ABSTRACT
This research work has attempted to identify and
determine evaluating customer
service as an aspect of quality management with reference to Unilever Nigeria Plc as the case study. The
study is being embarked upon to examine the effect of service quality on
customer service and also seeks to analyze the relationship between gender and
customer service as the objective of the study. In accomplishing this purpose,
views and ideas of some authors and scholars in the area of study were viewed,
the organization under the study is noted and recommends that Quality
management should also be emphasize oriented and make the customer service their
focal point. The method of choosing the respondents was done through random
sampling; this is to allow for objectivity on the part of the researcher. The
data collected was analyzed through descriptive statistics. This include, table
and percentage basis. With a population of 100 questionnaire, but the 56
questions were administered. The processes of customer service should not be
studied in isolation. What is important is the usefulness of such studies, the
perceived progressiveness of the methodology, and continuous development of the
Quality Management System in the management. Research for its own sake will not
lead a management to prosperity, and a customer will not choose a company’s
products just because it has an excellent quality management department.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study 3
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 5
1.3 Objective
of the Study 6
1.4
Research Question 6
1.5
Research Hypotheses 7
1.6
Scope
of the Study 7
1.7 Significance
of the Study 8
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms 8
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1 Introduction 9
2.2 Meaning
of Customer Service 13
2.3 Evaluation Methods of Customer Service 16
2.4 The Importance of Customer Service 21
2.5 Customer Focus and Service 22
2.6 Meaning of Quality Management 26
2.7
Quality Management Evolution 27
2.8
Principle Of
Quality Management 28
2.9
Cost of
Quality 30
2.9.1 The Value of Service for Business Strategy
and
Competitive Advantage 32
2.10 Highlights
of Unilever Background & Quality 35
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
43
3.2
Restatement of Research Question 43
3.3
Restatement of Research Hypotheses 44
3.4
Research
Design 44
3.5
Population of the Study 45
3.6
Sample
Size and Sampling Design 45
3.7
Data
Methods 46
3.8
Methods
Of Data Analysis 46
3.9
Limitations
of the Study 47
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.0 Introduction 48
4.1 Analysis
of Respondents’ Characteristics 48
4.2 Presentation and Analysis of Research 52
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction 69
5.1
Summary
of Major Findings 69
5.2
Conclusions 70
5.3
Recommendations
71
References 72
Questionnaire 76
Reference 63
Appendix 65
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The days of a customer adopting one product or
company for life are long gone. With easy access and global competitiveness,
customers are often swayed by advertising and a chance at a ―better deal.
Quality levels and features between competing brands and organizations are
often comparable. The thing that separates competitors is their level of
service. It is not unusual for customers to switch back and forth between
products or organizations simply because of pricing, a bad first impression
from the organization or lack of quality service. This is sometimes referred to
as service churn. (Lucas, 2005)
Service is the customer‘s evaluation of a product or
service in terms of whether that product or service has met their needs and
expectations. (Zeithaml and Bitner, 2003)
Happy and satisfied customers behave in a positive
manner. They will buy a lot from you and will give you a large share of their
business. Customer service is derived largely from the quality and reliability
of your products and services. (Curry and Curry, 2000).
However, almost every Nigerian encounters similar
problems in meeting customer‘s expectation of services and customer service.
For example, the issue of money transfer in banks is one major problem that
customers of certain banks have been made to experience. In most cases the
customer hardly receives the payment of the money transferred into his account
immediately.
The long queues and huge crowds in the banking halls
can be highly devastating and discouraging most times, especially when the
weekend is near. Most times, this long queues are as a result of the breakdown
of the computers used by these cashiers, sometimes it occurs as a result of the
cashiers, pushing duty to one another, as to who is to attend to the customers
or not.
According to Lucas, (2005), customer service is the
ability of knowledgeable, capable, and enthusiastic employees to deliver
products and services to their internal and external customers in a manner that
satisfies identified and unidentified needs and ultimately results in positive
word-of- mouth publicity and return business.
1.2
STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The problems of this research study will be stated
in question forms which are:
(a)
Why do companies use customer service?
(b)
To what extent has companies achieve its
customer service objectives through the used of quality management?
(c)
Why is it that customer service
department empowered to take the necessary action to solve a customer's
problem?.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
It is as a result of all these problems identified
above that this study is being embarked upon to examine the effect of service
quality on customer service
The researcher also seeks to analyze the
relationship between gender and customer service.
1.7
RESEARCH QUESTION
Research questions are minute or specific customer
service dimensions of the ‘statement of problem’ broad questions, the relevant
research questions are:
1. Does customer service embarked upon to examine
the effect of service quality?
2
Does quality management build up long
term customer service in an organization?
3
Does quality management allow customer
service to be based on gender discrimination?
1.5
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
In other to achieve the objectives of this study the
alternative form of the two hypotheses tested are as follows;.
H0: There is no relationship between
service quality and customer service.
H1: There is a relationship between
service quality and customer service.
H0: There is no relationship between
customer gender and customer service.
H1: There is relationship between
customer gender and customer service.
1.6
SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
This research study is strictly within the frame of
the stated objective. This research was designed to absolutely analyze and
examine Evaluating customer service as an aspect of quality management in
Unilever Nigerian Plc in Lagos
State will be used as of
study.
1.7 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
In Nigeria,
not much attention is given to the notion of providing consumers with quality
service and service hence, some banks render weak services and thereby taking customers
for granted. However, with the advent of self – service technologies in
business and globalization communications, as well as development in
information technology including internet, Nigerian consumers will come to know
their rights and take necessary actions against companies that infringe upon
their rights.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
This research work is carried out at Unilever Nigeria Plc
Lagos State.
This is done because this is where the necessary data concerning the company
can be received. The constraints
encountered doing these research studies are:
(a) Time
constraint which are relatively small in collecting date and information.
(b) Financial
constraints.
(c) Unavailability
of the necessary material for the effective smoothness of the research work.
Click “DOWNLOAD NOW” below to get the complete Projects
FOR QUICK HELP CHAT WITH US NOW!
+(234) 0814 780 1594
Buyers has the right to create
dispute within seven (7) days of purchase for 100% refund request when
you experience issue with the file received.
Dispute can only be created when
you receive a corrupt file, a wrong file or irregularities in the table of
contents and content of the file you received.
ProjectShelve.com shall either
provide the appropriate file within 48hrs or
send refund excluding your bank transaction charges. Term and
Conditions are applied.
Buyers are expected to confirm
that the material you are paying for is available on our website
ProjectShelve.com and you have selected the right material, you have also gone
through the preliminary pages and it interests you before payment. DO NOT MAKE
BANK PAYMENT IF YOUR TOPIC IS NOT ON THE WEBSITE.
In case of payment for a
material not available on ProjectShelve.com, the management of
ProjectShelve.com has the right to keep your money until you send a topic that
is available on our website within 48 hours.
You cannot change topic after
receiving material of the topic you ordered and paid for.
Login To Comment