Introduction
One of the aims of instituting a service company is to satisfy clients while earning profits. The three major benefits of customer satisfaction include customer loyalty, retention, and profitability. When customers are well satisfied with the services offered by a company, their allegiance increases. Conversely, when consumers are dissatisfied, they are likely to resort to other service providers. It is also easier to retain a fulfilled customer and easier to lose a discontented customer. Generally, companies that keep customers satisfied have higher customer profitability. It is easier for such businesses to experience greater market share growth. This paper discusses customer satisfaction in Du Telecommunications Company. The goal is to show how the company has maintained client contentment.
Customer Satisfaction at Du
It is vital for a company to improve the experience of its customers to retain its market share. According to Yadav and Dabhade, customer satisfaction is derived from perceived value and service quality.1 Perceived value refers to the benefits received by customers in relation to the total cost they incur. According to Sharma, customers who are of the opinion that they receive the worth of the money they spend tend to be more satisfied compared those who do not believe that the service they receive is worth what they pay for.2 When the service provider is a telecommunications company such as Du Corporation, four factors determine the perceived value.
One of them is the network coverage, both outdoors and indoors, as well as the clarity of the voice that is not hampered by breakdowns in the network connection. Customer care refers to the quality of help offered by the network provider in terms of information given to the clients in response to the questions they ask. It is also important for individual customers to realise personal benefits from the use of mobile communications. Service quality is the variation between the expectations of customers and how the customers perceive the service they receive. It is a major determinant of customer satisfaction. According to the Customer Service Report, if customers detect a significant negative difference between their expectations and the service offered, they are likely to be dissatisfied.3
The Du Company has managed to expand its market share over time due to its constant efforts to satisfy its customers. One of the steps that the company has taken to ensure the satisfaction of its customers is the creation of innovative offerings that are centred on the customers. It has launched a mobile academy, which is an informative mobile service that offers an array of courses that range from business skills to languages. This education is offered through animations, images, text, and multiple-choice tests. The service enables customers to acquire skills directly from their mobile phones. Customers have up to 50 courses to choose from. As Abdul, Salman, and Olota confirm, some of the courses include Photography, Counselling, Parenting, Basic Math, Anger Management, and First Aid, among others.4
The Du Company has also enhanced its Post-paid Smart Plan by including new features such as the Preferred Number. This feature offers free calls to one family member or friend. The offer is very attractive to the customers. Additionally, the business also offers discounts to buyers of Smartphones. It also gives a bonus of up to 10GB data bundle for the subscribers of the Smart Plan 300 and above. Moreover, the company has launched the Easy Recharge, which is a simple model of topping up for prepaid lines. It is no longer necessary for customers to buy physical vouchers. They can now recharge with credit of very low denominations. The method is not only convenient for the customer but also limits paper wastage as Ishaq asserts.5
Another step that the Du Company has taken is the introduction of the Unlimited Social Data Pack, which has been instrumental in enabling customers to stay online devoid of suffering high charges. It helps customers to stay connected with the rest of the world through social media. In the UAE, the company is the first of its kind. Du is also concerned about the wellbeing of its customers. It has continued to launch an assortment of smart health services around the clock. The services are intended to improve the quality of life of millions of customers. The services offer guidelines on the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and prevention of diseases while allowing customers to speak to a qualified doctor at any time of the day to facilitate the management and treatment of diseases.
Du has uploaded the Dubai International Holy Quran Awards Channel to enable customers to stream videos. Additionally, it has enhanced the customer experience by expanding 3G and LTE. The company has procured additional physical sites to provide better network coverage. The company has also acquired more 3G spectrum to enhance data network aptitude. It has also gone to great lengths to provide data privacy and security for its customers in the face of cybercrime. Its Security Incident Response Team has joined other global teams to gain exposure to more cases and methods of response to cybercrime. By so doing, Fečiková asserts that the company is preparing to be equipped to respond to such cases among its customers to give them a more secure experience.6
Furthermore, Du is dedicated to offering added-value services to its clients through a collection of customized communication bundles. Following numerous complaints raised against the ‘hold function’ by discontented customers, the telecommunication company opted to minimise the hold time to about 21 seconds, unlike the previous year where it lasted for 29 seconds according to the company’s sustainability report. It also keeps updating its services such as the prepaid Interactive Voice Response (IVR), which was endowed with novel capabilities after renovation as Lee reveals.7
The IVR is currently capable of tailoring greetings in relation to specific location holidays, as well as events. The company aspires that the customised messages will keep it in good connection with consumers. In turn, the method will increase customer loyalty and eventually expand the company’s market share in the competitive market. Moreover, as Ali and Shajeri observe, the new IVR also has a computerised SMS package, which allows clients to receive more information on certain issues without having to memorise hefty data, as it has been the norm.8
Aware that its ever-expanding volume of consumers comprises individuals from different cultures, it has also introduced more languages in its Self-Service functionality, thus making them a total of five. The languages include Arabic, English, Hindi, Bengali, as well as Malayalam. Such remarkable improvements in the quality of service delivery have enabled it to earn several awards such as the Best Managed Service Provider Award in 2014 that was conferred to it by Telecoms World Awards Middle East.
