Proposed verification method for the content suitability of the customer satisfaction survey
| Published date | 01 July 2006 |
| Date | 01 July 2006 |
| Pages | 841-854 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570610671515 |
| Author | Josu Takala,Amnat Bhufhai,Kongkiti Phusavat |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
Proposed verification method for
the content suitability of the
customer satisfaction survey
Josu Takala
Department of Production, University of Vassa, Vassa, Finland
Amnat Bhufhai
Banpu Public Company Limited, Bangkok, Thailand, and
Kongkiti Phusavat
Department of Industrial Engineering, Kasetsart University,
Bangkok, Thailand
Abstract
Purpose – To address multiple problems facing a company’s top management with respect to the
customer satisfaction survey. Is the customer satisfaction survey still suitable after many years of use?
What method should be applied to help ensure better utilization of information from the customer
satisfaction survey? Should the three aspects (i.e. quality, delivery, and responsiveness) representing
the customer satisfaction continue to be used as part of the survey’s main contents. As an ISO 9001:
2000 certified company, the customer satisfaction survey is required.
Design/methodology/approach – A method was proposed to help integrate the survey results
with other key performance indicators (or ratios). This integration represented the verification effort
on the suitability of the customer satisfaction survey. The examinations into the interrelationships
between these three aspects the company’s performance indicators included three perspectives. They
were: no time-factor consideration; one-period time-lag factor; and two-period time-lag factor. The set
of key performance indicators was selected jointly with the company’s top management.
Findings – The findings indicated that the quality and responsiveness aspects were still suitable.
This was because these results were closely related to the production volumes, number of customer
complaints, number of customers, and, etc. Therefore, the revision of the customer satisfaction survey
needed to focus on adding other aspects such as flexibility and courtesy while doing away with the
delivery aspect.
Practical implications – The proposed method, and its findings and recommendations received
positive responses from the company’s top management. This method utilized and related existing
performance information in an integrated manner.
Originality/value – This study generated a potential approach to understand and to help interpret
the customer satisfaction survey’s results, to boost the utilization of relevant performance information,
and likely to assist in a target-setting process during a planning session.
Keywords Customer satisfaction, Performance measures,Quality management
Paper type Case study
1. Introduction
This case study stemmed from several needs that related to the survey on customer
satisfaction at one private company. The first one represented the need to assess and
evaluate the content suitability of the company’s annual customer satisfaction survey.
The second need reflected the desire by the company’s top management to find a better
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
Customer
satisfaction
survey
841
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 106 No. 6, 2006
pp. 841-854
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/02635570610671515
To continue reading
Request your trial