ABSTRACT

MY project gives brief study, on what is customer satisfaction and the techniques of achieving Customer Satisfaction. It also provides significance of the conducting the customer satisfaction research and how and when to conduct it. Based on the topic, this project analyzes the CUSTOMER SATISFACTION " IN REFERENCE TO THE ASIAN PAINTS LTD It gives a brief report on the profile of the Asian Paints Co. About its vision , history, current status, its achievements as a firm in the paint industry. The project also speaks on its various product profiles and its future plans. It shows what strategies the Asian paints ltd have used for satisfying the customers. To undertake the research the questionnaire is prepared so as to know how much the customers are satisfied after using Asian Paints, are they willing to be a loyal customers or do they prefer other brands. The survey reflects the areas where the company needs to improve and the areas where it from where it has gained its popularity.

CHAPTER- I

INTRODUCTION

The field of my research is Customer Satisfaction which focuses on customers perceptions . Many firms are interested in understanding what their customers thought about their shopping or purchase experience, because finding new customers is generally more costly and difficult than servicing existing or repeat customers. Such researches provide a wider scope to the firms in the terms of high customer satisfaction.

Definition: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Customer Satisfaction , business term of how the products and the services supplied by the company meet or surpass the customer expectation. It is the key performance indicator within the business. By , Berlin Asong Customer satisfaction can greatly achieved by imparting Customer Relationship Management(CRM) in the company.

BUSINESS TECNIQUES OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

One of the key customer satisfaction techniques is the need to provide front line employees with the ability to respond to customer situations quickly without the need to ask for permission. Innovation drives customers' satisfaction. As customers' needs keep changing, an innovation-driven company is capacitated to exceed customers' expectations. To provide after sale services. Listen actively and carefully. Anticipate that the customer will be asking questions. They may be easy, they be hard. But encourage them anyway. If you cannot provide an answer, promise to find out the answer from someone who can. Be patient, look from the customer's point of view and work from there. This point of view will always give you the best outlook on the situation. Always keep a smile on your face when dealing with customers which can lead to customer satisfaction. This positive attitude can rub off and turn a potentially negative situation into a positive experience

RECENT METHODS THAT TODAYS FIRM ADOPT TO INCREASE THE CUSTOMER SATIFACTION
In order to stay competitive and remain profitable, businesses have to focus on the quality of their customer service. Companies that invest time, energy and money into developing and nurturing quality so customers can have a satisfactory experience are going to be more profitable and better likely to experience more sustained growth over the long-term.

*Customer-Centric Attitude.
Operations should be customer-centric meaning that the customer's best interests should always be foremost. Service should be offered in a helpful way and with a smile. Both management and employees should show interest towards the customer and strive to give them a good experience. Today's companies must strive even harder than abiding by this golden rule of customer service.

*Customer care.
Is something which is done even after the product is purchased. Many companies are interested in knowing the reason why consumers have purchased the goods and services or even the goods are not purchased. Managers interested in customer care try to collect a database as to why the customers have purchased the competitors product and service and what will be the level of satisfaction if it is introduced in our product or service. And also to find the level of expectations and their level of dissatisfaction.

*Customer focus.
Is attained when everyone in the organization make efforts to focus the activities towards the satisfaction of the customers right from the stage of new product planning and to product modification to the stage of elimination of the goods and services everything revolves around the customers. All the activities are focused on the customer satisfaction.

*Customer Service Training Another strategy to improve customer satisfaction is to invest in customer service training. All employees should be on board with how to treat customers and help them gain a valued experience. The quality of customer service can easily make or break a business.

The experience the people have received is the most important aspect in selling pure services or services with tangible goods. Once the customers is satisfied with the service his loyalty towards that product or company is at its peak. Companies today are doing a lot of self- introspection that they are really giving the said services to the customers. The important questions asked is Is service our top Priority? Are the customers satisfied? Are we improving on the quality of the services regularly? Companies are spending more money and time to see that the services are evaluated and improved as per the expectations of the customers. In fact , the companies globally known for their services are always in the process of finding opportunities to improve on the quality of the services. Better results can be seen when the organizations makes use of external, internal, and interactive marketing.

*Communication
Communication with customers is also important. It's a good idea to always provide customers with ways they can contact you and offer ways to contact them (if they choose). Offering e-mail, telephone line, web contact or other ways for customers to offer comments and/or complaints is of value.

* Customer Relationship Management Software

Customer Relationship Management is a process of managing detail information about individual customer and carefully managing all the customers touch points with the aim of maximizing customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Customer Relationship Management Software. Customer relationship management (CRM) software has become a strategy many companies employ to help increase customer satisfaction. Through using CRM tools and accompanying philosophy, businesses can examine and analyze what customers want and strive to meet this demand before they even walk in the door.

BENEFITS
CRM aims at individual customers. It tries to develop customers relationship by looking into his needs and requirements. CRM helps in two way communication by understanding the messages of the customers and responding to it. Thereby gaining customer loyalty. CRM helps to customize the products and thereby reducing the rate of customer defection. CRM tells the company what product or service the customer needs today and what it will need in future.

