Customer Satisfaction in Terms of Physical Evidence and Employee Interaction

--Vadivelu Thusyanthy and Samithamby Senthilnathan

The study makes an attempt to compare and explore the level of customer satisfaction in terms of physical evidence and employee interaction between Earlier Established Banks (EEB) (before 2008) and Newly Established Banks (NEB) (after 2008) in the northern region of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. The results indicate that all the banks have the attribute of high level customer satisfaction with the bank service provided in terms of physical evidence and employee interaction. Further analysis confirms that there is a difference in the service being provided and the layout of physical evidence between EEB and NEB in creating customer satisfaction.

© 2012 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Format Perception of Indian Apparel Shoppers: Case of Single and Multi-Brand Stores

-- Rituparna Basu, Kalyan Sengupta and Kalyan K Guin

Dwindling retail market share in the developed countries direct attention to a critical appraisal of the potential in emerging markets. While store choice can be an outcome of several interdependent factors, understanding the impact of shoppers’ format perception on their decision process helps in analyzing the developing attitude of the Indian retail customers. As organized retail market in India still evolves with notable dominance in categories like apparel, the present paper aims at exploring the formative attitude of the Indian apparel shoppers with respect to the single and multi-brand store format options. Demographic profiles are found to influence format preferences. The survey reveals that the urban Indian middle class, with leisure-oriented shopping motive, desire multi-brand stores to satisfy their shop-and-fun needs. Time-constrained urban female population along with senior citizens prefer single brand formats to suit their objective-driven shopping needs. The articulation of the format perception of the Indian apparel shoppers not only aids the existing and prospective retailers in formulating sustainable formats, but also serves as a foundation for a deeper probe into the retail consumer behavior research domain specific to emerging markets.

© 2012 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Impact of Service Quality on Satisfaction in the Indian Banking Sector

-- Vinita Kaura and Saroj Kumar Datta

This study attempts to know the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction through two public sector banks at Sikar district in Rajasthan. Data was collected from 150 customers. Three aspects of service quality—people, process through technology and physical evidence—are considered for the study. Findings indicate that service quality has a significant impact on customer satisfaction. People aspect of service quality is found more important than physical evidence and process through technology aspect of service quality.

© 2012 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Influence of Consumer Demographics on Attitude Towards Branded Products: An Exploratory Study on Consumer Durables in Rural Markets

-- Purna Prabhakar Nandamuri and Ch. Gowthami

India is emerging as an attractive market for consumer durables. But the vibrant environmental factors and fierce competition are making it imperative to understand the dynamics of consumer profiles. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of consumer demographics in rural markets on brand management of consumer durables. A self-designed questionnaire containing 14 statements related to the brand/product features was administered face to face to 224 prospective buyers of consumer durables, randomly selected during the months of May and June 2011, while they were approaching retail outlets in Warangal district. The responses were analyzed through chi-square test and reliability analysis with the help of SPSS-19. The findings indicate that out of the five demographic factors tested, occupation and income emerged as the strongest determinants, followed by age and education, whereas gender did not yield a strong significance. Since this research has established empirical evidences in determining the attitude towards brands, consumer goods marketers may formulate their strategies accordingly..

© 2012 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Case Study: Marketing Strategies in the Microfinance Sector: A Case Study on Hand in Hand Microfinance Pvt. Ltd.

--Priyanka Jayashankar and Robert V Goedegebuure

The microfinance sector in Southern India has evolved to be more competitive. The Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which has spawned several Self-Help Groups (SHGs), is a home to a wide range of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). As more players, both NGOs and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), foray into Tamil Nadu’s vibrant microfinance sector, marketing strategies assume significance. Despite the influx of Grameen replicators and the drastic changes in the policy environment brought about by the recent microfinance crisis in Andhra Pradesh, Hand in Hand, an NGO providing microfinance, has succeeded in enhancing the loyalty of its SHG members. A qualitative study has been carried out on Hand in Hand’s marketing strategies, wherein a senior executive and five microfinance clients participated. The socioeconomic impact brought about by Hand in Hand has also been discussed in detail.

© 2012 IUP. All Rights Reserved.