Question

1. How does Xerox research and measure customer satisfaction? What would you recommend to improve the program? Use insights from GAPs model and ServQual dimensions to support your answer.

i really just need examples from GAPS model and Servqual dimensions!!!

Answer 1

Xerox researches and measures customer satisfaction through their Global Relationship surveys using which they take feedback from their clients and customers either directly or through automated systems. Xerox uses these surveys, done through sales channels or online, to get feedback on customer satisfaction level and points of improvement. Then through root cause analysis and Six sigma techniques, the issue is identified and probable solutions are defined to increase customer satisfaction level.

This program can be further improved using GAPs model and ServQual dimensions. The customer survey can be designed based on the framework of these gaps and dimensions so that Xerox can get a better understanding of where they are lacking and which issue should be given priority to resolve.

GAPS model helps to understand these customer satisfaction survey better through a framework. It says that there are mainly 5 customer satisfaction gaps that organization needs to address so that they can a positive perception amongst its customers that the service provided meets their expectation.

1. Knowledge GAP: This happens when company is not aware of what customer actually wants. They may be pushing for some other product or marketing a completely different feature while the customer has different expectation from the XEROX products. It may happen due to low interactions done by the employees with the customers to understand their actual requirement.

Solution- Through this customer surveys or regular feedbacks taken by Sales team or service delivery team can help design the requirement document for the customer. Instead of doing survey twice a year, the frequency can be increased to once a month. Interactions between the staff and customers should also increase instead of over dependence on automatic machine surveys. Once the knowledge of what a customer wants is established, it will be easier for XEROX to achieved customer satisfaction.

2. Policy Gap- Here, even if management knows what exactly the customers want, the customer service policy or quality standards of the company cannot meet these requirements or the staff is not able to meet the quality standards set.

Solution: A regular revision of policies as per changing scenario to keep the company updated on global standards can help Xerox achieve the set satisfaction levels. Policies can be revisited based on the feedback gathered from customers.

3. Delivery Gap- this Gap usually occurs when the actual delivery of set policies and quality standards are way below the company decided levels.

Solution: Regular training of employees facing customers on these policies and thereby monitoring the performance based on set standards can help improve the customer satisfaction. The training will increase the staff knowhow on these policies. Awards can also be given to employees following these standards to the best possible level which will increase competition amongst employees and help improve the delivery standard.

4. Communications Gap: This is when there is a big gap between what was actually promised to the customer and what was actually delivered to customers finally. It is a common occurrence when sales or advertising might over promise and the final product delivery team is unable to meet those high expectations resulting in loss of customer satisfaction.

Solution: All the departments should interact while preparing communications for the customer. Final advertisement should have concurrence of operations and product team so that they know what is being promised to a consumer.

5. Customer Gap: This is the gap between customer perception and customer expectation. The final delivery may not meet an unrealistic expectation of customer.

Solution: This situation can be resolved only if other 4 gaps are addressed. A regular follow-up with customers understanding their perception can help to either correct the expectation or improve the delivery standards so that customer satisfaction level can be reached.

Xerox therefore has to regularly monitor these Gaps identified through the surveys and feedbacks so as to resolve them before any dissatisfaction happens.

ServQual Dimensions

ServQual Dimensions can be used by Xerox for better evaluation of their service quality provided to customers. These are 5 dimensions in which the customer feedback given through surveys can be recorded to understand the customer issues better. The dimensions are listed out based on their level of priority:

1. Reliability: Deliver as promised

Whether Xerox has provided them exactly the same product and service which was promised in an Ad or by the Sales team – this should be the first question to ask the customer so as to gauge their perception about the product and if that was met by Xerox.

2. Responsiveness: Faster response

Customers already facing issue get even more dissatisfied when there is delay in response from the company or too many levels of contact is provided delaying their problem’s resolution. Xerox should establish a TAT for response and monitor performance based on it to improve the customer response time. Sometimes the customer just wants to be heard and delay in response is not the best solution for them.

3. Assurance: Provide confidence that issue will be resolved

The response team should have knowledge on the resolution or should know the right person to contact for the resolution, anything less than a confident response will create doubt and confusion for the customer. Xerox can never tell a customer it cannot be resolved rather they need to identify experts so as to talk to customers on how long will it take to actually resolve.

4. Empathy: Personalized attention to customer helps build better relationship than just sticking to rules.

The employees may have performed the task to the exact expectation but if they go above and beyond in offering empathy, smiling, helping out a customer more than asked or even just asking what else is needed, then it increases the satisfaction of the customer. Offering extra or just showing empathy builds a better customer satisfaction level.

5. Tangibles: Appearances do matter

Well-dressed employee or clean maintained facility and office gives a good impression to customer on the seriousness of service delivery that Xerox believes in providing to the customers.