*Ask for Feedback

Being interested in customer feedback is always a valuable practice to engage in to increase customer satisfaction. What better strategy and technique to find out how to satisfy your customers than to ask them? Surveys, questionnaires, talking to customers as they shop, and then following up with calls or e-mails are all good ways to get feedback.

*Quality Control
Quality is important to customer satisfaction and the level of quality directly plays into a business' ability to meet customer expectations. Quality should be monitored for both service and the type of products offered; as a part of this guarantees and the willingness to stand behind service and/or products is necessary.

*Creating Customer Delight

Customer delight is when the standard of the goods and services are much higher than the expectations of the customers , this not only satisfies them but ssurprise and delight them. To create customer delight the company will not only in crease the standard of service but will train its personnel to deliver in its best possible manner the services as expected by the customers. Customer delight depends on the reliability factor oif the company. This is the ability to perform what has been promised to the customer. Companies who focus on customer delights should be dependable and have accuracy in delivering the services to the customers. Companies with much attitude of empathy and always paying individual attention to its customers which in turn builds customer delight. The advantage is manifold because it creates brand loyals and customer loyalty.

Significance of Customer Satisfaction Research

In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of business strategy. Customer satisfaction not only create loyalty among the customers but it increases the goodwill of the company by uplifting the market value of the brand. Customer researches are conducted to answer who our customers are? What do they like to buy?, when do buy and how do they buy?, it examines the taste, preferences and the attitude of the customers. Mostly it tends to become qualitative motivational research of customer behavior. Here, the self concept, ego, personality and life style of the consumers are studied. There is an attempt to study beliefs, opinions of the customers. By conducting such researches the company can minimize its defects in the field of production and can deliver high quality of services in relation to its competitors. Such researches can be carried by conducting surveys through interviews and questionnaire methods. These questionnaire methods form a path of getting the customers positive and negative feedback. The company can then respond to feedback and can retain the existing customers as well preventing them from shifting to other brands. A customer complaint could be the insight you have been seeking to learn why a certain product isn't moving. It can also be an indicator of personnel problems. If a customer mentions that an item does not work properly, you can research and try to recreate the problem, potentially finding a fix that will increase sales. A customer's complaint about an employee's lack of knowledge may reveal a need for more extensive training, while a grievance about poor customer service provides the chance to address it with your staff. By doing so it creates confidence among the customers , leading to word-to-mouth publicity which is more effective rather than t.v. commercials.

Why measure the Customer Satisfaction?

Customer satisfaction is tied directly to profitability. Well-established research by Bain & Company found that, for many companies, an increase of 5% in customer retention can increase profits by 25% to 95%. The same study found that it costs six to seven times more to gain a new customer than to keep an existing one. See ( fig. 1.3)

Fig- 1.3

It is important to consistently measure and monitor that input. Without an effective customer satisfaction research program in place, the company will be losing business, missing opportunities, and putting itself at a competitive disadvantage.\

In order to measure the customer satisfaction a Customer Satisfaction Survey has to be carried out. A closer look at how to formulate survey questions.

1. When to Conduct Customer Satisfaction Research?

The answer depends on the size of the customer base and the purpose of the research. There are two key types of surveys, and they serve very different purposes: *Transactional surveys. solicit* feedback directly from the product or service user about that particular encounter. They are conducted immediately after each customer transaction.

* Relationship surveys. collect input from people who have an ongoing

relationship with the company and have had multiple transactions. The respondents typically are responsible for deciding whether to continue the working relationship. In many cases conducting both transactional and relationship surveys may be appropriate.

2. How to distribute the survey?

The best means of distributing a survey depends on whether it is a transactional or relationship survey. A transactional survey is conducted at the point of customer contact. Relationship surveys, on the other hand, are most cost-effectively conducted online. Online data collection offers significant advantages over other modes of interviewing customers, and you should use it whenever possible. The advantages include:

*Speed. The Internet offers instantaneous distribution of survey and real-time

accumulation and tabulation of results. This allows for immediate data analysis, even while the survey is still in progress. The faster responses arrive, the faster they can be addressed. In contrast, mail surveys suffer from long lag times and low response rates.

*Candor. This is essential for research on sensitive subject matter where studies
indicate people are more likely to answer questions honestly on the Web than they are on the phone or in personal interviews. (Quirks Marketing Research Review, 2003). Such responses provide insight into what a company is doing well and frequently provide warning signs about the health of the business relationship.

*Cost. The Internet eliminates postage and telephone costs as well as basic materials
like paper, staples, envelopes, and printing. Because it is self-directed, there is no interviewer cost. Finally, its more convenient.

