Study regarding the analysis of the level of satisfaction of customers in the organizations which have implemented a quality management system

Transcription

1 Study regarding the analysis of the level of satisfaction of customers in the organizations which have implemented a quality management system 1 Constantin Oprean, 1 Mihail Titu, 2 Daniel Grecu and 1 Camelia Oprean 1 Romania, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Department of Machine Manufacturing, mihail.titu@ulbsibiu.ro 1 Romania, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Department of Machine Manufacturing, rector@ulbsibiu.ro 2 Romania, Autoklass Sibiu, daniel.grecu@autoklass.ro Abstract. This scientific paper was planned to promote the performance and keeping under control of the activities which are specific to the process of monitoring the customers satisfaction in an organization which has implemented a quality management system. We performed a periodic analysis of the performances in the organization and it adopted the necessary measures that would continually improve the quality of the services it offers. The organization processes information regarding the client s perception on the way in which the company satisfies his demands by meeting his expectations. The study shows that, periodically and according to the the evolution of the clients expectations, the manager of each department and the company s quality manager prepare/update the questionnaires used for the polls, they analyse the results and propose a series of preventive or corrective actions which may be approved by the management team and which have the purpose of continually improving the quality of the services they offer. In order to ensure the success, each member of the team receives clear-cut tasks and responsibilities. The necessary data has been obtained by questioning the clients over the telephone, regarding the services they received and the level of their satisfaction in connection with the level of their expectations. The questions are prepared separately, for each department. The aim was not to obtain an overall image on the client s perception of the history of the interventions, but to identify his current dissatisfactions, so as to be able to intervene immediately in order to eliminate the disparities and obtain the client s satisfaction. 1. Introduction The study has been done in order to establish the customers requirements concerning the services in the After Sales department within a company that deals with maintaining and repairing cars. It started from the identification of the degree of customer satisfaction and its monitoring, whereas the final result will allow the company to establish measures of improvement in the field of services. [1] We first need to identify correctly the customers requirements in order to manage properly the relationship with our customers. This can be done by means of making contact with the customer after each visit he/she makes to the company, thus being able to survey permanently the customers satisfaction. According to the concept one cannot lead to future by using the automatic pilot option, it is impossible to make progress in the field of car maintenance and repair without knowing what customers really want and what their opinion is regarding the services we provide. [2] 2. Case study. Problems 2.1. The Monitoring of Customer Satisfaction Within the process of monitoring customer satisfaction, we picked up data by means of telephone contact of customers. Further on, the data were processed and analyzed in order to measure the performance level achieved within the company. The analysis of the level of customer satisfaction is being permanently done by the direct workshop managers within the company in discussion (foremen). We regularly (every three months) take measures meant to improve the quality of our services. We process all the information about the customers perception of the way in which the company satisfies their requirements.

2 Moreover, the representative of the car producer regularly makes determinations of the Degree of Customer Satisfaction, which he communicates to the service provider in order to inform and implement measures necessary to achieve the goals concerning the assurance of customer satisfaction. The contact of the customers at the level of the representative of the car producer (importer) will be made so that we would obtain an overall picture of the customer perception of the history of interventions made by the analyzed organization at the level of each authorized partner. The contact of customers at the level of the company can be made in maximum three days after the issue of the invoice for the services provided, a date when we consider that the client had enough time to evaluate the intervention. Customer questioning implies getting the customer s answer to a question about the degree of his/her satisfaction towards the last intervention made within the company involved. As for the dissatisfied customers, the repair shop foreman will analyze the situation and, subsequently to a series of discussions with the customer, he will decide whether an immediate appointment is necessary in order to remedy the nonconformities. The details concerning the conversation with the client will be recorded by the foreman in the electronic module. When the new intervention is ended, the case will be recorded as a return to the intervention which was initially taken and the person responsible of the nonconformities will be identified. After the first telephone contact, the operator does not always manage to identify correctly the real cause of the customer s dissatisfaction. While labeling the feed-back we received from customers, we have identified some essential categories of referrals, which we highlighted in Figure 1. WRONG REPAIR WRONG DIAGNOSIS INCOMPLETE REPAIR CAUSES OF CUSTOEMRS DISSATISFACTION LACK OF SPARE PARTS PRICE UNOBSERVED EXECUTION DEADLINE Figure 1 Customer referrals In order to obtain relevant results, the customers requirements must be correctly identified and analyzed at least half-yearly since there are still many changing requirements, although most of the basic requirements will be the same each year The analysis of returns within a company The project of analyzing the causes that lead to car return to service has been implemented for the purpose of reducing the number of customer returns to the company. The level of customers expectations is extremely high whereas the company must be extremely dynamic both in assuring service quality and showing empathy to customers. To obtain a high level of customer satisfaction, the number of returns must be reduced as close as possible to zero. Thus, the customer will

