Introduction
Customer satisfaction in the field of technology can be a very tasking chore. Market research may provide a comprehensive market analysis reflecting the needs of a particular target market for a product. The tastes and preferences change over time. This forces a firm to conduct regular market researches to update the needs of its clients. This is the only sure way of remaining relevant in a particular industry. For telecommunication industry, changes in tastes and preferences are faster than fashion industry. What may be the best technological advancement of today may be obsolete the next day. This work attempts to look at a service quality model of identifying gaps between what a company thinks suits the customer and the actual customers’ perception of the company’s services. It describes a situation presented in CRM transformation project on GSM operator. The work dissects the service quality gaps between the customers’ expectations and the actual survives delivered from the company. Finally, it suggests the ways of reducing these service gaps.
CRM Transformation Project on GSM Operator
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software applications provide an easy to use, intuitive tool that offers experience on par with spectacular consumer applications. It has several powerful functionalities. The web based CRM software-as-a–service (SAAS) simplifies a lot of work for technology team. It is designed to eradicate a technology team’s need to perform regular maintenance and upgrades, buy hardware or manage hosting. These specifications are an exaggeration and never work for the application’s users. Global System for Mobile Communications, originally known as Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSM) as the body that regulates all telecommunication gadgets and practices has put in place several measures to ensure the software meets the desires of the consumers.
Service Quality Gaps
There are four possible service gaps between the expectations of the consumers of CRM software and the actual services provided by the software manufacturers and GSM. The first of these gaps is the difference between consumer expectations and management perception of consumer expectations. Service firm management may not always comprehend which product features connote high quality to consumers. The firm may not understand what attributes a service needs to meet the needs of it consumers. In addition, the firm may not understand the levels of performance of the product features that define high quality to the consumers. There are few clearly distinguished, tangible cues for services. This makes the gap between the producers’ perception of quality and the consumers’ definition of high value larger for service providers than manufacturers of tangible goods. The size of this gap is subject to marketing research orientation, levels of management and upward communication.
GSM specifications of CRM software may be unsatisfactory to consumers due to insufficient use of facets of consumer orientation and poor marketing research. The software providers may place less emphasis on service research than goods manufacturers with misguided notion that operation functions is the most crucial. Marketing research is a key issue in comprehending consumer expectations. Moreover, the software developers may not have established a proper consumer-contact personnel communication to aid the top management appreciate the needs of the consumers.
The second cause of gap between the consumer expectation and actual services offered lies service quality specification. This is known as Management Perception-Service Quality Specification Gap. Administrators of service firma usually have trouble in attempting to exceed or match customer expectations. Factors that may lead to a mismatch between the two aspects include short-term profit orientations, resource constraints, management indifference and market conditions. The size of this gap is a function of task standardization, commitment to service quality, goal-setting perception of feasibility.
The managers’ perception of the feasibility of satisfaction of customer desires affects the size of the gap. The managers of CRM software developers most probably do not believe in the possibility of fully meeting the demands of the clients. This may be because the company has exhausted all its technical knowhow to help solve consumer complaints in vain. Some consumers may be too demanding that management feels incapable to meet their demands. Task standardization demands that management creates routine of operations of its products. CRM software developers were not able to standardize the software’s functions. The third gap is Service Quality Specification-Service Delivery Gap. This refers to the specifications of the services allegedly provided by a product against the actual services delivered. It is the service performance gap. Service performance gap is subject to employee job-fit, teamwork, technology job-fit, supervisory control system, role ambiguity, role conflict and perceived control.
According to company specifications, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software applications provide an easy to use, intuitive tool that offers experience on par with spectacular consumer applications. It has several powerful functionalities. The web based CRM software-as-a–service (SAAS) simplifies a lot of work for technology team. It is designed to eradicate a technology team’s need to perform regular maintenance and upgrades, buy hardware or manage hosting. However, the actual performance of the software does not reveal these specifications.
The final gap is the difference between service delivery and external communication. Media advertisements and other external communications by a firm affect consumer expectations. External communication regarding CSR promised a lot more than the application could offer. These increase consumer expectations. Propensity to overpromise and horizontal communication within the organization are the factors that affect the size of this gap.
Ways of Reducing Service Quality Gaps
A wide gap between consumer expectations and the actual delivery is dangerous for existence of any company. For service providers like CRM application designers, it is necessary to conduct a proper market research to ensure the service a firm intends to launch is in line with customers’ attitude and tastes. A firm should avoid exaggerated advertisements and public information that portray features not provided in the product. Further, an enterprise should establish a viable channel of communication between its contact persons with the consumers and the top management. It is also imperative to have a strong belief in the ability of a firm’s staff to provide solutions to its clients’ complaints. Teamwork and coordination of activities is of great significance. Lastly, the form needs to set goals upon which it directs its operations and decisions.
References
Krebeck, A. (2010). Closing the Digital Divide. Retrieved August 21, 2013, from Computers in Libraries: https://www.deloitte.com/view/en_us/us/844c5a77f135c210VgnVCM3000001c56f00aRCRD.htm
Valarie, Z., & Leonard, B. (2012). Communication and Control Process in Delivery of Service Quality. Service Quality Journal, 1-18.
Williams, D. M. (2012). Effective Ways to Change Digital Life (Illustrated ed.). New York: Apprentice Hall.