3. Design an Effective Customer Satisfaction Survey?

A well designed customer satisfaction survey will help measure your progress toward that goal. A quick way to get started and ensure a successful survey design.

a) Ask Overall Satisfaction Early in the Survey

Ask the general satisfaction question at the start of the survey to avoid bias. This will allow measurement of customers overall impressions of a company or an organization prior to prompting them to think of specific aspects of the relationship. (see fig. 2.5) For example :The first question should be Overall, how satisfied are you with bank X? Then ask for specifics: their teller experiences, the availability of ATMs, etc

Fig. 2.5

b) Use a 5-point Satisfaction Scale

Question scales should have descriptive labels associated with the numbers, and the top of the scale should mean that customers are truly wowed. The use of 5-point Satisfaction Scale provide a sense of intensity of customers happiness with a product or service.(see fig.3.5) Fig. 3.5

An insightful alternative to the 5-point satisfaction scale for customer service is a 5point expectations scale. (see fig. 4.6). It provides clear direction and allows customers a polite way to suggest that a company has not done a great job. The 5-point Expectations Scale for Service Fig. 4.6

c) Be Consistent in Your Questions

Consistency is critical in customer satisfaction research.. The key measures of customer satisfaction, including the overall satisfaction question and those asking about specific aspects of the relationship, should all use the same scale. For example, if a 5-point satisfaction scale is used for the overall satisfaction question and 7-point scales are used for other questions about timeliness of service or product quality, it will be challenging to quickly uncover weaknesses in the business

d) Keep the Survey Short and Focused

Avoid the temptation to ask everything youve ever wanted to know. The more ground you try to cover, the more likely it is that respondents will abandon the survey. If you build your own survey be sure to include all the key questions: Overall satisfaction An open-ended probing into the reason for the satisfaction rating Likelihood of recommendation An open-ended probing into the reason for the likelihood of recommendation Likelihood of repeat purchase Satisfaction with specific attributes of the product or service An opportunity to provide additional feedback

e) Ask Demographic or Firmographic Questions

Inquiring about demographics or firmographics (company or industry type and size) enables you to analyze the data by different subgroupssuch as new customers or regional customers.

Interpreting Survey Results

When youre analyzing customer satisfaction survey results, the most important goals are: Minimizing the low scores and improving the top scores. It is important to monitor the top two-box satisfaction number, percentage of those who are very or somewhat satisfied. To call out to management the proportion of customers who are dissatisfied and to reduce those percentages. This is found by learning what those who provide high ratings have to say and reviewing the results of those who are dissatisfied with performance.

f) Present Findings and Action Items

Collecting customer satisfaction data is useful only if there is a process established to deliver recommendations, implement action plans, assign plan owners, and monitor plan execution, the resources allocated to meet that goal should be determined. Once the results have been compiled and analyzed, they should be presented to management with recommendations for resolving the identified weaknesses. There should be periodic meetings to evaluate progress.

g) Contact Customers
If possible, dissatisfied customers should be personally contacted to see if there is something that can be done to improve their perception of the business. This is important to prevent negative word of mouth. The personal contact itself may succeed in doing that. Additionally, a discount or free product should be considered. If policies or products are changed based on customers feedback, those customers should be contacted to let them know about those changes and that their feedback was taken seriously.

Objectives of Research: The primary objective of the my research is :

To know the significance of customer satisfaction and to search an optimum design for an effective customer satisfaction survey. To track and measure the customer satisfaction in relation to Asian Paints as a product.

To know the requirements of the customer satisfaction.

To know the level of awareness of the Asian Paints as product.

The secondary objectives of my research is to :

. Whether there preferences for Asian Paints as a product is above the other competitors eg. Nerolac paints ltd. To find what the customers want from Asian paints company

Reasons for brand shifting in case of negative feedback.

Are the customers satisfied by the services provided by Asian Paints.

LIMITATIONS
No personal interview could be conducted as most of the respondents of the questionnaire were able to answer it only through mail. A limited sample size of 10 customers was considered because of time constraint and certain limited boundaries (not specifically mentioned). Research might not reflect the real target market as the total sample size is comparatively less to represent the entire population. The income of the customers was not considered. As information of income is not provided by customers. Hence the level of satisfaction and purchase utility may vary due to this factor. This research is carried on random basis, and through email as mentioned above, therefore the customers are from different areas. Hence the results of this research should not be taken for one particular market place.

This data is conducted at primary level therefore it might be subjected to bias.

This research is carried by taking internet facility ,hence there is not direct contact with the customers.

CHAPTER- II

COMPANY PROFILE

Asian Paints is India's largest paint company and ranked among the top ten Decorative coatings companies in the world with a turnover of INR 66.80 billion. Asian Paints along with its subsidiaries have operations in 17 countries across the world with 23 paint manufacturing facilities, servicing consumers in 65 countries through Berger International, SCIB Paints Egypt, Asian Paints, Apco Coatings and Taubmans. While working towards enhancing customer experience the management at Asian Paints looks at the bigger picture by being aware about environmental hazards. All manufacturing plants and units are certified environmentally safe. Asian Paints formulates , manufacture & sell the finest paints (the most suitable for each need and giving good value for money to users) & provide the best possible service to its customers characterized by Reliability & Responsiveness. The products provide surface protection & good appearance for all consumers while being safe to apply, not harmful to health and not adverse to the environment. Customers - the very core of all the business activities. From the beginning, Asian Paints has fostered a customer-centric approach to business. A simple but unbeatable concept of "going where the customer is" drives all its retail strategies.

