Customer Services At Sainsburys

Customer Services (Introduction)

Customer service deliverance and customer loyalty are extremely close to each others. The first-class deliverance of customer service may results in customer contentment which eventually goes to reliability of customers for the organization.

In current business situations, the customer services has become a vital aspect to attain organizational intentions which in broader sense presents a structure to organization to place its objectives for distributing good quality services towards Customers as a procedure and an effect for customers reliability towards organization, customers prospect, performance measurement, diverse cultural backgrounds, and product significance v/s services. All these aspects will play a key role for organizational intents to achieve customer’s loyalty.

The most significant basic skills that need to be expand is the ability to appropriately observe what customer requirements and how, one would be capable to embark upon and aptitude to take actions rapidly to gratify customer’s needs.

While if we looked upon the past business scenarios, there were no customers-orientation found, they were just focusing on sales without recognizing the actual requirement what really customer wants, what’s his need and most important what he anticipates. If we look upon the today’s Global business environment, a number of services companies currently keep focusing on positioning all the way through the Communication channel (Andreassen,T.1995), to achieve organizational objectives by creating standards and attractions to boost its corporate image.For developing excellent customer services deliverance, distribution of informations about customer services enrichment and CS principles must be promoted.

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Sainsbury’s Introduction

J Sainsbury’s is a PLC giant organization founded in 1869 with their first store in Drury Lane, has become now the third largest retail giant in the UK retail and grocery industry and they also have a control on some other businesses as well which are as follows;

Sainsbury’s Super market

Sainsbury’s Bank,

Sainsbury’s property company,

Sainsbury’s Insurance

US Shaw Super market.

J Sainsbury’s Super market, the 3rd largest grocery chain in UK on the basis of information about the turn over after Tesco and Asda, offers in store/online thousands of food/non-food products in more than 850 store including superstores and convenience stores all over the UK.

Sainsbury’s has made diverse strategies towards customer services to address its dedication to maintain the interest of consumer at top and making its customers trustworthy to its services in the retail market.

Research Objectives

The center idea of this research is to investigate the diverse actions or proceedings that expose effectual execution of elevated level of service delivery within Sainsbury’s Super Store by keeping in observation the impact of one branch which would positively replicate the strategy of whole Sainsbury’s Superstores.

In this research, there would be prominent discussions on the issues to classify how such actions influence the customer’s point of view within Sainsbury’s.

This report would provide intensity of the role of customers and the service providers in effectual interchange of its business.

The practices of Sainsbury’s that influence the giving of reliability and confidence amongst the customers would be evaluate in this research. And, in this competitive Grocery Market, how Sainsbury’s differentiates itself amongst top competitors like Tesco, Asda, Mark & Spenser, Morrison etc as a good customer satisfying organization by delivering outstanding customer services.

This would make possible for us to investigate staffing practices and service deliverance by human resource department in Sainsbury’s which comprising

Explicit strategies for appointing eminence service workers,

An investigation of the personality relates of service performance,

And the strategy in improving and managing service delivery.

Research Questions

How does the Sainsbury’s policy justify its customer services approach in order to gain loyalty of the customers?

What are the obstacles, Sainsbury’s facing to achieve customer-focused approach?

Rationale

The success of any business is always depends upon managing the correlation with the customer. As all know the customers, now a days are to much conscious about not only the product price or product features but also due to the competitive situation around the globe, Market Scenario as well as technological changes have altered the whole global business world radical loom and brought changes in Customer’s views and actions as compare to the old customers. That’s why to have a competitive advantage, now a day’s organization tries their best to build up good relation in long term strategy.

To accomplish this purpose, organization focuses to progress its customer services which in fact distinguish an organization from others, results in customer satisfaction which positively turns into reliability in future, as It is said that it is six times more expensive to create a new customer than keeping old one.

Skilled staff talented to handling all circumstances

Proficient online delivery in time

Customer inquiries

Proficient check out staff

Best customer care and objections department.

And how Sainsbury’s honors its employee’s hard work

Literature Review

For the rationalization of the proposed research in order to come across different factors to categorize the research area and to explain questions of the chosen research topic, literature review is very important and critical.(Saunders, 2007).