Notably, Du is also assimilating novelty and entertainment to boost the quality of services offered to its clients. Through du Live!, the company seeks to entertain the existing and potential customers through powerful live music and art events. The enterprise organised more than 20 du Live! Events in the UAE in 2014, where attendees met some of their top celebrities as the company kept reconnected with its customers where it tackled various service-related issues. Meanwhile, the company has also launched du Tuesday, a promotion that enables loyal customers to enjoy watching movies at the UAE VOX Cinemas. However, since its competitors are also offering a similar promotion package, it has modified its offer to allow clients to share blockbuster movie tickets with a person of their choice. According to the Sustainability Report, the campaign also earns the telecommunication giant various awards such as the Dubai Lynx Awards.9
To improve communication between customers and the company, Du has also unveiled a program known as Let’s Talk. The new communication podium encourages interaction between the UAE residents and Du’s top officials where several issues concerning the company and the telecommunication industry are addressed on live sittings. The discussions are also documented and posted on du TV and social media platforms. According to Sambidge, customers can view the programs as a customer care initiative meant to boost customer satisfaction.10
Conclusion
Du is one of the telecommunication giants in the UAE. It has received various rewards in relation to customer care. It is dedicated to promoting excellent customer satisfaction through the revamping of various customer care services, promotion plans, as well as service quality. The customer satisfaction practices have earned it loyalty over the years, despite the highly competitive telecommunication industry. Regardless of the milestones, it has made in customer satisfaction, there is the need to introduce more schemes that reach out to youths, students, and businesses to satisfy the ever-expanding customer base.
Bibliography
Abdul, F. A., Salman, A. & Olota, O. O., ‘Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Mobile Telecommunication Service Provider’, Jorind, vol. 12, no. 2, 2014, pp. 131-151.
Ali, M. M. & Shajeri, A. M., ‘Evaluating Perceptions of Mobile Phone Subscribers: A Case Study of Mobily’, Journal of Business and Management, vol.16, no. 3, 2014, pp. 75-82.
Customer Service Report, ‘2010-2011 Statistics’, du.ae , 2012. Web.
Fečiková, I., ‘An index for measurement of customer satisfaction’, The TQM Magazine, vol. 16, no 1, 2004, pp. 57-66.
Ishaq, M. I., ‘A study on relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction: An empirical evidence from Pakistan telecommunication industry’, Quarterly Publication, vol. 1, no. 4, 2011, pp. 523-530.
Lee, J. W., ‘Critical factors promoting customer loyalty to smart phone and mobile communications service providers’, Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, 2013, pp.59-69.
Sambidge, A., ‘Dubais du claims 90% customer satisfaction’, Arabian business , 2012. Web.
Sharma, R. J., ‘Customers Satisfaction in Telecom Sector in Saudi Arabia: An Empirical Investigation’, European Scientific Journal, vol. 10, no.13, 2014, pp. 354-363.
Sustainability Report, ‘Data 2014’, du.ae, 2015. Web.
Yadav, K. F. & Dabhade, N., ‘Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction of mobile subscribers: A case study of Airtel’, International Journal of innovative research and studies, vol. 2, no. 5, 2013, pp. 141-16.
Footnotes
K. F. Yadav, & N. Dabhade, ‘Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction of mobile subscribers: A case study of Airtel’, International Journal of innovative research and studies, vol. 2, no. 5, 2013, p. 141.
R. J. Sharma, ‘Customers Satisfaction in Telecom Sector in Saudi Arabia: An Empirical Investigation’, European Scientific Journal, vol. 10, no.13, 2014, p. 354.
Customer Service Report, ‘2010-2011 Statistics’, du.ae , 2012.
F. A. Abdul, A. Salman, & O. O., Olota, ‘Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Mobile Telecommunication Service Provider’, Jorind, vol. 12, no. 2, 2014, p. 132.
M. I. Ishaq, ‘A study on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction: An empirical evidence from Pakistan telecommunication industry’, Quarterly Publication, vol. 1, no. 4, 2011, p. 523.
I. Fečiková, ‘An index for measurement of customer satisfaction’, The TQM Magazine, vol. 16, no 1, 2004, p. 57.
J. W. Lee, ‘Critical factors promoting customer loyalty to smartphone and mobile communications service providers’, Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, 2013, p.59.
M. M. Ali & A. M. Shajeri, ‘Evaluating Perceptions of Mobile Phone Subscribers: A Case Study of Mobily’, Journal of Business and Management, vol.16, no. 3, 2014, p. 75.
Sustainability Report, ‘Data 2014’, du.ae , 2015.
A. Sambidge, A., ‘Dubais du claims 90% customer satisfaction’, Arabian business , 2012.