VISION
Asian Paints aims to become one of the top five Decorative coatings companies world-wide by leveraging its expertise in the higher growth emerging markets. Simultaneously, the company intends to build long term value in the Industrial coatings business through alliances with established global partners.

HISTORY
1ST February 1942 Armed with little knowledge and great determination, Champaklal H. Choksey, Chimanlal N. Choksi, Suryakant C. Dani and Arvind R. Vakil get together to manufacture paint in a garage on Foras Road, Bombay. They name their company 'The Asian Oil & Paint Company', a name that they picked randomly from a telephone directory. 1945 Asian Paints touches a turnover of Rs. 3,50,000, with an innovative marketing strategy "to reach consumers in the remotest corners of the country with small packs." 1954 Asian Paints mascot, Gattu, the mischievous kid, is born. 1957 - 66 The family-owned company makes the transition to a professionally managed organisation. British company Balmer Lawrie rejects the products of a giant British paint company in favour of Asian Paints. Asian Paints embarks on an ambitious grassroots marketing campaign, partnering with thousands of dealers in small towns all over India. 1967 Asian Paints emerges as India's leading paint company ahead of any international competition.

CURRENT STATUS
Asian Paints becomes the 10th largest decorative paint company in the world Asian Paints is more than twice the size of its nearest competitor It is one of the most admired companies in India Present in 22 countries with 27 manufacturing locations, over 2500 SKU's, Integrated SAP - ERP & i2 - SCM solution Rated Best Employer by BT-Hewitt survey, 2000 Bluest of the blue chips by Hindu Business Line; Most admired company to work for by ET-BT survey, 2000 On the recommendations of Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Asian Paints restructured itself into Growth, Decorative and International business units and adopted SCM and ERP technology Asian Paints aims to become the 5th largest decorative paint company in the world

FUTURE PLANS
Asian Paints to accelerate growth of its non-decorative coatings business Approves plans to enhance its relationship with PPG, to accelerate growth of the nondecorative coatings businesses in India. Asian Paints Signs MOU with Maharashtra Government to set up a Mega Project for manufacture of Paints and Intermediates at Kesurdi in Maharashtra The Asian Paints Helpline introduced few years ago is a toll free service where consumers call and ask queries related to painting. The company has now extended this service to ASIAN PAINTS HOME SOLUTIONS, which offers painting services in addition to the paint. This service is available in 10 cities viz - Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Coimbatore & Cochin

PRODUCT PROFILES
Asian Paint has offered brands in all possible applications. For instance:

Synthetic Enamel : Apcolite, Gattu

finish

Industrial Segment

finishes, viny I & Polyurethane Systems.

Automotives
an Acrlic Paint, Apca nitro-cellulose based Paint, Aspa an Allkyd, autocare.

Primers

Cement Primer

PLANTS OF ASIAN PAINTS INDIAN LTD

INDIAN PLANTS

Asian Plants Bhandup (Maharashtra) in India

Asian Plants Kasna (Uttar Pradesh) in India

Asian Plants Sriperumbudur in India

Asian Plants (Rohtak, Haryana)

OVERSEAS PLANTS

Berger International Plants Barbados

Berger International Plants Bahrain

Berger International Plants Jamaica

Berger International Plants Singapore

Berger International Plants Trinidad

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Awarded the "Sword of Honour" by the British Safety Council for all the paint plants in India. This award is considered as the pinnacle of achievement in safety across the world. Forbes Global magazine, USA ranked Asian Paints amongst the 200 'Best Small Companies of the world' in 2002 and 2003 and amongst the top 200 'Under a Billion Firms' of Asia in 2005. Ranked 24th amongst the top paint companies in the world by Coatings World Top Companies Report 2006. The Asset - one of Asia's leading financial magazine ranked Asian Paints amongst the leading Indian companies in Corporate Governance in 2002 and 2005. Received the Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year - Manufacturing" award in 2003.

Efforts taken by Asian Paints to improve their Customer Satisfaction

A Customer Care Executive will record your requirement, interest in the service and schedule an appointment for a site visit. A Sales Associate will visit the home on the appointed date & time.: To understand your painting requirements. To explain the various products and painting systems available and suggest options given your need. To conduct a thorough site evaluation to understand present condition of the paintable area. With the customers consent, he will get measurements done for the chosen paintable area through a panel applicator assigned for the job. To finalize the Painting Estimate as per the measurements, painting systems chosen and the standard rate card. The Sales Associate will introduce the customer to the Relationship Associate who will be responsible for the execution of the job, and handover all points discussed with customer so far, before start of the actual painting job. The panel applicator assigned will initiate the job, with regular supervision by the Relationship Associate.

