Superior Customer Satisfaction Research Articles

Market Orientation and Firm Performance: Evidence from the Hospitality Industry in the Philippines

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the market orientation and firm performance: evidence from the hospitality industry in the Philippines. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study on market orientation and firm performance in the Philippine hospitality industry confirms a positive correlation between market orientation and business performance. It highlights that hotels prioritizing customer needs, competitor analysis, and internal coordination tend to achieve superior financial results, customer satisfaction, and market share. This underscores the significance of market orientation in driving competitiveness and sustainable growth within the Philippines' dynamic hospitality sector. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Market orientation theory, resource-based view (RBV) theory & service quality theory may be used to anchor future studies on the market orientation and firm performance: evidence from the hospitality industry in the Philippines. Encourage hospitality firms in the Philippines to prioritize customer-centric strategies by fostering a culture of customer orientation throughout the organization. Advocate for policies that support the development of a conducive business environment for the hospitality industry in the Philippines, including infrastructure investment, regulatory reform, and talent development initiatives.

Enhancing Business Competitiveness: Strategic Adaptation and Business Model Canvas Application in PT Maritim Maju

In this detailed analysis, we explore the strategic repositioning of PT Maritim Maju within the context of the global maritime industry’s ongoing transformation, influenced by technological advancements and economic shifts. This study meticulously applies the Business Model Canvas framework, incorporating Resource-Based View, VRIO, and SWOT analyses, to diagnose and propose necessary strategic enhancements for PT Maritim Maju. It underscores the imperative for the company to diversify its services beyond traditional maritime activities, suggesting an expansion into maritime consulting and logistics technology. Additionally, the research advocates for the integration of advanced technologies such as AI in fleet management, aiming to optimize route planning and implement predictive maintenance, thereby achieving cost efficiencies, enhanced service reliability, and superior customer satisfaction. Strategic partnerships are highlighted as crucial for leveraging technological innovation and expanding service capabilities. The study also recommends a reevaluation of marketing strategies, emphasizing the adoption of digital marketing techniques to better position PT Maritim Maju on the global stage, highlighting its commitment to safety, reliability, and customer service excellence. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of continuous staff development in leadership and maritime technology to foster a culture of innovation and strategic agility. Compliance with international regulations and a proactive risk management approach are advised to mitigate operational risks. This comprehensive strategic plan aims to guide PT Maritim Maju through the intricacies of the modern maritime landscape, capitalizing on new opportunities for growth and establishing a foundation for enduring competitiveness and resilience.

Optimal Operation of Virtual Charging Systems for Plug-In Electric Vehicles

This article proposes a novel concept, denoted as virtual charging system (VCS), for electric vehicles (EVs). In a conventional charging system (CCS) with a competitive environment, the competition between charging stations can utilize game theory as a price competition game model. On contrary, charging stations with different ownerships under the VCS umbrella will cooperate to act as one charging station for EV drivers in order to increase customer satisfaction and obtain more profits collectively and individually. The proposed VCS consists of three parts—participating charging stations, EVs contracting with the VCS, and finally the VCS operator. The operator is responsible for optimally routing the EVs to a suitable charging station within the VCS. A new formulation for implementing this novel concept is presented to allow interaction between various VCSs to maximize the profit gained by each VCS as well as minimize the transit charging time and cost for each customer as a measure representing customer satisfaction. Different case studies are introduced to evaluate the significance of the VCS concept. The performance of the VCS is compared to CCS, and the results show that VCS provides superior customer satisfaction and higher profit.

Customer satisfaction and customer retention as a result of e-Service quality after the COVID-19 breakdown

With various technological innovation and digital payment system, customer expectations for the banking services has raised and these changes have paved a way for superior customer quality and satisfaction. The present study has utilized e-servqual modified model and format to evaluate the banking service satisfaction and retentions. The online survey has been distributed and collected among 167 people in Chennai city using a non-probability sampling technique. Furthermore the present study employed SPSS software to evaluate the banking service quality and satisfaction among the potential customers. As a result of e-servqual quality dimensions a positive association has been identified among potential retained customers.

MEASURING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TOWARDS INTERNET BANKING SERVICE: A STUDY OF BANKS IN INDIA

Indian banking sector act as a backbone of the Indian economy. Most of the banks are offering contemporary services to its customers. Every bank is trying to maximize its profit by offering superior online services. An empirical study has been conducted to check the perception and satisfaction level of the customers towards internet banking. Study concludes that some demographic features like age, occupation, qualification are having significant impact on the perception level of respondents towards online services. There is significant association between superior online banking services and customer satisfaction.

