A Study Of The Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction .
A study of the factors influencing customer satisfactionand efficiency in contact centers: the combined effectMarketingMaster's thesisTerhi Rekilä2013Department of MarketingAalto UniversitySchool of BusinessPowered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
AALTO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ECONOMICSDepartment of MarketingMaster’s thesisTerhi RekiläABSTRACT6.1.2013A STUDY OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ANDEFFICIENCY IN CONTACT CENTERS: THE COMBINED EFFECTOBJECTIVESThe purpose of this study is to expand understanding of the factors influencingcustomer satisfaction and efficiency in contact centers. More specifically, the focus ison examining the grouped impact of the factors. First, this research draws on existingresearch on the factors influencing customer satisfaction. Second, an empiricalresearch is conducted to discover the combined effect of different factors on hand oncustomer satisfaction and on the other hand on efficiency.METHODA novel method in marketing called fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis is theused method. It was chosen because it is suitable for a research with a smallpopulation and because it takes both quantitative and qualitative aspects intoconsideration. It also analyses the impact of factors combined together rather than asseparate individuals.KEY FINDINGSThe main findings include the notion that a factor can have a different impact oncustomer satisfaction and efficiency depending on which other factors it is combinedwith. Additionally, separate factors or the same factors in a different form influencecustomer satisfaction and efficiency. Hence, there are tradeoffs while attempting toachieve very good levels of both customer satisfaction and efficiency. In addition, theresults include findings related to individual factors. For example, it is indicated that ahigh degree of feedback can have a positive effect on customer satisfaction.KEY WORDSCustomer satisfaction, efficiency, contact center, fuzzy set qualitative comparativeanalysis, FS/QCA
AALTO YLIOPISTON KAUPPAKORKEAKOULUMarkkinoinnin laitosPro Gradu -tutkielmaTerhi RekiläTIIVISTELMÄ6.1.2013TUTKIMUS ASIAKASTYYTYVÄISYYTEEN JA TEHOKKUUTEEN VAIKUTTAVISTATEKIJÖISTÄ ASIAKASPALVELIKESKUKSISSA: TEKIJÖIDEN YHTEISVAIKUTUSTAVOITTEETTämän tutkimuksen tarkoitus on laajentaa ymmärrystä asiakastyytyväisyyteen jatehokkuuteen vaikuttavista tekijöistä asiakaskeskuksissa. Tarkastelun keskiössä oneri tekijöiden yhteisvaikutus. Aluksi tarkastelussa on aikaisemmassa tutkimuksessatunnistetut asiakastyytyväisyyteen vaikuttavat tekijä. Tämän jälkeen tutkimuksellakartoitetaan eri tekijöiden yhteisvaikutusta toisaalta asiakastyytyväisyyteen jatoisaalta tehokkuuteen.METODITutkimuksessa on käytössä markkinoinnin alalla vielä melko tuore menetelmänimeltä FS/QCA, joka on lyhenne englanninkielisestä termistä fuzzy set qualitativecomparative analysis. Suomennettuna se tarkoittaa sumean logiikan kvalitatiivistavertailevaa analyysia. Kyseinen menetelmä valittiin tutkimuksen tekoon, koska senkäyttämiseen riittää pieni tutkimusjoukko, minkä lisäksi sen piirissä voidaantarkastella sekä määrällistä että laadullista aineistoa. Menetelmä tarkastelee lisäksinimenomaan tekijöitä yhdessä niiden yksittäisen analysoinnin sijaan.TULOKSETTutkimuksen pääasiallisiin tuloksiin kuuluu löydös, että tietyllä tekijällä voi olla erivaikutus asiakastyytyväisyyteen ja tehokkuuteen riippuen muista samaan aikaanvaikuttavista tekijöistä. Tulokset osoittavat myös, että asiakastyytyväisyyteen jatehokkuuteen vaikuttavat eri tekijät. Vaihtoehtoisesti myös samat tekijät voivatvaikuttaa niihin, mutta eri tavoin. Näin ollen asiakastyytyväisyyden ja tehokkuudenyhtäaikainen optimoinnissa on vaikeaa. Lisäksi tuloksiin sisältyy havaintojayksittäisten tekijöiden roolista. Esimerkiksi säännöllisellä palautteenannolla vaikuttaaolevan positiivinen merkitys syys, tehokkuus, asiakaspalvelukeskus, sumean logiikankvalitatiivinen vertaileva analyysi2
Table of contents1 Introduction . 61.1 Background for the research. 71.2 Research Objectives and Questions . 91.3 Methodology and scope. 101.4 Main contributions of the research . 111.5 Structure of the research . 122 Literature Review . 132.1 Studies of factors with significant influence on customer satisfaction . 132.2 Studies of factors with insignificant influence on customer satisfaction . 182.3 Studies of factors with mixed results . 193 Framework of influential factors. 213.1 Customer perception related factors . 213.2 Process related factors . 243.3 Agent related factors . 273.4 Full framework . 324 Methodology . 374.1 Background of FS/QCA . 374.2 Using FS/QCA . 374.3 FS/QCA in marketing . 404.4 Limitations of FS/QCA . 415 FS/QCA in case contact centers . 425.1 Data Collection . 435.2 Specification of outcomes . 455.3 Selection of conditions . 455.4 Calibration of outcomes and conditions . 515.4.1 Calibration of the outcomes . 525.4.2 Calibration of conditions with the Boolean method . 545.4.3 Calibration of conditions with three-value fuzzy set . 575.4.4 Calibration of conditions with four-value fuzzy set . 605.5 FSQCA analysis . 726 Results . 746.1 Customer satisfaction . 756.1.1 Configurations leading to high customer satisfaction . 753
