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Introduction
Axiom telecommunications was founded in 2003 when the management team found a niche in the corporate world and set out to establish a mobile solutions provider that specifically targeted the corporate world.
Axiom Telecommunications is still a budding company that is yet to operate at multinational level and presently it is located in Dubai (Axiom 2011).
For the purposes of this paper, I ordered for some merchandise and kept active contact with the company until delivery was made to the customer in Kuwait City, the capital city of Kuwait. That was a shipment of 24 Sony Erickson mobile phones to a client in Kuwait City.
The order was made on 23 April 2013 and it was delivered by 8 May 2013 to Kuwait, which was an impressive consignation of goods and services and it beats doing business purely online. I was impressed by the speed and efficiency by which my order was delivered.
The company, as noted above, deals with electronic merchandise, and specifically those that hail from the telecommunications industry, viz. mobile phones, cable phones, projectors, computers, and fibre optics among others.
In addition to all these, the company has a very neat organisational structure that is fitted with all the relevant departments including human resources, executive management, board of directors, and most importantly, it has a customer care unit.
The customer care unit is in charge of handling the companys interactions with the public and it consists of a team of up to 20 intelligent professional customer care agents. In fact, currently it is the hiring season and the company just posted several vacant positions online on its website.
The most important aspects of customer satisfaction entail quality, money, issue factors, accommodation and cooperation, and ontime deliveries (Morgeson et al. 2011). Axiom Telecommunications has most of these variables balanced at an optimal level to keep customers happy.
The money factor comes in when there are changes to the pricing or billing of delivery. Usually, if customers are not informed beforehand, it could lead to complaints and so with Axiom, the company has a policy of absorbing financial changes that arise after the completion of the original contract with the customer.
Of course, this requirement becomes relevant where there is a vitiating mistake or if the change favours the customer and requires the company to refund money.
The issue of accommodation occurs when customers need the companys indulgence, for instance to delay a delivery. Axiom tries to accommodate such customers without charging extra fees for storage or any such collateral as ma be negligible.
The quality of goods from Axiom as indicated by the aforementioned consignment is above average and this aspect must be the case for the rest of its goods and services as well for the company receives only positive reviews from peer reviewed software marketing journals.
Additionally, its annual growth is far from studded and this element must have something to do with the good quality of its products and services.
Measures taken by the company to satisfy customers and a comprehensive Comparison of findings with literature
From personal experience, the customer care unit at Axiom is a very dedicated team. There is a 24-hour toll free line by which an agent may be reached anytime from anywhere across the world, in case there is any issue that requires technical support.
However, before lodging any complaints with the customer care team, a customer has access to various basic tasks at the companys website. Consequently, one can easily browse through the company products and services from the site and then proceed to select what is of ones choice.
After such a selection, there are very simple steps to follow to make a purchase and at this point customers may need a customer care agent to allay any concerns regarding the safety of the companys e-commerce options.
If the online process is smooth, the customer care department shall respond by email or by call depending on the method of feedback preferred by the customer.
In this follow up call, the customer care agent goes through the details of the order with emphasis on the specifications required by the customer such as wattage or capacity of memory cards. He or she also confirms the price and channels of delivery (Axiom 2011).
Finally, a last call or email follows the intended delivery date to ensure that the product got to the intended recipient. From the process outlined above, it is clear that there is an integrated system of management at Axiom.
This element requires cooperation and coordination among the various departments such as sales and marketing and at times even the legal department for some customers, who are dissatisfied with the products or services proffered, may at times take legal action against the company.
How the company measures customer satisfaction
Axiom Telecommunications uses the age-old Customer Satisfaction Ratings (CSR) method to analyse the rate of customer gratification. These ratings are obtained from a Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS), which is carried out by administering surveys (Grigoroudis & Siskos 2010).
These surveys may or may not be structured. Customers are required to fill up their responses on basic deductive questions on how they found the services and products offered by Axiom and what they would like to see improved.
These surveys are handed out manually at points of sale (POS) or at times virtually when a customer goes online to view the company profile in the form of pop up windows.
Additionally, the customer care agents have questionnaires with them and each time a customers calls, s/he is asked a few questions and his or her responses are recorded. Literature review indicates the limitation of these surveys.
Naomi Karten, an expert on customer satisfaction indicates that a customer is likely to respond differently to different customer care agents depending on their likability (Karten 2010).
This assertion implies that a customer could give responses that indicate his or her judgment of the agent rather than that of the company and thus this method is not very reliable.
However, in a bid to defeat this error, Axiom has randomised and impersonal surveys as well, which can be responded to without the bias of having actually encountered an agent.
The limitation is a real problem as even the customer care agents themselves report that some customers are very impressed with them as individuals, to the extent of even seeking for meetings beyond the business threshold. The danger in the manifestation of this limitation is the effect of the customer feedback.