The importance of the customers and the clients in today’s competent global environment where everything available online could not negligible by the industries. So without paying full attention on the customers neither marketing plans nor strategies and methods could be successful.(Asch,2001).

In any marketing plan and the strategic objectives of the companies, customer services should always be a part of that technique. So due to the enhance implications for industrial growth and the profitability, potentially one of the most potent features which all the managements can utilize in their struggle to gain strategic advantage as well as to compete in the firm competition in the business, is to gain the retention of the customers and the clients (Yiannis & Lang, 2006)

Mostly researchers and the practitioners acknowledge that the customer satisfaction is definitely related to the acceptable results.(Keiningham et al 2005, p.173).So for the sake of this argument most of the companies are struggling to move away from the old fashioned management systems to join the new consumer feedback system when formatting their new business ways. The current businesses have to face extra ordinary competition; they must have to focus their objectives to persuade customer preferences. Most of the companies have started improved customer services call centers and have taken practical looms to post-sale customer contact in an effort to move motivation towards improving customer relationships and to give excellent customer service. The post-sale intents allow the customer to give their opinions and feedback concerning their purchase experience. Although, the cost involved in this system often is very high for the redesigning of the techniques for customer service that mostly companies simply cannot or will not be able to do this.

The efficiency of executing a staffed post-sale cost centre or launching suitable information technology can be calculated by companies who have revealed marked enhancements in their market share since commencement of such practices. With the fastest growth of modern-day living, consumption of services has improved enormously and marketing researchers, similarly, increased their bustle drive in this area of business (Liu 2005, p.426).

As for as benchmarking conception is concern for measuring the finest ways within the other companies should be a sign for hostile companies to take up alike principals in fulfilling customer needs. Any business that unable to sustain understandings of companies that have achieved additional positioning in the market based on their hard work to set up sound customer service techniques could very well be make vulnerable for its own future. (De Felice 2006,p.13).

Mostly authors have articulated their observation on customer services in organize to win customer satisfaction as tremendous delivery of service is essential in order to add the number of “completely satisfied” customers. High level of customer services generates product recognition in the market by the given firm which results in market expansion and providing edge of market dominance (Gabbott, M.2006).

Zeithmal, (2004) has categorizes the services into three types. Firstly those companies which are associated with services like banks, airlines etc. Secondly those companies which provide services as tangible product and finally the third one is Customer Services, this differentiate service is intangible as Customer cannot distinguish it before satisfaction ( Mudie and Pirrie,2006).

It is believed that in current global environment as a long-term productivity the Customer services have become a core competitive advantage for every kind of business which is related with customers. So customer satisfaction is most important for the future planning and the growth of the business (Jones & Sasser, 1995) and tremendous customer services based on the helpful role of management of employee and motivation of employees throughout satisfaction results in delivery excellence services to customers (Zeithmal,2004) and to attain this, technology plays an important part to smooth the progress of the physical attention of staff, labor setting up, staff monitoring and high production rates.

There are physical facts like equipment, facility design, signage, employee dress and all others tangible possessions make possible better customer interface which escort to quality performance( Jones,1989; Zeithmal,2004) but the organization needs to build up human resource strategy that develop the culture in which the employee reveal a enthusiasm of service excellence to support the quality services (Zeithaml,2004) The management feel regretted and have deep concerns about the negative consequences that follow this effective goal, such as exhaustion, stress and turnover all over the organization (Taylor & Bain, 1999).

The firm’s HR strategy should be centered on developing skills and making sure about the motivation and commitment to offered a competitive level of service and quality. This will particularly come about when most of the time the expressive labor is essential (Gutek,1995, Hochschild, 1983).

There is an obligation to have employment security, widespread extensive training and decentralized decision making because the employees are so vital to service delivery.(Pfeffer, 1998).For any brand value there are many other things associated with that brand not only the name of the brand but also the perceptions, beliefs, value ,quality price and more service experience. It’s very simple to see how customer service is a brand in name when someone put this line of action. (Janelle & Paul Stewart, 2004).By applying the cost effecting strategies for all external and internal features of customer expectations need to be understand and must find out ways to meet up these expectations. ( Penni McLean Conner, 2005).