The Relationship Associate will set a work schedule in consultation with the applicator for the job and share with customer, this will provide the timeline for the completion of the painting job, in a phase wise manner. The RA will supervise and ensure that the quality of painting is as per recommended guidelines and the painters are taking due care of things apart from painting - eg. Covering and masking of non-paintable surfaces, ensuring a clean job, taking care of furniture and fixtures, etc. The RA may also advice the customer on suggested shade choices, usage of special themes. After completion of painting the RA will ensure professional handover of the site to customer post required cleaning. Post completion - the invoice & warranty card with a validity of 1 year on paint & application will be couriered to you. An independent agency will contact the customer for confirming satisfaction rating on different parameters. During or after the painting process if there is any problem faced,, customer may get in touch with our customer care at 1800-209-5678 or mail the company at customercare@asianpaints.com

CHAPTER- III

RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY

Sources of Data Collection Primary source :

The primary source of my data collection is carried through questionnaire method.

Secondary source :
As a secondary source the data is collected through various websites and books mentioned in bibliography. Customer preference reports carried by previous investigators on Asian Paints company ltd were observed and studied.

Sample description Method of Sample selection:

The method of sample selection is carried through ,the Survey Method. (Questionnaire By Mail ). In this method the sample of the respondents are prepared. the questionnaire are then sent by post together with a covering letter explaining the purpose of the study and requesting the respondents to extend his cooperation.

Size of the Sample:

The sampling units are the elements of research ,hence the sampling units in my research are the individuals. The sample size is the total number of units in the sample. Hence the total sample size is 10 units.

Sample Analysis:
Itemised rating scale is used with four categories for more reliable ratings of satisfaction on various elements. Ratio scale is used for those elements , where the answers are more of specific in nature. Example Yes or No. The data is summarized and compressed into tabulation form.

Bar - graphs and pie charts are used to interpret the tabulated data and the inferences are drawn.

CHAPTER - IV DATA PRESENTATION ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

Analysis and Interpretation of Questionnaire no.1 (for general purpose) Observing and studying the questionnaire No.1 the data collected from it is processed into the following tabulation and graph form.

Figure - 1

INFERENCE: From the above table , out of the 10 respondents, following is the inferences for different elements. Overall Satisfaction: the overall satisfaction rate is 60%and the total dissatisfaction rate is 40%. The gap between the two is 60% - 40% = 20%. This means the overall satisfaction rate is 20% more than the dissatisfaction rate. That shows improvement but not at the sufficient rate. Sales Representative: the total satisfaction is 30% and the total dissatisfaction is 70% out of which 20% are very dissatisfied. The gap between the dissatisfaction and satisfaction is 70% - 30% = 40%. That means the dissatisfaction level is 40% more that satisfaction level. This indicates that the company need more improvement in this area of business activity. Online Facility: the total satisfaction of the customers is 70%and dissatisfaction is 30% .the satisfaction gap is 70% - 30% = 40%. It means the satisfaction rate is 40% more than the dissatisfaction rate. This means the companys performance is better in this field. But out of 30% , 10% are very dissatisfied and 20%are somewhat dissatisfied. The company must find the reasons for such a dissatisfaction for the total success. Price Level: here the total satisfaction level is 40% and the total dissatisfaction is 60% . Therefore the gap rate is 60% - 40% = 20%.. This means the dissatisfaction rate is 20% more than satisfaction level.

Analysis and Interpretation of Questionnaire no.2 (for specific purpose) Observing and studying the questionnaire No.2 the data collected from it is processed into the following tabulation and graph form.

Figure- 2.1

INFERENCE: From the above table, out of the 10 respondents, following is the inferences for different elements; Colour, texture and smell: the total satisfaction level is 50% and the total dissatisfaction is 50%. But out of the total rate of dissatisfied customers 40% are somewhat dissatisfied and 30% somewhat satisfied. And therefore the gap between the former and the latter is 40% - 30%= 10% . It means that the dissatisfaction rate is 10% more than satisfaction level. Though the very satisfied customers are 20% who, are totally satisfied and have no complains regarding this element. Smooth wall surface: total satisfaction level of the customers is 70% ,therefore 30% totally dissatisfied . The gap between the two is 70% - 30% = 40%. This means that the satisfaction level is 40% more than the dissatisfaction level. This shows 70% of the customers agree that after using Asian Paints they get a smooth wall surface.

Figure - 2.2

INFERENCE: From the above table , to my analysis, out of the 10 respondents, 10% of the respondents have experienced Adhesion on their walls after using Asian Paints. While the 90% of them have given a positive response, this shows the level of increased improvement.

Figure: 2.3

INFERENCE: From the above table, to my analysis, out of the 10 respondents, 10% of the respondents have experienced blistering on their walls after using Asian Paints. While other 90% of them have no complains for this factor.