6.1.2 Configurations leading to low customer satisfaction . 796.2 Efficiency . 826.2.1 Configurations leading to high levels of efficiency . 826.2.2 Configurations leading to low levels of efficiency . 856.2.3 Important considerations . 876.3 Evaluation of the goodness of the solutions . 876.3.1 Criteria for research strategy . 886.3.2 Criteria for the representation of QCA . 896.3.3 Criteria for the selection of cases, conditions, set memberships, and truth . 90table algorithm criteria . 906.3.4 Overall assessment of the goodness of the results . 917 Discussion of results . 927.1 Customer satisfaction . 927.1.1 Discussion of configurations in relation to prior research . 937.1.2 Implications of factors outside the FSQCA analysis . 967.2 Efficiency . 977.3 Joint discussion of customer satisfaction and efficiency. 988 Implications . 1018.1 Theoretical implications . 1018.2 Managerial Implications . 1029 Limitations of the research . 103Appendices: . 105References: . 1214
List of tables and figuresTablesTable 1: Customer perception related factors to customer satisfaction . 22Table 2: Process related factors to customer satisfaction . 24Table 3: Agent related factors to customer satisfaction . 28Table 4: Preliminary conditions . 47Table 5: Final list of conditions for fuzzy set calibration . 49Table 6: Conditions used in final analysis. 51Table 7: Membership scores in efficiency. 54Table 8: Definition of conditions and membership scores under crisp sets . 56Table 9: Membership scores in crisp sets . 56Table 10: Definition of sales orientation and its membership scores . 62Table 11: Degrees of membership in sales orientation . 62Table 12: Definition of quality orientation and its membership scores . 64Table 13: Degrees of membership in quality orientation . 65Table 14: Definition of FCR emphasis and its membership scores . 66Table 15: Degrees of membership in FCR emphasis . 66Table 16: Definition of rewarding frequency and its membership scores . 67Table 17: Degrees of membership in rewarding frequency . 68Table 18: Definitions of membership scores in rewarding orientation . 69Table 19: Degrees of membership in rewarding orientation . 69Table 20: Definitions of membership scores in degree of organized personal feedback . 71Table 21: Degrees of membership in degree of organized personal feedback . 71Table 22: Summary of calibration methods for conditions and outcomes . 72Table 23: Explanations of abbreviations used in FS/QCA analysis. 74FiguresFigure 1: Full framework . 34Figure 2: Alternative framework . 36Figure 3: Crips versus fuzzy sets, Ragin, C.(2007) Qualitative Comparative Analysis UsingFuzzy Sets . 38Figure 4: XY-plot of degrees of membership in customer satisfaction . 53Figure 5: XY-plot of degrees of membership in employee turnover (1) . 58Figure 6: XY-plot of degrees of membership in employee turnover (2) . 59Figure 7: XY-plot of degrees of membership in queuing time (1) . 60Figure 8: XY-plot of degrees of membership in queuing time (2) . 605
1 IntroductionWhat factors lead to high customer satisfaction and efficiency in contact centers?This question is the focus of this research. Hence, the aim is on improvingunderstanding of the factors influencing customer satisfaction and efficiency incontact centers. However, customer satisfaction is the main focus. This means thatthe prior studies this research leans on come from literature concerning customersatisfaction and service quality in contact centers.The need to conduct research in the specific context of contact centers derives fromits importance that is recognized in both academic and managerial research. Contactcenters have the potential be the preferred and the most prevalent ways forcompanies to establish, maintain and retain long-term relationships with current aswell as potential customers (Abdullateef, Mokhtar & Yusoff 2011). As proof of thisAbdullateef et al. (2011) point out that according to estimations Fortune 500companies each operate an average of 30 contact centers Furthermore, they arguethat the contact center industry is noted to have continuous growth in the amount ofworkforce and its economic scope. In addition, a survey about customer servicemade by a Finnish company called Sentraali shows that 91 percent