

Mr.Ambrish Jain, Director-Operations

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Mr. Himanshu Kapania, Director Operations

Circle Heads

Mr. Iyer Subbaraman S., Chief Operating Officer, Andhra Pradesh

Mr. Rajendra Chourasia, Chief Operating Officer, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh

Mr. Virad Kaul, Chief Operating Officer, Uttar Pradesh (West), Delhi & Haryana

Mr. T. G. B. Ramakrishna, Chief Operating Officer, Kerala

Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Operating Officer, Mumbai

Mr. P.Lakshminarayana, Chief Operating Officer, Maharashtra & Goa

Mr. Naozer Firoze Aibara, Chief Operating Officer, Uttar Pradesh (East)

Mr. Sunil Kataria, Senior Vice President - Operations, Rajasthan

Mr. Arul Bright, Senior Vice President - Operations, Gujarat

Mr. M. D. Prasad, Senior Vice President - Operations, Bihar

Mr. M. Srinivas, Senior Vice President - Operations, Tamil Nadu & Chennai

Mr. Siva Ganapathi, Chief Operating Officer, Karnataka

Mr. Anish Roy, Chief Operating Officer, Punjab, J&K and Himachal Pradesh

Mr. Vijay Grover, Chief Operating Officer, East (Kolkata, Rest of West Bengal, Orissa &

NESA)

MAJOR MILE STONES

1995

Incorporated as Birla Communications Limited

Obtained licenses for providing GSM-based services in the Gujarat and Maharashtra

Circles following the original GSM license bidding process.

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1996

Changed name to Birla AT&T Communications Limited following joint venture between

Grasim Industries and AT&T Corporation

1997Commenced operations in the Gujarat and Maharashtra Circles

1999

Migrated to revenues share license fee regime under New Telecommunications Policy

("NTP")

2000

Merged with Tata Cellular Limited, thereby acquiring original license for the Andhra

Pradesh Circle2001

Acquired RPG Cellular Limited and consequently the license for the Madhya Pradesh

(including Chattisgarh) Circle

Changed name to Birla Tata AT&T Limited

Obtained license for providing GSM-based services in the Delhi Circle following the

fourth operator GSM license bidding process

2002

Changed name to Idea Cellular Limited and launched "Idea" brand name

Commenced commercial operations in Delhi Circle

Reached the one million subscriber mark

2003

Reached the two million subscriber mark

2004

Completed debt restructuring for the then existing debt facilities and additional funding for

the Delhi Circle.

Acquired Escotel Mobile Communications Limited (subsequently renamed as Idea Mobile

Communications Limited)

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Reached the four million subscriber mark

First operator in India to commercially launch EDGE services 2005

2005Subscriber base as on December 31, 2005: 6,473,962

Reached the five million subscriber mark

Turned Profit Positive

Won an Award for the "Bill Flash" service at GSM Association Awards in Barcelona,

Spain

Sponsored the International Indian Film Academy Awards

2007

Subscriber base as on December 31, 2007: 12,442,450

Became part of the Aditya Birla Group subsequent to the TATA Group transferring its

entire shareholding in the Company to the Aditya Birla Group

Acquired Escorts Telecommunications Limited (subsequently renamed as Idea

Telecommunications Limited)

Restructuring of debt

Launch of the New Circles

Reached the 10 million subscriber mark

Received Letter of Intent from the DoT for a new UAS License for the Mumbai Circle

Received Letter of Intent from the DoT for a new UAS License for the Bihar Circle

through Aditya Birla Telecom Limited. ABNL, the parent of Aditya Birla Telecom

Limited, pursuant to a letter dated November 22, 2007, agreed to transfer its entire

shareholding in Aditya Birla Telecom Limited to the Company for the consideration of Rs.

100 million.

