Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to give my sincere thanks to the Almighty. It’s through his power, guidance and mercy that I can present this research proposal to my examiner(s). Secondly, I wish to dedicate this report to my supervisor who started this journey with me and supported me in all my endeavors. I also thank my mom, dad, and brother for always supporting me in everything that I did. I want to thank my supervisor for the valuable insight into this paper. I thank him for enabling me to formulate my ideas and constructive criticism.
Abstract/Summary
Business also referred to as an agency, an enterprise, a firm or even a company is an entity involved in the provision of goods and services to customers. Business in engineering aspect refers to the provision of products and services that are technical or technological in nature. Business is a continuous activity of obtaining profits, retaining the current potential clients and bringing more to the company to succeed in the market and meet global trends (Block & Betrus, 2003). Particularly, in Chevrolet, an automobile company in the United States of America, the customer care program is aimed to encourage the interaction between the company (service provider) and her customers. The program builds a strong belief and relationship on the services offered by the company and keeps customers coming back repeatedly. The business learns what her clients want and encourage them to submit regular reviews about their satisfaction. To offer customers the products of their choice, a close understanding must be developed. The program must suit customer need and must be designed in a manner that it ensures timely and cost-effective delivery of services.
In my research, it’s been found that Chevrolet has dropped its slogan – Chevy Runs Deep – and replaced it with a new one, “Find New Roads” meaning that it is better geared toward drivers outside the United States. Currently, the company has settled in Manchester city to sponsor Manchester United Football Club, an expansion initiative of the Enterprise (Davis, 2012). My research is aimed at analysis of the customer care program offered by the Chevrolet showrooms in England. The research is purposed to help Chevrolet showrooms in the enhancement of quality of services they offer to their customers (Santucci, 2002).
Customer care program starts with setting a precise service standard, providing training to the employees to execute the program (Wolf, 2003). The programs are based on offering certain service levels; companies must, therefore, keep their promises and try exceeding the expectations of their customers. A proper program will ensure that the employees understand their roles in satisfaction of clients and receive incentives for the good customer care performance.
The “Find New Roads” slogan ensures that customers are enabled to access information that they need to buy Chevy of their interest, price quotes on the vehicles, and the scheduling of the services. Intentional seeking out of ideas, diverse perspectives and experiences of their partners all over the world, the company is better placed and equipped to accelerate the development of initiative products and technologies that their customers want and value (Haig, 2005).
In the research, it has been found that customer care activities involve a multiple of incentives: regular customer contact, individualized communication, and provision of proper information. The delegation of mandate to the staff allows them to make instant decisions and solve problems. The staff has the capability of banding complains promptly and professionally. The Chevy use information technology to deliver the customer care programs by providing easy access to credible information to the clients (Vizard, 1991).
Chevy’s customer care program varies the services that mean good in loyalty, effective handling of customer complaints, retraining problems or questions. On the other hand, the research finds that mediocre services drive customers away never to come back (Maddox & Haynes, 2003).
Objectives
As explained by Gronroos (2004), on-going relationship with clients helps in the provision of the sense of security, trustworthy and a feeling of control. The objective of the program is to create customer satisfaction, retaining potential clients and increase the lifetime value of clients and enhance strategic information. Among the many objectives of the research include;
Project deliverables
Literature review on the customer cares program in the provision of the services.
Literature reviews on the reports from the customers
Understanding the needs that customers expect from the services
Developing and implementing the customer care program to develop the company
A report on data collected from clients by use of questionnaires and one on one interviews
Conclusion of the entire report of the customer cares program
Recommendations of the customer care program
Literature review
Why I am interested in the project
Since I was borne, I have been brought up in a family that owns at least five cars at a time. My family buys cars from different retailers in the city of different companies and models. When buying these cars, we encounter lots of complaints concerning the services we are offered by the retailers since they do not offer it fully to our satisfaction. After my elder brother, Steve completed his undergraduate as an automobile engineer; my family consolidated its wealth to start a business in car dealership in the city. We analyzed the expectations that our customers would expect from us. The business formed a team that conducted personal interviews with customers to our business. The crew collected data from these clients on customer care essentials. Afterward, our company would be able to manage the database of both the old and new clients.
After completing the analysis of essentials of customer care program and putting them in place, good communication between the company and her clients was implemented. From then, our company is one of the largest and leading showroom retailer and service provider our location. The company orders vehicles in time for the clients to find them when they visit our business. Also, our services are customer friendly, and prices are negotiable. Most of our customers are satisfied with the services offered in the showroom. If the clients want the vehicles to be delivered at their doorstep, it is done in the shortest time possible. Therefore, I am strongly interested in this course because it gives me the knowledge to balance between business and engineering. I have the right knowledge to sale my skills to the world in the right and the profitable way (Treviño & Nelson, 2011).
Methodologies/data collection from customers
A collection of data was first executed to help in the evaluation the customer care program. To complete my master dissertation, I employed methodologies that contributed to my success. This masterpiece dissertation was based on theoretical and observational works. It involved a lot of analysis both qualitative and quantitative methods. The data collection for the entire program was based on primary and secondary variables for the dissertations. The qualitative analysis involved the use of questionnaires and personal interviews with the clients. Quantitative methodologies involved analyzing the collected data, online surveys, online information strategies, and training the service people.
Both the primary and secondary sources of data were collaborated in this research. The primary sources included conducting questionnaires with competitive retailers and direct interviews with customers. The secondary sources included books from the library, journals, and articles, websites, newspapers reports, seminars, and conferences.