Considering that the response may be an emotional one, where the customer rates certain personnel as poor, such a person is likely to pay the price of these negative sentiments by either getting low hikes (salary raises) or even being demoted (McDougall & Levesque 2000).
This move is de-motivating to such an individual who may actually have done a very good job, but for the customers particularly unpleasant disposition.
The reverse is also true and the possibility of the cumulative effect, namely rewarding the under-performers and punishing the better performers (Chemuturi 2010, p. 2). This aspect is not a desirable reputation for an organisation to hold as it is reflected in the employee turn-over ratio.
What measures they take to retain their customers -Comparison of findings with literature
In the quest to retain customers, the Axiom Telecommunications Ltd. keeps all its customers in the company database. This way, the company frequently sends white papers on new technologies and events or symposia organised by the company or events to be attended by the company that could prove interesting to customers.
If customers are not willing to receive these updates, there is an option for unsubscribing or redirecting them to another email address. Additionally, the company has a customer care day annually during which it organises an open house for customers to attend and get to know their service providers better.
A witty trick used by Axiom telecommunications for retention is sending holiday and birthday greetings to its customers regularly. This move is interesting for it has received the largest positive feedback from impressed customers who got a birthday wish from their electronics supplier or retailer.
The company also uses the social network to keep its customers looped. It has a Facebook page, a Twitter page, and even a LinkedIn page. Customers are in a position to see new products online almost daily as they are busy browsing through their social network pages and this keeps business booming for Axiom.
Finally, the annual customer care day is married to the annual cocktail party where the company sells itself to those in attendance.
On this day, a corporate social responsibility act is done to put the customers minds at ease about the companys integrity and only the company and its workers dirt their hands as customers and other shareholders enjoy in the festivities.
If the company empowers its employees (in relation to customer services)
Axiom Telecommunications Company has employee training opportunities that work on a rotational schedule, with employees going for training sessions as per departments.
Each year, each employee gets the opportunity to attend at least three training classes where they are enlightened on any changes that may have hit the market since they left college and they are directed on how to apply such changes for the benefit and growth of the company (Axiom 2011).
The training sessions are held in local resorts and the with the employees expenses throughout the session are catered for by the company. Additionally, the employee is not penalised financially for the period of absenteeism from work as upon the beginning of a training session they are given a paid leave.
There are also benchmarking activities that are organised among local competitors in which employees enter into an exchange program with employees from rival firms and in the period of engagement with the other firm, they continue to enjoy their privileges as if they were working in their own offices.
Additionally, the chances of landing promotions are higher for employees that attend these training and benchmarking events for they are not compulsory either.
What type of employees it empowers Comparison of findings with literature
The training opportunities are open to all as opposed to the trend in some organisations that only train newly recruited employees. This move is a smart one on the part of Axiom as it means that even the seasoned employees who have made it to as far as becoming CEOs or COOs are not locked out of learning new things.
The advantage in this practice is that the company is constantly alert and up to date with global happenings, which makes a versatile team that can tackle any issue that it is confronted with confidently (Hernon & Whitman 2001).
Additionally, such a practice makes the team very resourceful and so in case a customer calls the company offices with a unique and new issue, there shall always be someone with the knowledge to handle the issue.
How the company deals with difficult / angry customers Comparison of findings with literature
Since its incorporation a decade ago, Axiom has not been involved in any legal scandal in which a customer sued it either for breach of contract or negligence. The company has a remarkable record. However, every now and then there is the occasional dissatisfied customer who causes a scene or makes a disturbing call.
In these cases, the Customer Care Unit director states that he simply advices his team to deal with such matters delicately. He states that if the issue can be easily rectified, the agent should be as polite and cordial as possible while another team member goes on with rectifying the mess.
As aforementioned, the company has a twenty-four hour toll free service for customers to call whenever they encounter a challenge that the company can set right.
An agent always answers any call made through this number and it is available on the companys website and brochures and pamphlets as well as wrapping papers issued by the company.
When an irate customer calls, the conventional policy is that the agent is to identify the problem and then decide on how to proceed (Fornell, Mithas & Krishnan 2005).
Some issues are referred to the executive directors where the agent lacks the capacity to help and some are referred to the legal department where a customer threatens to take a legal action.
The legal department then analyses the situation and promptly prepares a memorandum advising the board of directors (the board is aware that it can convene any time in case of an emergency).
This requirement is another company policy is the preference for settling matters out of court, and this move is advised by the avoidance of negative publicity, which often arises from public trials.
The systematic procedure of dealing with an irate customer as provided for in various customer satisfaction guidelines includes first listening to the customer before speaking, then apologising and empathising with such a customer to get them to calm down (Hernon & Whitman 2001).
Afterwards, the agent may try to clarify the matter to the customer, or take down notes to be clear on what the customers complaint is and probably come up with the best solution to the complaint.
This duty should be executed in a positive tone of voice and immediate action should be taken to ensure that the customers needs are met. With tougher or more complex cases, follow up may be necessary and if so, then it should be prompt and forthcoming.
