Customer satisfaction is a term used to describe the positive emotions resulting from using a product/service in a way that met the customer’s expectations regarding to this product (WTFO, 1985; Pizza ; Ellis 999). This concept can be described sometimes as the heart of marketing and companies are realizing its importance and trying to improve their techniques regarding to this issue. According to Khan, satisfied customers will eventually become loyal customers (2012).
So given the importance of the concept of customer loyalty in the process of marketing, one can understand why customer satisfaction concept Is very Important as It can be seen as the reasonable way to obtain loyal customers. Moreover, falling In this process can lead to dissatisfied customers. Peter and Olson explained how dissatisfaction can lead customers to explain their bad experiment with the product to manufactures, retailers and other customers (1987, as cited in Pizza ; Ellis 1999). In fast food industry, the main way of success can be seen in obtaining as much satisfied customers as possible.
And as this industry has expanded so much in the recent years, as a result of many factors (including more married women Joining the workforce and the limited time resources of working people), identifying and analyzing the factors that affect customers satisfaction can e seen as a major way of gaining a competitive advantage in this expanding market place. This paper examines the major factors and variables that interact with customer satisfaction and then the role of effective marketing research in Improving customer satisfaction and to better understand the needs of customers Is to be discussed.
The Independent variables affecting customer satisfaction: Khan described the relation between seven Independent variables and customer satisfaction as a dependent variable. He included; promotion, service quality, customer expectation, brand, physical environment, price, and taste as the major monuments of customer satisfaction (2012). All of these components can be seen positively related to customer satisfaction. I-promotion: Ukrainian sees in promotion an effective way to establish a healthy relationship with customers (2010 as cited in Khan 2012).
In fact, if the promotions are used in a way to increase the customer confidence in the service, the effects on customer satisfaction will be obvious. Moreover, promotions should be designed in a way that helps customers to find what they are looking for. Scandalously explained how promotions can be related directly to customer satisfaction If they provide the customers clear Information about discounts and special offers (2002 as cited In Khan 2012). Nowadays many firms try constantly to develop their techniques in common way of creating successful promotional campaigns. -Service quality: Even though the service quality can be seen as one of the most important factors affecting customer satisfaction the perception of this variable in fast food industry differs from one customer to another. As Gross argues, the evaluation of the service by customers is a result of comparison between his or her expectations and the reality (1984 as cited in Khan 2012). Moreover, the term service quality can refer to a wide range of attitudes regarding different services that can be provided in a fast food restaurant.
This include, the courtesy of the staff, the time period in which every order is served, the home delivery service, and even the quality of the website in providing relevant information to customers or simplifying the process of getting their orders delivered to their homes. In fact most businesses are realizing the strong relation between service quality and customer satisfaction and hence the overall success of the business and that is why most of them are putting huge efforts to try o understand this relation better (Gilbert et all. , 2004). -Customer expectations: In most cases customer expectations is related to quality. When the quality of the services provided in the fast food restaurant exceed their expectations, the positive effect on customer satisfaction will be doubled. And for sure, opposite outcomes will be a result of falling short of customer expectations. Swagger outlines strategies can be used to exceed customer expectations. He highlights the idea that this goal can be attained by providing customers with unique services that can capture their attention and hence making sure that all of their expectations are met (2007 as cited in Khan 2012).
In this respect, providing new and unique meals and services, and frequently updating the promotion campaigns can be seen as a way of capturing customers attention and making sure not fall short of their expectations. 4-Brand: In most industries, brand name plays a major part in creating a base of loyal customers. And as cited previously, it has been proved that loyalty and customer satisfaction has a strong relationship and cannot be easily distinguished from one another.
As the American Marketing Association describes brand as a” name, sign, humbly, or combination of them to identify and to differentiate the goods and services, or sellers from competitors”, the relation between customer satisfaction and brand name can be understood easily. Major fast food brands have proven to be able to satisfy their customers all around the world. And one of the major reasons for this can be attributed to customers’ perceptions of these brand names. -Physical environment: The term physical environment can include so many factors such as the convenience of the location, the neatness and the cleanness of the restaurant, the comfort of the hairs, the availability to sit indoors and outdoors, the availability of wireless, accompanied music, and other factors. Some restaurants also developed a unique environment that can be seen to target certain market segmentations such as young generation. Those physical components have the outcome of directing customers’ attitudes by creating a certain image in their minds (Limb 2010; Khan 2012).
In fact, this positive image is translated into a general satisfaction feeling which can result in creating a wider base of loyal customers. Price: One of the first components that come to mind when analyzing customer satisfaction he minds of customers especially when they try to compare similar brands. Its importance also can be seen in the fact that it can be a very important factor in attracting customers or driving them away (Monroe, 1989, as cited in Entailed ; Conway 2006).
On the other hand, in fast food industry the relation between the price and the expectation of the received value should be examined as people always demand more in exchange for the money they paid (Entailed ; Conway 2006). In that respect different brands always try to use different techniques in pricing depending on the target marker they are dealing with and the degree of price insensitivity of that target. For example, it may be not very wise to charge high prices for students segment even for new and unique meals because this will definitely have a negative effect on their satisfaction given their limited incomes.
Taste: In fast food industry, customers who are satisfied with the taste of their meals are less sensitive to prices than if they were not (Limb 2010; Khan 2012). So it is easy to understand the positive relation between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and the good taste. Though people have a wide range of perceptions of what is estates and what is not, analyzing the target market carefully and performing some insightful researches can help restaurants to establish a common idea for the needs and the tastes of each target market.
Marketing research and customer satisfaction: The role of effective and successful marketing research process in solving many of the problems that face different kind of businesses should not be underestimated. In the process of understanding the variables affecting customer satisfaction, which is related to the physiological condition of customers, the role of marketing research is essential. In many companies the results of customer satisfaction surveys have helped those companies to understand the different moods of their customer and to help them make changes in the different services provided to customer to better satisfy their needs.
For example, a marketing research conducted by market research firm Sandman ; Associates in 2009 helped some fast food brands to better satisfy the changing needs of their customers. The result of this research revealed that there is tendency among many customers towards healthier foods. In a response o this research, Mcdonald’s is offering a fruit and walnut salad, and Wend’s also have offered their customers fresh fruit bowls as a desert. All of this shows how marketing research can help businesses to keep up with the changing tastes and needs of their customers and hence better satisfy them.
CONCLUSION: Understanding and analyzing the factors that increase the satisfaction level of customers can be seen as one of the most important tasks that a marketer should be concerned in. This concern must be bigger in the competitive industry of fast food. As researchers may disagree on what are the real components of customer distraction in this industry, promotions, service quality, customer expectations, brand, physical environment, price, and taste can be seen as the major determinants.
These variables in fact are related to each other and they all have a positive effect on customer satisfaction. Companies should perform appropriate researches in order to understand those factors in a more insightful manner and to establish different who fail to understand the needs and the requirement of their customers will have no chance in References: Entailed, S. ; Conway, C (2006), ” customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: an examination of the transaction-specific model, Journal of service marketing, Volvo 20.