2009


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Won an award for the "CARE" service in the "Best Billing or Customer Care Solution" at

the GSM Association Awards in Barcelona, Spain

Initial Public Offering aggregating to Rs.28,187 million and Listing of Equity Shares on

the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange

Merger of seven subsidiaries with Idea Cellular Limited

Reached the twenty million subscriber mark

2010


Idea acquired 9 licences for Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Chennai, West Bengal,

Orissa, Kolkata, Assam, North East and Jammu & Kashmir

Acquired Spice Communications with the operating circles of Punjab and Karnataka

Launched services in Mumbai metro in the largest single metro city launch, ever

Launched services in Bihar

2011


Idea becomes a pan-India operator

Emerging Company of the Year - fastest growing mobile operator in the worlds fastest

growing telecom market

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CHAPTER-4

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

1. DISTRIBUTOR SCHEMES

Distributor Schemes No. of customers %Yes 62 62

No 38 38

Total

Distributor Schemes

62%

38%Yes

No

From the above table we can observe that among 100 customers, 62 were

Satisfied with the schemes provided by the distributor and 38 were Not satisfied.

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2. RECHARGE SCHEMES:

Recharge Schemes No. of customers %

Good 22 22

Average 54 54

Need to Improve 24 24

Recharge Schemes

22%

54%

24% Good

Average

Need toImprove

From the above table we can observe that among 100 customers, 22 were

Satisfied with the Recharge Schemes and there is need to improve in this area.

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3. BEST COMPETITOR FOR IDEA:

Competitor for Idea No. of customers %

Airtel 39 39

Vodafone 26 26

Docomo 21 21

Reliance 14 14

Competitor

39%

21%

26%

14%

Airtel

Vodafone

Docomo

Reliance

From the Above table, we came to say that Airtel is the best competitor for idea followed by

Vodafone, Docomo and Reliance.

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4. AWARENESS OF SCEMES UPDATES:

Awareness of

Schemes Updates

No. of Customers %

Yes 48 48

No 52 52

Awareness of Schemes updates

48%

52%

Yes

No

From the Above table, we can say that it has a mixed reaction with almost equal number of yes and

no.

5. HIGHEST RECHARGE PER DAY:

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Highest Recharge

Per Day

No. of customers %

< 500 21 21

>500 67 67

>1000 12 12

Highest Recharge

15%

20%

65%

500

>1000

From the above table, we can observe that our customers has greater that 500 has there highest

recharge per day.

6. RECHARGES FLEXIBLE TO YOU:

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Recharges flexible to you No. of Customers %

Yes 72 72

No 28 28

Recharge Flexible

72%

28%

Yes

No

From the above data, we can conclude that 72% of customers are satisfied with the flexibility of

recharge and 28% of customers are not satisfied with it.

7. MARGIN COMPARITIVE WITH OTHERS:

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Margin Comparative with othersNo. of Customers %

Yes 64 64

No 36 36

Margin Comparitive

64%

36%

Yes

No

From the Above data, it reveals that 64% of customers are satisfied with the margin comparative

with others and 36% of the customers are expecting more margins. Majority of the people i.e. 64%

are satisfied with the margin.

8. DISTRIBUTOR MEETS:

Distributor Meets No. of Customers %

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Daily 0 0

Weekly 18 18

Monthly 82 82

Distributor Meets

0%18%

82%

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

From the above data, it shows that Distributor meets the retailer monthly.

9. ADVERTISEMENT STRATEGY:

Advertisement

Strategy

No. of customers %

Good 21 21

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Average 43 43

Need to Improve 36 36

Advertisement Strategy

21%

43%

36%Good

Average

Need toImprove

From the above collected data, we can say that the maximum of the customers were not satisfied

with the advertisement strategy.

10. DEACTIVATION PROBLEMS:

Deactivation Problems No. of Customers %

Yes 59 59

No 41 41

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Deactivation Problems

59%

41%Yes

No

From the above information, we can say that the 59% of our customers faced the deactivation

problems even after submitting the document and 41% of our customers didnt face any problems.