Figure- 2.4

INFERENCE:

From the above table, to my analysis, out of the 10 respondents, 10% of them have experienced yellowing of the wall after using Asian Paints. While 90% of them have given a positive response. But the company must take find the reasons for such yellowing of the walls.

Figure- 2.5.1

INFERENCE: From the above table (2.5) , out of the 10 respondents , 20% and 70% of them are aware of the Asian Paints Primers and Decorative paints respectively. Further 80% and 30% do have much idea regarding the usage of the Asian Paints primers and decorative paints respectively.

From the table (2.5.1) , out of the 10 respondents, following is the inference for the different elements: Primers : total satisfaction is 10% and the other 10% are very dissatisfied due to the inhalation of its strong fumes. Decorative Paints: total customers aware are 70%.out of which 40% are dissatisfied customers and total satisfaction is 30%. Therefore the gap that prevails between the two is 40% - 30% = 10% . This means that the dissatisfaction is 10% more than satisfaction rate.

Figure: 2.6

INFERENCE: From the above table , to my analysis, out of the 10 respondents, 30% are not satisfied and do not find the makeover and decorative ideas provided by the Asian Paints useful ,as they feel the Ideas do not work out as is shown in the t.v. commercials. While 70% of the respondents have provided with positive response.

Figure: 2.7

INFERENCE: From the above table , to my analysis , out of the 10 respondents, 60% of the respondents feel that the t.v. commercials shown by the Asian Paints are misleading. As they found problems of colour fadedness, blistering, yellowing of the walls etc.. This may bring them on verge of brand shifting. Hence the company must overcome this problem as soon as possible. While other 40% have provided a positive response.

Figure- 2.8

INFERENCE: Regarding the Service Sector of the Asian Paints, to my analysis, out of the 10 respondents,

For Response to Complaints: 60% of the respondents have given do find optimum satisfaction from this sector of the company, out of which 20% are very dissatisfied, as they have not received any response to their complaints. While 40% have given a positive feed back. After Sales Service: 50% of the respondents have derived optimum satisfaction but the other half are not satisfied by the after sales services provided by the company. Out of which 20% are very dissatisfied.

Figure- 2.9

INFERENCE: Form the above table , out of the 10 respondents, 60% of them are giving more preference to the other paints company like NEROLAC Paints company. As they have found satisfaction for a longer period of time in terms of paint quality as well as in price level. While 40% of the respondents have preferred Asian Paints over other paints. Therefore this shows an alarming situation for the company, where the company may lose their existing customers.

CHAPTER - V

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

FINDINGS:
The findings from this research shows that the company is working hard to maintain the quality of its paints as the least number of the customers have some problems regarding blistering , adhesion or yellowing of the wall. Almost 70% of the respondents have agreed that after using Asian Paints they get a smooth wall surface. But the certain dissatisfaction still prevails regarding the texture and smell of the primers. One out of the ten respondents is totally disinclined towards Asian Paints the reason found out was the fumes of the primers affecting the health. Another have experienced cracks in the wall paints and have complained against the durability of the paints. Such dissatisfied customers have shown positive inclinition towards other brands such as Nerolac paints.

Regarding the service department of the Asian Paints. This include, the services provided by sales representative of which the total satisfaction prevailing is just 30% and the level of the dissatisfaction is 40%, more as the respondents have reported, the local dealers and team leaders are care free and do not respond to their complains.

And in the fields of feedback to the complains, 20% more of dissatisfaction is prevailing than satisfaction. The After Sales Services shows equal levels total satisfaction and total dissatisfaction but 20% of then show that they are very dissatisfied.

Incase of Online Facilities the respondents have provided with positive feedback. 40% rate of satisfaction level is more than the dissatisfaction level. This shows that the online facilities have upward moving scale.

Regarding the promotional activities, 6:10 is the ratio for dissatisfaction . That means out of ten respondents undertaken six respondents feel that the commercials are misleading because according to them they have not got the same effects as shown in the t.v. commercials. And the other activities such as innovative ideas and makeovers its satisfactory ratio is 7:10 which shows effective efforts are being taken.

Regarding the price level, 60% of the respondents feel that the prices of the Asian Paints are high. Out of which 20% are very dissatisfied as they are reluctant after comparing the prices with end results.

Regarding the inclination towards the Asian paints brands , 6:10 respondents prefer Asian Paints over other paints. But still there are four other respondents who are preferring other paint brands.

The overall satisfaction of the Asian Paints ltd in general judged by the respondents and brought down in this report is, 20% more than the overall dissatisfaction.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Asian Paints must improve its service sector. If there are any complaints regarding the product of the Asian paints, the line officers must follow up with calls or emails , if required they must send their workers to repair the damaged caused due to the company's product.

There are complaints by the customers regarding the care- free behavior of the team leaders, resulting in poor customer satisfaction. To avoid this the management must try to change the behavior of the officers as well as team leaders. This can be done by bringing Change Management.