Matching traceability and supply chain coordination: Achieving operational innovation for superior performance

Operational innovation is effective in overcoming supply chain challenges and achieving superior performance. In this study, we build on the socio-technical system (STS) perspective to explore operational innovation in the supply chain context. Specifically, a system comprising traceability and supply chain coordination (SCC) is proposed as a type of Internet-based operational innovation. Survey data of manufacturing firms were analyzed by a configuration approach. Three clusters of firms were identified with distinct configurations of traceability and SCC. As predicted by the STS perspective, firms can realize operational innovation by matching traceability and SCC properly, thereby achieving superior operational performance and customer satisfaction. Our findings expand the understanding of operational innovation in the supply chain context. This study contributes to the literature of operational innovation, STS and supply chain management. Managerial implications about operational innovation in Internet-based supply chain management are provided.

Optimal operation of battery exchange stations for electric vehicles

Due to environmental and energy security concerns, low emission vehicles present a vital necessity for clean transportation. In particular, electric vehicles (EVs) are the most promising solution due to the fact that the electrical power system is the most ready infrastructure to supply their requirement. Two possible energy delivery solutions to the EVs, namely the charging stations and the battery exchange stations (BESs) are the focus of research nowadays. In this paper, a new optimal operation approach is proposed for the BESs. The proposed new model determines the optimal charging, discharging, and exchange decisions for the battery stock throughout the day taking into consideration the customers’ arrivals, the variations in the grid price, the grid connection limitations, and the self-degradation of the batteries. The objective of the proposed approach is to maximize the BES owner profit while satisfying the EV owners’ requests. The BES operation optimization problem is formulated as mixed-integer programming (MIP) problem and is solved as a day-ahead scheme. The performance of the BES is compared to conventional EV charging stations, where the BES shows superior customer satisfaction and higher profit.

FACTORS AFFECTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN THE BUSINESS MARKET - AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

In modern business conditions characterized by the requirements for achieving superior profit margins, customer satisfaction and loyalty have become the basic company business priorities. The ability of the company to achieve a high level of customer loyalty, in conditions of intense competition is determined by delivery of superior quality service, but also by creating a positive overall customer experience with the company. Such a situation implies the relationship development based on the trust and commitment of the buyer to the supplier. The aim of the author is to investigate the impact of satisfaction, trust, buyer loyalty and perceived quality of services on the level of achieved loyalty. Empirical research was carried out on a sample of small and medium-sized enterprises in order to identify loyal and disloyal customers. Statistical analysis is based on the application of multivariate techniques that enabled simultaneous analysis of the mutual relationship between the identified four independent variables on the dependent variable, i.e. on degree of buyer loyalty.

Innovation, sustainable HRM and customer satisfaction

The purpose of this paper is to explore how sustainable human resource management (HRM) practices impact the innovation-customer satisfaction relationship in Swedish hotels. Responding hotels were profiled into four groups based on their involvement in two sustainable HR practices. The findings indicate the relationship between innovation and customer satisfaction is dependent on sustainable HR practices in the organization. Although innovation and sustainable HR practices impact customer satisfaction positively, their interaction suggests that the one can substitute the other to achieve superior customer satisfaction. The study concludes that sustainable HR practices enhance a hotel’s capability to innovate and to have satisfied customers. The relationship between sustainable HR practices and innovation is discussed.

Customers' Precedence for Service Quality Dimensions in Indian Private Healthcare Setting: A Ridit Approach

ABSTRACTChanges in demographic and sociocultural environment, improved health awareness, and information technology have considerably changed the outlook of healthcare sector in India. While both the public and the private healthcare sectors have priority of increasing access while minimizing costs, they try hard to achieve goals without letting the quality suffer. Customers with rising disposable income no longer have faith in the public healthcare system and are willing to migrate to the private healthcare sector, which is more professional, technology savvy, and trustworthy. However, there are enough loopholes in the private healthcare sector that are yet to be plugged. The purpose of this research study was to identify and assess the relative importance of the diverse service quality dimensions and prioritize them to draw meaningful conclusions. Survey responses from 370 customers were analyzed using factor analysis to find underlying relationships between the survey items. This allowed the individual items to be placed into related groups. Independently, a ridit analysis was conducted to determine the relative importance of each item to the survey respondents. Based on the ridit analysis a priority ranking was assigned to each item. An analysis was then undertaken of the degree to which the items grouped into each particular factor tended to have high or low priority rankings. The results of the study may be helpful to the managers of the private healthcare sector to focus their strategies and plan their efforts in line with the findings to gain superior customer satisfaction and retention.