11. HIGHEST ACTIVATION THIS MONTH:

Highest Activation No. of customers %

Airtel 24 24

Idea 27 27

Vodafone 15 15

Docomo 34 34

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Highest Activation for this Month

24%

27%15%

34% Airtel

Idea

Vodafone

Docomo

From the above collected data, we can say that the 34% of our customers have Docomo has the

highest activation this month, followed by Idea with 27%, Airtel with 24% and Vodafone with 15%.

12. HIGHEST REVENUE SALE THIS MONTH:

Highest Revenue No. of customers %

Airtel 30 30

Idea 26 26

Vodafone 20 20

Docomo 24 24

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Highest Revenue

30%

26%

20%

24%

Airtel

Idea

Vodafone

Docomo

From the above collected data, we can say that the 30% of our customers have Airtel has the highest

revenue this month, followed by Idea with 26%, Docomo with 24% and Vodafone with 20%.

CHAPTER-5

FINDINGS

From the responses of 100 customers the findings can be listed as:

1) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents were satisfied with the schemes provided by

distributor.

2) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents were not satisfied with the recharge

schemes.

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3) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents feels that Airtel is the best competitor for

Idea. Some of them feel that Docomo is the best competitor.

4) As per findings, we can say that it has a mixed reaction. Some of the Respondents are

aware of the updates of schemes and some are not aware of them.

5) As per findings, Majority of our Respondents have above 500 has highest recharge per

day.

6) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents were satisfied with the flexibility of

recharges.

7) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents are satisfied with the margin provided

by Idea. Some of the Respondents are expecting more margins from us.

8) As per findings, we can say that our distributor meets them monthly.

9) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents are satisfied with our advertisement

strategy. Some of the Respondents are not satisfied with our advertisement strategy.

10) As per findings, Majority of the Respondents are facing deactivation problems even after

submitting the documents.

11) As per findings, we can say that Docomo has the highest activation that month and

Idea comes second.

12) As per findings, we can say that our Respondent has highest revenue with Docomo

that month and Idea comes second.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

An attempt has been made to suggest to the Idea Cellular ltd a few measures. These

suggestions have been made within the preview of the data available.

1) Innovative recharge schemes must be introduced to attract the customers.

2) The company must reach out to the customers to give them updates about the new

schemes.

3) Innovative efforts must be launched to improve the advertisement strategy.

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4) Documents have to be cleared regularly from the retailers and must give prior

notice to the retailers about the documents which are accepted by company.

5) Innovative packaging can give a company an advantage over

Competitors.

6) Additional benefits must be given to customers to improve the activations.

QUESTIONNAIRE

(The information furnished by the respondent is strictly for Academic year purpose only)

Dear Responded, as a part of research, a survey is taken up to study the Customer

Satisfaction towards the Idea cellular ltd. kindly provide the following information.

Name: Location:

Age: Gender M/F:

Q1) Is our Distributor providing enough services? Yes/No

Q2) How is our recharge schemes?

A) Good

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B) Average

C) Need to Improve

Q3) Which is the best competitor for Idea?

A) Airtel

B) Vodafone

C) Docomo

D) Reliance

Q4) Are you aware of our schemes updates? Yes/No

Q5) what is your highest recharge per day?

A) 500

C) >1000

Q6) Is our recharges flexible to you? Yes/No

Q7) Is our margin comparative with others? Yes/No

Q8) How many times our distributor meets you?

A) Daily

b) Weekly

C) Monthly

Q9) How is our advertisement strategy?

A) Good

B) Average

C) Need To Improve

Q10) Do you have any deactivation problem after submitting the documents?

Yes/No

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Q11) which network is highest activation this month?

A) Airtel

B) Idea

C) Vodafone

D) Docomo

Q12) Which Company has highest revenue sale?

A) Airtel

B) Idea

C) Vodafone

D) Docomo

Q13) Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Text Books

Philips Kotler

Marketing Management by RajanSaxsena

Marketing Management by Ramaswamy and Namakumari

Websites:

www.ideacellular.com

http://www.tradechakra.com/indian-economy/industries/telecom.html

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