Asian Paints Co. must re-treat its primers, in its research laboratories to avoid the inhalation of the harmful fumes and make the products eco-friendly.

Asian Paints is one of the best paints , but certain weaknesses still persist, regarding its colour fadedness, adhesion & smoothness. Therefore to avoid this the company must have a regular check on its production department and quality department and every activity related to the development of the product. They can do this on regular intervals by adopting techniques like Kaizen technique and Total Quality Management.

The customers feel that the advertisements are misleading and fraud. Therefore to remove this negative attitude of the customers the company can demonstrate how to use a particular product and how to utilize and maintain it at its maximum level. At last how to obtain an advertisement look.

BIBLOGRAPHY
1) Dr. P.C. Pardeshi, Marketing Management, Marketing Research, Nirali Prakashan, Pune , June , 1999, Page no. 6.1 2) Dr. Shaila Bootwala , D.J. Penkar, V.K. Behere, Modern Marketing Management, Customer Relationship Management, Nirali Prakashan, Pune, June 2006 , Page no. 5.1 3) Sharps, Research Methodology, Choice of Research Method, Sharp Publisher, Pune , 2008, Page no. 39

Websites: 1) Best Techniques to create Customer Satisfaction By, Berlin Asong and Glenn Magas Additional Information on this article can found at http://www.helium.com/items/1649585be-st-techniques-to-create-customersatisfaction 2) Business Strategies to Increase Customer Satisfaction By,Doc Pratt More info at: http://www.helium.com/items/1524563-business-strategies-thatimprove-customer-satisfaction by Leigh Goessi More info at: http://www.thecrmdoctor.com/questionanswerpage.htm#Why CRM 3) Measuring and Tracking Customer satisfaction Detail info. can be found at: http://www.zoomerang.com/Whitepaper/Measuring-Tracking-Customer-Satisfaction/ 4) http://managementhelp.org/customer/satisfy.htm#anchor4293023093

5) http://homerepair.about.com/od/exteriorhomerepair/ss/paint_failures.htm

APPENDIX

Glossary
Adhesion of paint: Peeling due to poor adhesion is characterized by the paint peeling and separating from an earlier paint layer (intercoat peeling) or from the substrate leaving some paint behind. Sometimes portions of earlier paint layers are visible under the curling, peeling paint layer. Blistering of paint: Blistering paint is identified by small to medium sized bubbles or blisters under the paint film and is most common on wood siding and trim. Primers: A primer is a preparatory coating put on materials before painting. Priming ensures better adhesion of paint to the surface, increases paint durability, and provides additional protection for the material being painted Ratio Scale: Ratio is the relationship between the two numbers. Ratio Scale data is a factor which gives the information regarding the relation existing between two or more identical geometrical figure. Itemised rating scale : Itemised rating scale is also called as numerical scale. Limited number of categories in terms of their scale position is selected in this rating scale. Scales with five or seven categories are employed for this purpose. The more clearly defined the categories , the more reliable ratings are likely to be. Firmographic data: Find all the information you need to target new prospects as well as gain valuable intelligence on your existing customers. By segmenting your marketing list, identify the right product to offer each prospect and ultimately expand your customer base. Other types of research method: Observational method: Observation is the method of recognizing and recording the behavior of the people, objects and events rather than asking for the information. Experimental method: This method allows a maximum degree of control and is ranked as relatively high with respect to the data accuracy since the ability to control the variables of interest tend to produce relatively error free data. Experimental method is limited to the collection of the primary data . Field Investigation method: It is the direct communication between the researcher and the respondents.

Panel research: When the researcher interviews the same sample group two or more times or secures data from them on two or more occasions, it can be said there is panel research. Sampling: The process of sampling involves any procedure using a small number of items or parts of the whole population to make conclusions regarding the whole population. A sample is a subset or some part of the whole population. Sampling unit: The sampling unit is the basic unit containing the elements of the population to be sampled. Eg. Individuals , social group. Sampling frame: A sampling frame is a means of representing the elements of the population. A sampling frame may be a telephone directory. Sample size: It the total number of units in the sample. The size of sample bears a direct relationship to accuracy time, cost and administration of investigation. Other types of Business Researches: Product research: Under this research it is necessary to define the product mix, its length and breadth. There are various attribute of the product. Each attribute can be examined by this research. Price research: Under price research some of the issues examined are , what price is to be charged? What should be the basis of pricing? Is price rise inevitable? Will it have any effects? Etc . Distribution research: It studies about two aspects, the structure of the distribution channel and its research. Promotion research: The research carried on promotional activities to increase sales. Market research: It studies the physical dimensions of a market - its location , size, competition, channel structure. Sales research: Sales turnover of different products, in different territories is studied. They also study about the profitability of the different sales groups. Sales trends are also analyzed. Corporate research: Here research scans the environments, conducts analysis, and tries to adopt the strategies, objectives systems and structure to match the environment. The research here is integrated to overall corporate plan.