Effects of sustainable leadership on customer satisfaction: evidence from Thailand

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a limited empirical study into the field of sustainable leadership (SL) and customer satisfaction. Hence, the quantitative effects and relationships between SL and customer satisfaction were examined based on empirical analysis and evidence from Thailand. These relationships are of interest for studying long-term corporate success and sustainability in firms. Design/methodology/approach The research design was based on an empirical, quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey. Convenience sampling was used, gaining responses from 440 business managers across various industries in Thailand. SL model was adopted as a theoretical framework. Findings It is evident in this study that 16 out of 23 SL practices are significantly associated with enhanced customer satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses provide evidence that strong and shared vision, innovation, staff engagement and high quality are significantly and positively expected to increase customer satisfaction. In short, the four practices are the key predictors of and drivers for superior customer satisfaction in firms. Research limitations/implications One important implication is that business owners, leaders and managers from Thailand and other emerging Asia-Pacific economies should adopt these significant practices to improve superior customer satisfaction, thereby contributing to enhanced sustainable enterprises in the long run. Since the existing study is the first investigation into studying the relationships and their effects, it needs replication and cross-validation. Originality/value Overall findings are of empirical and practical significance to expand limited knowledge in the field, with scanty empirical research to date. It offers research insights into the relationships between SL practices and customer satisfaction. Hence, it is of empirical and practical significance. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.

Stock Returns on Customer Satisfaction Do Beat the Market: Gauging the Effect of a Marketing Intangible

A debate about whether firms with superior customer satisfaction earn superior stock returns has been persistent in the literature. Using 15 years of audited returns, the authors find convincing empirical evidence that stock returns on customer satisfaction do beat the market. The recorded cumulative returns were 518% over the years studied (2000–2014), compared with a 31% increase for the S&P 500. Similar results using back-tested instead of real returns were found in the United Kingdom. The effect of customer satisfaction on stock price is, at least in part, channeled through earnings surprises. Consistent with theory, customer satisfaction has an effect on earnings themselves. In addition, the authors examine the effect of stock returns from earnings on stock returns from customer satisfaction. If earnings returns are included among the risk factors in the asset pricing model, the earnings variable partially mitigates the returns on customer satisfaction. Because of the long time series, it is also possible to examine time periods when customer satisfaction returns were below market. The reversal of the general trend largely resulted from short-term market idiosyncrasies with little or no support from fundamentals. Such irregularities have been infrequent and eventually self-correcting. The authors provide reasons why irregularities may occur from time to time.

Do ISO 9001-certified hotels get a higher customer rating than non-certified ones?

This article analyzes whether customers of hotels that are certified for quality management are more satisfied than the customers of non-certified hotels of similar category and location. An empirical study was carried out with a total sample of 186,769 guest ratings of 828 Spanish and Italian hotels. The findings show that quality certified hotels do not receive a statistically significantly better evaluation or rating from their customers. Indeed, the statistical analysis carried out confirms that certified hotels have a statistically significantly lower rating in terms of value for money than non-certified hotels. The implications for managers, customers and other stakeholders are discussed. The article also discusses the potential dangers in inferring directly that quality certification in the hospitality industry leads to superior customer satisfaction as is frequently suggested in both the practitioner and the scholarly literature in the field.

Channels in the Mirror

Firms operating multiple channels as parallel routes to market face intense pressure to ensure superior customer satisfaction in their entire channel system. Relying on the structural alignment framework, the authors argue that to address this challenge, providers of concurrent channels should give priority to alignable channel attributes—attributes that have corresponding or “mirror” attributes in the other channels. These features are more salient to customers than nonalignable features and likely represent the origin of satisfaction evaluations in concurrent channel environments. Applying multigroup nested models using data from off-line and online shoppers, the authors empirically validate choice (assortment breadth and depth), charge (availability of fair prices), convenience (efficiency of the purchase process), confidence (security of transactions), and care (assurance of promised quality) as alignable channel facets. The resulting 5C model is superior to existing models in that it enables the unified capture of both off-line and online satisfaction, allowing a meaningful comparison across formats. Using alignable satisfaction facets enables managers to trace true differences in the satisfaction levels between channels. In particular, a channel’s share of investment should match its share of unexploited satisfaction potential. The 5C model also supports within-channel decisions by revealing the impact of the five facets on overall satisfaction with each format.

Exploring the roles of marketing and selling capabilities in delivering critical customer centric performance and brand performance outcomes for B2B firms

Superiority in both marketing and selling (or sales) is argued to be essential for achieving specific business outcomes. While the interface between marketing and selling has received attention, there has been little, if any, research focusing on the contribution of these two important functions (residing within the marketing and sales departments) in achieving superior customer attraction, retention, and satisfaction representing key customer centric performance indicators. Specifically, we theorize that both marketing and selling capability are critical drivers of customer centric performance, which in turn enhances the firms' brand performance. Empirical findings support these theoretical propositions. We also take the view that a firms' market orientation impacts the relationship between its marketing and selling capability and customer centric performance.