Service encounter (Zeithaml, 2004) is very significant as positive encounter helps to build up an iconic reflection of the company where as the negative encounter goes opposite, to build up good association between customers and the organization. For achieving this intention, organization requires to build up association with customer which entails a radical strategic loom for moving forward on keeping concentration on existing customers in spite of attaining new ones ( Mudie and Pirrie,2006 ) as well as Gronroos (1994) also put emphasis on retaining and develop relationship with customers to meet organizational objectives.

If the customer satisfaction service fails due to any reason, organization should have to take all the necessary measures in reaction to service failure through service recovery (Zeithaml, 2004). To apprehend customer as he is the bona fide asset for the company this eventually results in profit by building good relationship with customers (Tax and Brown, 1998). Service recovery program consists of all activities by the organization to deal with customer’s problem (Johnston and Michael, 2008)

If we looked upon All these customer satisfaction correlated performances based on service quality which means to what level of customers expectations are being met ( Lewis and Mitchell.1990) if customer makes out high level of expectations than quality of service being supplied, than this would lead to customer dissatisfaction (Parasuraman ,1985) which results in losing business in spite of having competitive advantage of quality product ( Van der wal ,2002)

Methodology

My report would be descriptive type of research. A descriptive research mainly based on the informations depending on what sort of condition we are dealing with, which starts at the time of study and to disclose existing circumstances, facts based on the imitations or reactions of the respondents of the research (Creswell, 1994).

Research Philosophy:

This kind of philosophy aims at the origin of laws or law-like generalizations alike to those in the physical and natural sciences Quantitative research permits researchers to publicize themselves with the quandary or conception to be studied.

The accent is on facts of Sainsbury’s customer services policies and causes of behaviour (Bogdan and Biklen 1988). The aim of this research study is to find facts and causes of behaviour, being more characteristics of a positivistic research philosophy.

Research Approach:

This research has four main approaches which are;

Pattern of a theory

Plan based on the theory,

Performance and

Evaluation.

The approach of the research is also productive (Järvinen 1999, Olkkonen 1993). The positivistic approach would have required a quantitative analysis of the system (Takala & Helo 2000) which would be very difficult to bring about without disclosing some off the record business information.

Research Methods

This style of research is a method of finding informations, analyzing, understanding information to deal with question which must have certain characteristics like be illicit, systematic, accurate, applicable and critical (www.books.google.com).

My research philosophy would focus on primary and secondary research on Sainsbury’s Customer Services. This would facilitate me to get adequate understanding that would positively help me to comprehend and to carry on my dissertation about the Customer services matters and the diverse factors that entail with it.

The key data for the research study will be collected by the survey results that will be obtained from the respondents that to what level Sainsbury’s customers like the services offered in store. So for this purpose, interviews will be performed to those customers who visit Sainsbury’s frequently.

The second stage of the research will represent the secondary data of the study based on literature review. And official data regarding Sainsbury’s customer services policies will be taken from Sainsbury’s store would certainly help me to comprehend and would help me to complete my research.

For the more authentication, reliability and the firmness of my research I would pertain different tools of Marketing Mix, IMC and customer services, value innovation strategies to observe what level Sainsbury’s has succeeded to attain its objective in customer services applications.

Wherever applicable, I will be used other marketing tools like the Marketing models, customer services model etc. True facts will be revealed in research and data collection will be investigated as well.

I would represent my research generally in theoretical form including data charts which would help reader to comprehend research objectives. To investigate the data, different graphical presentations will be added to present facts & figures to consolidate my research.

Justification of the Study

As I am the regular customer of the Sainsbury’s from last few years .During my period of connection with Sainsbury’s as a regular customer, I have to see so many customers from different ethnic, cultural backgrounds coming to the store for many years and the staff member of the Sainsbury’s as well are from different backgrounds so when I start visiting Sainsbury, I have come to know that the customer service of the store staff is excellent due to which they have a lot of customers coming every day in their store .

If we have a deep look upon the businesses there are few organizations most likely still existing due to their brand quality or differentiation in brands obtainable in market, not being paying attention on good customer services but those organization hardly survive for longer.