How the company utilises e-marketing / e-commerce, or any other technology used to aid marketing efforts and the advantages and disadvantages Comparison of findings with literature
Axiom telecommunications is a software as well as hardware provider of electronics. As such, it is directly affected by the globalisation trend that has seen the virtualisation of almost every other task. This company is not willing to be left behind in terms of achieving technology or Internet astuteness.
The company states that when it acquires any new technology, it keeps the best for itself and uses it for a spell before introducing the same to it catalogue. This element may as well be the reason why the quality of its products is appreciated (Axiom 2011).
With the revolution of e- commerce, business firms and companies like Axiom are constantly finding themselves in minefields especially concerning price fluctuations. The market tends to change faster than the product and so some products barely hit the shelf before running out of stock.
The old rules of the game remain the same and so it may not be as easy to change the product, as it may be to change the price. This aspect is the downfall of most companies that utilise e-commerce for they seem to be taking advantage of customers desperation.
At Axiom, regardless of market shifts, the management team strives to keep the prices at a minimum with just enough extra to make a sound, but constant profit.
The effect of this strategy is that a companys appeal is heightened. As other companies triple or even quadruple their prices when the demand is inversely proportional to the quantity, Axiom prices are known throughout Dubai to be the most constant.
Another new phenomenon with e-commerce involves the rules, which include the fact that there is a paradigm shift of power from the seller to the buyer (Chaffey 2004).
With e-commerce, the buyers attention is a commodity that is almost as rare as gold and so sellers seek to attract it in any possible way, and sometimes sellers may get overzealous and get unethical by misrepresenting or false advertising.
Axiom avoids these hurdles by posting only the barest of specificities for the products is markets on eBay. It also prevents customers from looking away by offering various attractive incentives such as warranties and gift packs.
The nature of demand has also changed with e-commerce for customers are now looking for different things when they go shopping online. They want speed and self-service menus that are easy to navigate, they want a guarantee of their privacy for as long as they are online, and they want the service to be convenient.
This aspect means that they want to be in a position to make contact with the company when they click on the contact icon on the organisations website as opposed to being redirected to other commands before being granted access (McFadyen 2008). Axiom is able to provide for all these demands.
When customers purchase new products online, they have several payment options ranging from Moneybookers to PayPal and visa cards.
The site is secure and it does not even store the credit card information on the internal database, which prevents chances of hacking into the company database and accessing millions of customers confidential information.
The management at Axiom states that it does not plan to become the next Sony in terms of Cyber warfare scandals. E-commerce presently accounts for 25 per cent of the sales of Axiom, and this percentage keeps growing by the day.
Conclusion
This paper was a brief discussion of crucial customer care information that comes in hand when running a company or a business. The papers vignette or case study was Axiom Telecommunications Company, which is a software product and service provider based in Dubai and one that targets the corporate world.
The company has a working Customer Care Unit that cooperates and coordinates its performance with the other departments in the company, such as sales and marketing and legal department and it uses the customer Satisfaction Ratings questionnaires to measure customer satisfaction.
The company also has in-house training sessions organised for all employees although it is not mandatory for one to attend these sessions. Employees have higher chances of being promoted after attending the companys training and benchmarking activities.
Finally, the company has launched an e-commerce department that is responsible for its online branch.
It has set in place adequate measures to protect customers confidential information by not saving the same to the local database. Axiom is a potentially productive and successful company by the estimation of the information provided in this paper.
Reference List
Axiom: Bravenewtalent 2011. Web.
Chaffey, D 2004, E-Business and E-Commerce, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Chemuturi, M 2010, How to Measure Customer Satisfaction, Newsletter of Technology Evaluation Centres, vol. 4 no. 1, pp.1-8.
Fornell, C, Mithas, S & Krishnan, M 2005, Why do customer relationship management applications affect customer satisfaction, Journal of Marketing, vol. 69 no. 4, pp.201-209.
Grigoroudis, E & Siskos, Y 2010, Customer Satisfaction Evaluation: Methods for Measuring and Implementing Service Quality, Springer, New York.
Hernon, P & Whitman, J 2001, Delivering satisfaction and service quality: A Customer-based Approach for Libraries, American Library Association, Chicago.
Karten, N 2010, Tales of Whoa and the psychology of customer satisfaction, Oxford University Press, London.
McDougall, G & Levesque, T 2000, Customer satisfaction with services: putting perceived value into the equation, Journal of Services Marketing, vol.14 no.5, pp. 392-410.
McFadyen, T 2008, eCommerce Best Practices How to market, sell, and service customers with internet technologies, McFadyen Solutions, Vienna.
Morgeson, F, Mithas, Keiningham, T & Aksoy, L 2011 An Investigation of the Cross-National Determinants of Customer Satisfaction, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, vol. 29 no. 2, pp.198-215.
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