3 perceive the service provided by the company as a quality service since the situation is remedied properly and just in time. The program of return management supposes taking the following actions: Return record Synoptic table of returns Analysis of causes leading to car return to the company Specific objectives meant to reduce the number of returns Status evaluation every three months Awards for the reduction of the number of car returns The employees who caused returns are warned on the fact that they will be penalized on the next evaluation both the ones who actually caused the return and the person who checked the operations and signed the form concerning the Final Quality Control. The situation of returns will be posted inside the workshops in order to assure transparency and staff motivation. 3. Data analysis and result interpretation In order to establish the share of the causes that generated customer dissatisfaction, we have selected and processed the data mentioned in Table 1 for a period of three months in the first quarter of Table 1. Analysis of causes of customer dissatisfaction first quarter / 2008 Causes of customer dissatisfaction PKW LKW ATV Total Other causes Wrong repair Lack of spare parts Product Wrong diagnosis Guarantee not granted Incomplete repair Bad communication Execution deadline Price Faulty final control Lack of execution time Delayed appointment Lack of equipment and/or SDVs Faulty reception Mistaken spare parts order Total referrals Figure 2 is the graphic representation of the share of causes leading to customer dissatisfaction starting from the data provided above in Table 1. Cauze nemultumire clienti Figure 2 Share of causes of customer dissatisfaction After we had analyzed the evolution of the level of customer satisfaction during 2008, we also analyzed the results of contacting customers on the phone. As it is obvious in Table 2, the level of customer satisfaction has been progressively rising each quarter of the year.

4 We have also discovered that most customers appreciate that they are periodically contacted to check their level of satisfaction concerning the services we provide. Table 2. The evolution of customer satisfaction level Number of orders/company in 2008 Trim I Trim II Trim III Trim IV Total of processed orders/contacted clients Number of accepted orders/ok Number of not accepted orders/not ok Report of accepted orders /total of processed orders 88% 93% 98% 98% The evolution of the customer satisfaction level which was calculated as a rapport between the number of satisfied customers and the number of contacted customers is represented graphically in Figure 3. Evolutie nivel satisfactie clienti % 96% 94% 92% 90% 88% 86% 84% 82% Trim I Trim II Trim III Trim IV Raport comenzi acceptate/total comenzi prelucrate Figure 3 The evolution of customer satisfaction level At the end of the analysis, we showed that the rate of reply to the operator s phone requests is considerably efficient compared to the polls using written questionnaires which have no acceptable reply rate. The same low share was noticed during phone polls using standard questionnaires. 4. Conclusions and direction for research Subsequently to the analysis of the results of this study, we established a series of measures that must be implemented in order to continually improve service quality and efficiency within the company. Some of these measures have been highlighted in Table 3. Since we are service providers, we should not forget that unpleasant experiences are kept in the mind of our customers and it is extremely difficult to get rid of such a perception. An unpleasant experience will definitely influence our relationship to the customer negatively. Under such circumstances, we must reset the WIN-WIN relationship. Table 3 Analysis of causes of customer dissatisfaction, 1 st quarter / 2008 Nr. Measures Benefits provided to customers 1 Active reception The customer receives information about the car condition in real time. It is possible for the customer to agree immediately on the structure of the operations to be done in order to repair the car. 2 Use of protection covers The car will be protected both inside and outside (partially). 3 Hand in the used parts The customer will appreciate our transparency and care towards the client. 4 Customer contact after car repair We create a feeling of partnership with the customer. The customer will appreciate that his/her partner the organization is interested in customer satisfaction. Other topics of common interest can be approached. 5 Professional behavior during telephone conversations The customer will approach positively the staff s interest in order to improve service quality. 6 Telephone availability The customer will feel safe. The period of immobilization can be reduced. 24 hours road assistance 7 Contorl of customer satisfaction degree The customer is shown the company orientation towards customer satisfaction. The staff make

5 Nr. 8 Measures Approximation/ agreement on repair costs since taking over the car from the client 9 Car cleaning at the end of the intervention 10 Explanations on the repair specification at the end of the interventions Benefits provided to customers efforts in oredr to eliminate all possible mistakes. companiei depun eforturi sustinute in vederea eliminarii tuturor posibilitatilor de a gresi Mistunderstandings about intervention costs will be avoided since car taking over form the client. Implementantion of the concept respect towards the client. Transparency concerning the interventions and avoidance of misunderstandings of the data in the invoice. To get a high level of customer satisfaction, all processes, starting from car appointment and ending with car taking over after paying for the services provided, should be optimized properly. Meanwhile, the communication with the customers, as well as the communication between the different departments, should work properly. The service quality should be assured permanently, from the car appointment for repair to customer questioning to identify the level of satisfaction. Although the successfull management of customer complaints is essential to a long-term partnership with the customer, customer satisfaction is hard to get without the management of service quality throughout the processes taking place within the company. All the employees are responsible for service quality provided to customers, not only the ones who interact with the customer directly. To manage correctly and efficiently those situations of customer complaint, the people who talk to customers should have good knowledge of the techniques of objection handling. The level of customer satisfaction should be permanently monitored, all possibilities of conflictual situations should be identified and anticipated, then, types of actions to be taken should be established to assure a successful ending of possible conflictual situations. [3] 5. References [1] Oprean, C., Titu, M. Managementul calitatii in economia si organizatia bazate pe cunostinte, Editura AGIR, Bucuresti, Romania (2008). [2] Sevel, C., Brown, P. Clienti pe viata, Editura Publica, Bucuresti, Romania, (2009). [3] Titu, M., Oprean, C. Managementul strategic, Editura Universitatii din Pitesti, Romania, (2007).