But on other side, I am aware of the fact that, to explore either services providing in Sainsbury’s just a tool for justification of its brands price as Sainsbury’s goods are bit high in price than Tesco & Asda or might be the part of just marketing strategy. As I thinking of making my research on Sainsbury so I start discussions with customers on this just to justify my study and I have heard so many customers complaints about Sainsbury’s some kinds of poor services. Here, I will try to find out different aspects effecting the levels and reliability of services at different staff-levels from top to bottom which would make clear how much Sainsbury’s staff set aside towards their customer to build a good image of Sainsbury’s.

Now a days, Customer services is becoming a core competitive advantage for retail companies as in this fast growing grocery business environment, companies like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and others becoming more customer oriented/focused than ever as in general retail market in UK is becoming mature so now antagonistic role of customer services would now make a distinction with those organizations who would take its customer seriously rather than depending exclusively on its products because brands cannot be the only source of satisfaction unless backing up with excellent customer services. In UK, there is a growing competition in the retail market. The main competitor of the Sainsbury’s in the UK market are Tesco and Asda, who already packed down Sainsbury’s in terms of sales volume, along with Mark & Spencer, Morrison, Iceland and few other grocers as well who have direct/indirect competition with Sainsbury’s.

Innovation in products wouldn’t be a great source of attraction for the consumer. If we have a look on UK retailing market, Grocery business share remains small as many competitors are in market (porter’s five forces). So the choice of alternative for customer is very high.

This report would also divulge the diverse ways of delivering services in Sainsbury’s by applying 7P’s like as product, price, promotional activities, people (Sainsbury’s staff), physical evidence, place and processes to know at what levels these factors effect the level of customer satisfaction and how can be surmount. These areas of any business are approachable to the customers needs while minimizing costs and time requirement and maximizing the impact

of the services on target populations. The rationale behind each ‘P’

represents a different part of the business, which a customer

normally interrelate with during its shopping experience in Sainsbury’s.

Expected Outcomes

I consider, after having a detail study on customer services and research on customer services in Sainsbury’s and customers attitude towards Sainsbury’s, I am very much confident that this study would help Sainsbury’s to augment its customer services approach to enable itself to attain organizational objectives by satisfying its customers as satisfaction remnants always important issue of delivering enhanced, more effectual and proficient services. In case, if customers experience dissatisfaction with the service provided, the service would neither be helpful nor efficient and could direct to loss of business so. I suppose that nothing sets the standard for outstanding customer service more than excellent employee service and high standard carrys out the best so with skilled staff Sainsbury’s can attain its organizational intentions by keeping the standard of training processes high by creating leadership qualities in each of its employee to some level so that everyone in Sainsbury’s can cope up with any condition while dealing with their precious customers with confidence which entail right selection of staff for right job, setting standards for customer service performance, making sure the role of each single member of staff, triumph of staff excellent services. Excellence in Customer services would help Sainsbury’s;

To maintain its customers to go anywhere in this, gradually more competitive market where big competitors like TESCO, ASDA, MARK & SPENSER and others are in the competition to outperform.

As a contented customer, every customer would recommend others (word of mouth) to shop at Sainsbury’s, resulting a raise in business volume.

By adopting customers orientation strategy which gives the highest possible lifetime value

With the passage of time Sainsbury’s can maximize profitability with the passage of time.

The staff Motivation would direct to friendly and happy atmosphere within the store; result in increasing of extra new customers and retaining the old.

The corporate image of the organization among maasses has Positive impact .

Project Schedule

As all know, time remains critical aspect all the way through dissertation preparation, so I have strained a time frame work which I would stringently follow till the last word of my final dissertation. Below mentioned time schedule would give a better picture that how would I be able to carry out my MBA final dissertation.

Working topics

June/July,09

August,09

Sep,09

October,09

November,09

Decemebr,09

Literature reading

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Finalize objects

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Prepare questioner

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Read research methods

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Interviews

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Analyse data

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Analyse results

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Draft making

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Meeting with supervisor

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Writing up dissertation

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Submission

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