International marketing research: Here the research is conducted abroad or overseas through an outside agency preferably native to that country. It gives to boost to export sales , and gives an idea as to how to adopt the product to a different marketing environment. It is conducted in local language. Marketing research on services: The research conducted for the service sector. The service sector includes banking , insurance, road transport, rail transport , etc. Industrial marketing research: Research carried for the industrial products like capital tools and machineries. Types of Data: Primary data: Primary data are the data that have been observed or recorded by researches for the first time to their knowledge. Sources of primary data are the sampling units chosen. It can be carried through Observation, Experiment, Surveys and other methods. Secondary data: Secondary data may be described as those data that have been complied by some agency other than the user. Secondary sources of data may be of two types; internal data and external data.

Attached: Questionnaire no.1 Questionnaire no.2

QUESTIONNAIRE NO-1
(for general purpose)

1.

What is your overall satisfaction rating with Asian Paints ltd 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

2. Please rate your level of satisfaction with your sales representative in the following areas. 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

Responsiveness

Professionalism

Understanding my needs

3.

Are you satisfied by online facilities provided by Asian Paints? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

4.

Regarding the price level fixed by Asian Paints did you find it satisfactory? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

5.Are you satisfied by the quality of the Asian paints in the terms of smell, shine , texture, colour? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

6.

Are you satisfied by the smooth wall surface you get after using Asian paints? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

7.

Do you experience paint peeling or poor adhesion ? YES NO

8.

Are you facing problems of blistering? YES NO

9.

Do you experience sags and runs? YES NO

10.

After using Royale Asian Paints do you experience Yellowing of the wall colour ? YES NO

11.

Do you experience microbial growth on the walls after using Asian Paints? YES NO

12.

Have you used Asian Paint Primers ?( Asian Paints Acrylic Wall Putty, Primer ST, Primer WT, etc) YES OR NO

If yes, do you find the Asian Paints Primers satisfactory? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

13. There are various Decorative Paints for Exterior walls, Interior walls, Metal surfaces, Wood surfaces. Have you used any of them ? YES OR If yes, did you find it satisfactory ? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied NO

14.

Asian Paints provide expert help in makeovers and decorative ideas. Did you find it useful? YES NO

15. Do you feel the T.V. commercials of Asian Paints Company are misleading? YES NO

16. Asian Paints ltd provide a separate section for complaints. Did you ever had a complain for Asian Paints products or its services? YES OR NO

If, yes did you find the response given, satisfactory? 4 Very satisfied 3 somewhat satisfied 2 some what dissatisfied 1 very dissatisfied

17. Do you feel satisfied by the after sales services provided by Asian Paints ,in terms of tips on the post application and maintenance, invoice, warranty card, etc.

4 Very satisfied

3 somewhat satisfied

2 some what dissatisfied

1 very dissatisfied

18. Do you think Asian Paints are more satisfactory than other paints? YES NO

19. Would you like to give any suggestions to the Asian Paints regarding their product or services? YES OR NO

If yes, please write in the given box:

Customer Satisfaction Research

In relation to Asian Paints ltd Masters of Commerce Business Administration Project
This survey is a part of Mcom. Business Administration project. It is conducted to know the extent of satisfaction that the customers are gaining by using Asian paints. Such efforts are not collected by the investigators of Asian Paints ltd, neither it will be handed personally to the company. Therefore you are requested to fill the questionnaire attached and the initials below:

Name:

___________________________________

Address:

___________________________________

Phone no.: ___________________________________

email id:

___________________________________

By Shaikh Reeha Vasi (student)

DECLARATION

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the Project Report entitled Customer Satisfaction Research written and submitted by me to the University of Pune, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree of Master of Commerce in Business Administration under the guidance of Prof. Shaikh Shirin Naz is my original work and the conclusions drawn therein are based on the material collected by myself.

Place: Pune

Research

Date: Student

Shaikh Reeha Vasi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express our deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness to the Principal, Mr. EM Khan and Vice Principal and Head of the Commerce Department ,Dr. Shaila Bootwala of Abeda Inamdar Senior College, Pune, for the encouragement given to me to complete the project and for the facilities provided to me through out the project. I am thankful to our guide and coordinator Prof Shaikh Shirin Naz for her valuable guidance and kind cooperation right from the beginning of the project report.

I am thankful very much for her kind constant encouragement and guidance shown during the course of our project. . Last but not the least, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the respondents.

SHAIKH REEHA VASI

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
(A Study with reference to Asian Paints India Ltd.)
A Project report submitted to Pune University , Pune, Maharashtra. In fulfillment for the award of the degree of

MASTER OF COMMERCE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

By SHAIKH REEHA VASI

Under the esteemed guidance of PROF. SHAIKH SHIRIN NAZ

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ABEDA INAMDAR SENIOR COLLEGE (Affiliated To, and Approved by University of Pune ) PUNE- 411001 2010-2011