CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background To The Study
Corporate competitiveness constitute the firm’s ability to provide products and services that meet and exceed local and international quality standard at prices that are competitive and provide adequate returns on the resources employed
or consumed in producing them. Customer service is the process of
meeting customer’s needs through the provision of professional, helpful,
high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the
customer's requirements are met. One of the most important single
factors affecting a business unit's performance was found to be the
quality of its products and services. It is important to specify that
quality was measured as relative to that of its competitor. The concept
related to quality definition, measurement and delivery. The most
successful quality programs define quality not in terms of products, but
in terms of a total way of doing business, a total commitment to the
customer. The company or the manufacturer must view themselves as
partners with their customers. The partnership is based on a thorough
understanding of the customer's processes and how they interact with the
seller's processes, and careful management of their integration
(Webster, 1994). The effort is focused on making the business partners
more competitive in their markets and goes well beyond simply offering
good products. Quality became a key determinant of company’s success. By
definition, quality is solely defined by the perception customers have
about the solutions provided, although there are other factors
influencing the quality. Thus, quality is the ultimate measure of the
value derived from the customer’s interaction with the firms or
suppliers. This aspect of business has prompted companies to redefining
themselves as services providers despite their core line of business.
Through this redefinition, new main objectives and business strategies
have come up. Businesses have shifted their objectives from profit
maximization and creation of
Shareholders’ value to the creation of
customer value.Customer service is meeting the needs and desires of any
customer. Some characteristics of good customer service include:
Promptness,.Politeness,Professionalism,.Personalization. The research
seek to investigate the influence of customer care management on
corporate competitiveness
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The advent of customer value
precipitates the foundation of a firms competitive advantage. The real
expectation of every firm is to remain on top in the industry among
peers, maintaining competitive advantage. However this is not always an
easy feat to achieve. Maintaining large customer segment, patronage and
loyalty require providing superior service which is above the competitor
that will always make your customer come back and attract new ones.
Therefore customer care must proffer superior quality above the
competitor. Many firms have realize the key to providing customer value
but lack the competency,technology,staff,finances and environment to
provide the needed customer care to maintain competitive advantage. Some
other challenges to quality customer care include lack of Empathy,
patience and consistency, inability to adapt, poor communication, poor
work ethics. These factors contribute to the inability of the firm to
maintain competitive edge through quality customer care. The problem
confronting the research is to appraise the influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness
1.3 Objectives of the Study
To determine the influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness
1.4 Research Questions
What is customer care management and corporate competitiveness?
What is the influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The study proffers an appraisal of the influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness
Corporate competitiveness constitute the firm’s ability to provide products and services that meet and exceed local and international quality standard at prices that are competitive and provide adequate returns on the resources employed
or consumed in producing them. Customer service is the process of
meeting customer’s needs through the provision of professional, helpful,
high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the
customer's requirements are met. One of the most important single
factors affecting a business unit's performance was found to be the
quality of its products and services. It is important to specify that
quality was measured as relative to that of its competitor. The concept
related to quality definition, measurement and delivery. The most
successful quality programs define quality not in terms of products, but
in terms of a total way of doing business, a total commitment to the
customer. The company or the manufacturer must view themselves as
partners with their customers. The partnership is based on a thorough
understanding of the customer's processes and how they interact with the
seller's processes, and careful management of their integration
(Webster, 1994). The effort is focused on making the business partners
more competitive in their markets and goes well beyond simply offering
good products.
Research Hypothesis
Ho The influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness is low
Hi The influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness is high
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on the appraisal of the influence of customer care management on corporate competitiveness
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The study was confronted by some constraints including logistics and geographical factors
1.8 Definition of Terms
CORPORATE COMPETITIVENESS
Corporate competitiveness constitute the firm’s ability to provide products and services that meet and exceed local and international quality standard at prices that are competitive and provide adequate returns on the resources employed or consumed in producing them.
CUSTOMER CARE
Customer service is the process of
meeting customer’s needs through the provision of professional, helpful,
high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the
customer's requirements are met.