The Effect of Service Orientation on Financial Performance: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction

Scholars and business executives have become increasingly interested in the concept of an organizational service orientation. Service excellence is a strategic priority and that service significantly affects the creation of superior value, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, growth, and profitability. The aim of the study is to explore relationships between organizational service orientation, job satisfaction, customer satisfaction and financial performance in banking industry in Turkey. Hypotheses are developed in due course. Next, hypotheses are tested with data collected from a sample of 745 branch managers and employees of banks operating in Turkey. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), results reveal that service orientation is significantly related to job satisfaction, which in turn impacts customer satisfaction, ultimately leading to higher financial performance. Beside service orientation is directly related to customer satisfaction and also to financial performance. At the end, the research findings are discussed and also managerial implications and future research opportunities are presented.

The impact of outcome quality, interaction quality, and peer‐to‐peer quality on customer satisfaction with a hospital service

Purpose – Creating superior customer satisfaction has been considered one of the keys to the firm's success and hence, the antecedents of customer satisfaction have been examined numerous times. However, the link between customer satisfaction and peer‐to‐peer quality, which is deemed a critical component of customer experience quality, has not been spotlighted despite its importance. The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a theoretical model of the relationship among outcome quality, interaction quality, peer‐to‐peer quality, and customer satisfaction as well as these variables’ impacts on customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – To test the model, the authors conducted a survey and collected self‐administered data for data analysis. The proposed relationships were then tested using structural equation modeling.Findings – The findings indicate that outcome quality, interaction quality, and peer‐to‐peer quality perceptions significantly influence customer satisfaction, which, in turn, great...

IT alignment strategies for customer relationship management

Customer relationship management (CRM) is the overall process of building and maintaining profitable customer relationships by delivering superior customer value and satisfaction. A CRM strategy involves the entire enterprise and is employed on an ongoing basis. Despite the fact that CRM projects incur huge expenditures, a large percentage fails to achieve the stated objectives. Failure in CRM initiatives could be avoided if a firm's CRM strategies are intelligently linked with its employees, customers, channels, and IT infrastructure. In this paper, we focus on those linkages, particularly on the linkages between an organization's CRM strategies and its IT infrastructure. Even though the relationships between IT and business strategies have been extensively explored in the IT alignment literature, prior research has not addressed how a firm's CRM strategies are aligned with its IT infrastructure. In this paper, we investigate the issues relating to CRM-IT alignment based on an in-depth case study of a large, well-known Internet travel agency.

Strategic Firm Commitments and Rewards for Customer Relationship Management in Online Retailing

Academic studies offer a generally positive portrait of the effect of customer relationship management (CRM) on firm performance, but practitioners question its value. The authors argue that a firm's strategic commitments may be an overlooked organizational factor that influences the rewards for a firm's investments in CRM. Using the context of online retailing, the authors consider the effects of two key strategic commitments of online retailers on the performance effect of CRM: their bricks-and-mortar experience and their online entry timing. They test the proposed model with a multimethod approach that uses manager ratings of firm CRM and strategic commitments and third-party customers' ratings of satisfaction from 106 online retailers. The findings indicate that firms with moderate bricks-and-mortar experience are better able to leverage CRM for superior customer satisfaction outcomes than firms with either low or high bricks-and-mortar experience. Likewise, firms with moderate online experience are better able to leverage CRM into superior customer satisfaction outcomes than firms with either low or high online experience. These findings help resolve disparate results about the value of CRM, and they establish the importance of examining CRM within the strategic context of the firm.

The relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction and buying intentions in the private hospital industry

The objective of this study was to investigate whether superior service quality and superior transaction-specific customer satisfaction will enhance loyalty (as measured by purchasing intentions) among patients in the private health care industry. The research design allowed an assessment of the relative impact of individual dimensions of service quality and transaction-specific customer satisfaction on two dependent variables, namely loyalty (as measured by intentions to repurchase) and customer satisfaction, the latter measured as ‘overall’ or cumulative satisfaction.The results reveal that the service quality dimensions Empathy of nursing staff and Assurance impact positively on both Loyalty and Cumulative satisfaction.The customer satisfaction dimensions Satisfaction with meals, Satisfaction with the nursing staff and Satisfaction with fees all impact positively on both Loyalty and Cumulative satisfaction.