of the companieswho took part in the study use phone as a customer service channel (Sentraali 2012).This made it the most often used channel of the companies in the study. Overall it canbe said the importance of the contact center industry is evident.In this introductory chapter the topic and the objectives of this thesis are introduced.First background for the importance of conducting research about customersatisfaction and efficiency in the specific context of contact centers is given. Thesection explains why there is a knowledge gap in the area that should be filled. Afterthis the explicit research objectives and questions are described followed by a briefinitial depiction of the methodology and scope of this research. Then, the maincontributions this research aims to give are explicated. Last, a summary of thestructure of this thesis is given to help guide the reader.6
1.1 Background for the researchDespite the importance of the contact center industry, there is a lack of extensive anddeep research on it. Many aspects of the field, such as call center agents’ salescompetence (Downing 2011), the relationship between job functions like content,variety autonomy and quality of work life (Zeenobyah & Vo 2011) and models ofdensity forecasting on arriving calls (Taylor 2012), have been studied but often thereis not enough research to give a fully comprehensive, accurate and reliableunderstanding of the phenomena in contact centers. More specifically, there is oftenplenty of research about the same or a similar phenomenon in a face-to-face servicecontext but a lack in the contact center side. For example, Downing (2011) notes thatthe knowledge, skills and abilities of salespeople have been largely studied byscholars but much more in face-to-face situations than in mediated environments likecall centers.One aspect among the contact center industry that has not been thoroughlyexamined is the focus of this research, namely customer satisfaction. Feinberg, Kim,Hokama, de Ruyter & Keen (2000) state that no literature explicating which variablesare related to customer satisfaction in contact centers existed prior to their research,with the exception of a few manuals. Bennington, Cummane & Conn (2000) make asimilar notion stating that despite customer satisfaction has raised concerns in thecontact center industry, empirical studies have mostly been conducted on staff(dis)satisfaction rather than customer satisfaction. Although the research of bothFeinberg et al. (2000) and Bennington et al. (2000) is twelve years old now, thestatements of both parties indicate that the research of the factors influencingcustomer satisfaction in contact centers is still relatively young and would benefit fromfurther development. For example, researching which variables can be best usedtogether to achieve high customer satisfaction and in what way could bring valuableinsight to the field.The relationship of customer satisfaction and efficiency is also relevant in examiningthe conditions related to contact centers goals. This derives from the indicationderived from academic research that pursuing high efficiency can result in impaired7
customer satisfaction through a lowered level of customer service. The research ofAnderson, Fornell & Rust (1997) indicates that service industries in comparison tomanufacturing companies are more likely to suffer from tradeoffs while pursuing bothsuperior customer satisfaction and superior productivity. This means that pursuingone is likely to result in lowering the level of the other. In sum, this finding means thatpursuing a high level of both customer satisfaction and efficiency is difficult in serviceindustries to which the field of contact centers can also be categorizedFurthermore, Grönroos & Ojasalo (2004) note that having better production efficiencycan sometimes create an illusion of achieving a wholly improved productivity. This isbecause the enhancement of production efficiency can also hamper perceivedservice quality, customer value and in the end, the economic result of the firm.Mahesh & Kasturi (2006) on the other hand state that although customer satisfactionis generally emphasized in organizations, the efficiency of processing customerinteractions is still given more importance than the quality of a customer interaction.Related to contact centers in particular, Raz & Blank (2007) note that while therelevance of customer satisfaction and service qua
understanding of the factors influencing customer satisfaction and efficiency in contact centers. However, customer satisfaction is the main focus. This means that the prior studies this research leans on come from literature concerning customer satisfaction and service quality in contact centers.
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