Customer Satisfaction at Dick Smith Foods in Australia - Research Proposal Example

Group Research proposal: A survey on Customer Satisfaction at Dick Smith Foods in Australia Name: Course: Instructor: Institution: Date: Introduction Dick Smith Foods is one of the leading food brands in Australia. The company was established in 1999 by an Australian Entrepreneur Dick Smith with an intention of providing an Australian owned and produced alternatives brands to products from foreign-owned food companies which had dominated t6he Australian food market by that time. The formation of the company was also necessitated as an entrepreneurial response to the high market share of food companies, as well as the frequent take-over of previously Australian-owned companies such as Armott’s and Paul’s. The company currently commands a large customer base within Australia with affiliate and constituent businesses almost set up in each town despite the existence of other numerous enterprises dealing in similar business. The company therefore strives to offer the best customer service to guarantee satisfaction to its clients so as to withstand the stiff competition within the industry. This has been factored within the organizational structure of the Dick Smith Foods so as to enhance efficient attention to all aspects of customer satisfaction. Problem statement The success of any business enterprise depends on the ability to attract and retain a large number of customers within any given market segment. Such attraction and retention requires dedicated effort to provide the same customers with the kind and quality of service of either products or services as they desire hence customer satisfaction. The quality of service, products as well as treatment accorded to the customers goes a long way to affect the corporate image of the enterprise hence acting as a determinant and selection criteria for subsequent customers. This therefore forms the bass and rationale of the proposed research. The research as intended aims at conducting a survey to establish the level of customer satisfaction regarding both the products and services offered at Dick Smith Foods. This is in line with the marketing strategy of Dick Smith Foods which provides for such periodic surveys to establish the areas of need for adjustment and or modifications. The Australian food industry is one of the most competitive industries. Any lapse in entrepreneurial concentration or dismal customer service may easily result into loss of the same customers to the many competitors hence a subsequent decrease in revenue. Research design The research design determines the perspective of the groups or individuals associated to the research question. It will involve the emerging questions, procedures whereas collect data through participants settings, data analysis induced from specific to general theories, while the research will be concluded by the interpretation of the data. The research will thus incorporate qualitative, quantitative and a mixture of the two approaches to collect both primary and secondary data for later analysis. This can be summarized in the diagram below Qualitative Method Qualitative methods will be used to collect information on the perceptions, perspectives and opinions of the various stake holders such as individuals and groups on the issue of customer satisfaction and treatment at Dick Smith Foods enterprises. It will involve the emerging questions, procedures whereas collect data through participants settings, data analysis induced from specific to general theories. The research will thus evaluate its objectives and hypotheses by analyzing and interpreting such collected responses and data as collected from the various stakeholders as collected. Quantitative Approach Quantitative research methods are often employed during data analysis and processing. In most cases, the effectiveness and accuracy of quantitative research techniques goes hand in hand with the qualitative method adopted. Quantitative approach in most cases involves extensive review and careful analysis of already existing secondary data on a given topic being researched on. In this research study for instance, quantitative research methods will be used alongside statistical procedures and techniques to test the existing theory visa vi the research variables. Quantitative research methods will thus help establish the actual statistical relationship between of the statistics provided in the sustainability report of the banks and an actual survey on the effectiveness of the policy. Mixed Approach While qualitative research approach collects primary data from stake holders, quantitative research approach aims at analyzing pre-recorded secondary data in relation to the research topic. In order to gain an inner insight of the whole research topic from different points of view, a mixture of both research approaches is often encouraged. The conclusions to be made from this research study will thus take an account of both quantitative and qualitative approaches and the subsequent data collected from the two independent approaches. A design will therefore be designed and established from the conclusions as made from a blend of the two research methods. This design will be made in a way as to include philosophical as well as theoretical framework. Data collection methods The research shall involve two major methods of data collection, questionnaires and interviews. This will be jointly used to acquire the necessary raw data for analysis. Interviews An interview assesses both the responses of the candidate being questioned and the validity of their answers by studying their facial expressions. With an interview, it is easier to get the finer details off the conversation and know where the bias lies for it is necessary to establish a respondent’s bias as early into a conversation as possible. However, since interviews are time consuming and often difficult to set up, it is critical that this method be used only for the vital and relevant sources in both sets of respondents. It is also vital that interviews be recorded in order to avoid misinterpretation and guarantee quality of the information. The challenge of this research will thus be how to choose the respondents Questionnaires Questionnaires are inherently quantitative. They focus on numbers and estimates based on the accuracy of responses or the similarity of the