Analysis of customer cares program
The Chevrolet believes it is important to have a clear understanding of what it is expected and how it can add value to the facility. It is the duty of the company to support this to achieve its goals. Since its inception in England, the key success of the company has been connected to finding new customers in the country. Since its move to become a sponsor of the English Premier League, the company is selling excellently on this land, in Europe, and the rest of world. As the slogan says, “finding new roads” Chevy cars, pickups, as well as trucks are all over on the European roads. The secret to this success is a reputation that the showroom has earned from the clients. The company’s consistent keeping of promises has granted the company recognition as well.
Chevy’s successful retention of customers starts with her first contact with the customers and it is promising that it would remain. Her ability to attract and retain new customers is not only limited to the quality of her cars but also the way the company’s staff service the existing customers and the appreciable reputation it creates across the marketplace. Chevy understands customer retention is more than giving them what they expect; it is all about exceeding the customers’ expectations so that they are loyal advocates of their brands.
Customer survey
This was contacted to find out what customers think about the company and how they compare it with other car dealers from the U.S like Ford, Chrysler, Cadillac, and CMC. As customer satisfaction is at the core of human experience, customers expressed their positive feeling reflecting their liking of the company’s services. From this survey, the high levels of customer satisfaction were strong predictors of customer loyalty and product repurchase thus the company is retaining its customers (Publications International, 2010).
Also, the survey helped to enhance effective business focus and reinforcement of pleasurable occurrences by creating insights needed to make better decisions. The research enabled the company to conclude itself as successful in its ambition to find a new market in the Europe. From the survey, the business could pin down the likes, dislikes of the customers as well as the existing areas that need improvement.
Strategies of customer care program
On this foreign land, Chevy strategies to separate it from domestic industries to survive the competition in the marketplace. Domestic car producers such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Land Rover are quite popular not only in Europe but the rest of the world. To survive this challenge, the company strives to give unique items to the market regarding prices, interior furnishing and performance by understanding the customer service priorities (Great Britain, 2012).
The more efforts customers have to expend to attain what they want, the more dissatisfied they become. According to the research, mere promises have the little satisfaction to them. Implementation of the customer care program involves direct contact with the clients through trained staff, build an infrastructure to support the customer service such as websites, resolving customer complaints at the point of contact among others.
Challenges and solutions
During the research, it was evident that despite the recent prominence of Chevrolet in the European market, it still suffers considerable problems. Firstly, regardless of the immense export of her cars to Europe, it suffers stiff competition from giant manufacturers like the Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari, Rolls Royce, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Lamboguni, and Maserati among others (Plunkett, 2007). Most of the European buyers purchase sports cars from this luxury-car making companies. Some of these companies are advertising heavily in the market while others have a historical dominance in the market. Competition has remained a hard “game” for the company to play.
A bigger percentage of European-Made cars are expensive. Fortunately to Chevy, her cars are not as expensive compared to Rolls Royce, Range Rover, or even the Bentley cars. The middle-class citizens can afford the Chevy that cost considerably fewer prices that the European models. Still emphasizing on the customer care program, Chevy should strive to a more vigorous campaign on her products by suiting features that the European cars have. The manufacturer should learn the secrets of her competitors and work towards closing the gap (Stone, 2013).
Conclusion and recommendation
The research was very involving in that the objectives and goals of the study were achieved. The success of Chevrolet in the European market, England in particular through the proper customer care program was evaluated. Tasks on how the Chevy’s showroom owner handles their customer care services were analyzed. The survey of customers’ satisfaction with the Chevy’s retailer services were all analyzed. Data collected revealed that Chevrolet’s invasion of the European market is great. Few challenges that affect the company’s business in England can be reduced and with time eliminated. This can be done through a wise scan of the market to find the possible threat. The correct attention to solving them must be taken with immediate effect.
Gantt chart
References
Block, J. A., & Betrus, M. (2003). 2500 keywords to get you hired. New York, McGraw-Hill. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10040266.
Davis, M. W. R. (2012). Chevrolet, 1911-1960. Charleston, S.C., Arcadia Pub.
Great Britain. (2012). Plug-in vehicles, plugged in policy?: Fourth report of session is 2012-13. Vol. 1, Vol. 1. London, Stationery Office.
Haig, M. (2005). Brand failures: the truth about the 100 branding mistakes of all time. London, Kogan page.
Maddox, R., & Haynes, J. H. (2003). GM Buick Regal, Chevrolet Lumina, Olds Cutlas Supreme, Pontiac Grand Prix: 1988 to 2002. Newbury Park, Calif, Haynes.
Plunkett, J. W. (2007). Plunkett's Automobile Industry Almanac 2008: Automobile, Truck and Specialty Vehicle Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends & Leading Companies. Plunkett Research Ltd.
Publications International, Ltd. (2010). Chevrolet, yesterday & today. Lincolnwood, Ill, Publications International.
Santucci, L. (2002). Chevrolet inline six-cylinder power manual. Tucson, AZ., California Bill's Automotive Handbooks.
Stone, B. (2013). The everything store: Jeff Bezos and Age of Amazon.
Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. New York, John Wiley.
Vizard, D. (1991). How to rebuild your small block Chevy. Tucson, H.P. Books.
Wolf, C. (2003). The Digital Millennium Copyright Act: text, history, and case law. Silver Spring, Md, Pike & Fischer.
