Research Examples: Customer Satisfaction

Project aim: To investigate building and construction companies’ attitudes to the level of service provided by a major hire and sale company.

Methodology: The study was conducted on behalf of the client’s seven individual business groups, all of whom were involved in hiring and/or selling products to the building industry. We interviewed 630 key decision-makers among customer companies in person and over the telephone.

Results: The final analysis pinpointed a number of areas where management was able to initiate changes to improve each business unit’s performance.

Project aim: To research the performance of a major supplier of thermal paper used to produce fax and recording chart products.

Methodology: This research project was carried out in more than twenty countries in Europe, Africa, South East Asia and Australasia. We prepared a self-completion questionnaire, which was sent to each customer. Once these were returned, we were able to identify the areas where customers had most problems. We then contacted key customers by telephone and held discussions in their own language to review in depth, the areas of product and service quality with which they were most dissatisfied.

Results: We produced a series of detailed recommendations, which enabled our client to take the most appropriate remedial action.

Project aim: To investigate the quality of service provided by a leading supplier of cable saturants and fillers.

Methodology: A research programme was undertaken by IBR consultants interviewing around 30 key technical and purchasing decision-makers among leading cable manufacturing companies. The research was carried out in Europe, the USA, Australasia and South East Asia.

Results: The client undertook a detailed appraisal of the quality of services offered by the company and implemented a number of changes to improve the company’s competitiveness.

Project aim: To assess levels of satisfaction among customers following a client’s customer services department being centralised.

Methodology: Following undertaking a number of initiatives to improve customer services, a leading manufacturer of paperboard then centralised its customer services department. Research was undertaken to examine the impact of this on levels of satisfaction among its customers. Interviews were undertaken among 75 customers in France, Germany and the UK.

Results: The outcome of the research confirmed that the switch had gone relatively smoothly, although there were a number of areas affected by the move to which the client had to attend.