same. In this case, the issue is to ensure that a great percentage of acceptable questionnaire responses represent the majority opinion. It is however not off the mark to represent other unpopular perspectives to the matter. The questionnaire design will thus incorporate less personal questions few leading questions and majorly ones where the respondent simply has to tick where appropriate. The questionnaires will be evaluated with the interviews to establish quality of the responses and the level of bias on the responses produced by both sets of methods. Questionnaires are best suited for statistical analysis of the responses since the responses obtained are highly practical. Large amounts of information can be collected from a large number of people in a short period of time and in a relatively cost effective way. Another advantage of using questionnaires is that they can be analyzed more 'scientifically' and objectively than other forms of research. Finally the results obtained from questionnaires can be quickly and easily quantified by either a researcher or through the use of a software package and therefore it is also easy to compare and contrast quantified data hence ascertain changes in trends. Data analysis The collected numerical data shall be processed, analyzed and later subjected to comparisons and contrasts in order to establish the views of other scholars, economists and columnists on the same issue of customer satisfaction as a marketing strategy for Dick Smith Foods. The responses from quantitative survey questionnaires earlier on administered to business owners will also analyzed and scrutinized using the 7-point Likert Scale. Since the research involves a case study, it will be easy to identify credible responses for subsequent documentation. In order to increase on effectiveness and accuracy of collected data, the questionnaires will be designed in a way as to seek suggestions from the customers on the general effectiveness and perception of the current customers service. This can be summarized as shown in the figure below: Conclusions The major aim of the research will be to ascertain the effectiveness of quality customer service as a competitive advantages and marketing strategy for Dick Smith Foods. The inferences made from the subsequent analysis of the obtained data shall be subsequently used to derive recommendations for the sake of making relevant adjustments to the existing customer service policy at Dick Smith Foods. Hence, the findings from the research will subsequently help the management of Dick Smith Foods to evaluate their current customer service policies, identify the weak points as well as strongholds and adjust accordingly. References Top of Form Barlow, J., & Stewart, P. (2010). Branded customer service: the new competitive edge. [s.l.], Read how you want. Cherikoff, V., Christie, B., & Mccluskey, M. (2004). Dining Downunder. Series 1, Series 1. Kingsgrove, N.S.W., Dining Downunder Pty Ltd. Cook, S. (2011). Customer care excellence how to create an effective customer focus. London, Kogan Page Gregory, D. (2004). It`s All About Australia, Mate. Wollombi, Exisle Pub. Hayes, J., & Dredge, F. (2008). Managing customer service. Aldershot [etc.], Gower Morton, J., & Lobez, S. (2011). Kings of stings the greatest swindles from Down Under. Carlton, Vic, Victory Books, Melbourne University Pub. Ogden, T. E., & Goldberg, I. A. (2002). Research proposals: a guide to success. San Diego, Calif, Academic Press Punch, K. (2006). Developing effective research proposals. London, SAGE. Trevallion, D., & Strazzari, S. (2003). Design and technology. Glebe, N.S.W., Pascal Press. Vithal, R., & Jansen, J. (2007). Designing your first research proposal: a manual for researchers in education and the social sciences. Kenwyn, Juta. Bottom of Form Appendix A sample questionnaire Thank you for being a customer. Please help us improve our product and our service to you by completing this survey. The entire survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.       1. What is your overall satisfaction rating with our company?  5 - Very Satisfied  4 - Somewhat Satisfied  3 - Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied  2 - Somewhat Dissatisfied  1 - Very Dissatisfied              2. Please tell us why you feel that way.       3. How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague?  5 - Very Likely  4 - Somewhat Likely  3 - Neither Likely Nor Unlikely  2 - Somewhat Unlikely  1 - Very Unlikely              4. Please tell us why you feel that way       5. Please rate your level of satisfaction with your sales representative in the following areas.   5 - Very Satisfied 4 - Somewhat Satisfied 3 - Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied 2 - Somewhat Dissatisfied 1 - Very Dissatisfied Responsiveness Professionalism Understanding of my needs       6. If you have any additional comments about how we can improve your satisfaction with our products and services, please fill them in here       7. May we contact you about any of your responses?  Yes  No        8. Contact Information, if applicable: Essential Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions 1. Overall Satisfaction Question They serve as an overall measure of how well your company is pleasing customers across all aspects of the business (product, brand, service, communication, etc.). Example Q: What is your overall satisfaction with (insert company name)? (use the five point rating scale shown below)  2. Attribute Questions These attribute questions are useful in pinpointing specific areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.   Example Q: What is your satisfaction with our cleanliness? Q: What is your satisfaction with the taste of our food? 3.Behavioral Questions There are two commonly asked behavioral questions used in customer satisfaction research surveys: A) How likely are you to recommend (company/product/service) to a friend? B) How likely are you to buy from (company) again? 4. Demographic Questions These demographic questions will be specific to the chosen company and industry, but it can be very useful to segment satisfaction scores in order to see if there are any notable differences in the data.   Examples of common demographic questions include: -Age -Gender -Income -Geography 5. Open-Ended Question This provide an opportunity for customers to explain why they gave the ratings they’ve given.   Read More