Sociology

Customer satisfaction implies assessment by the client after buying services or goods. Customer satisfaction may be defined as customers feeling about the product or service after using and it is a key determinant for future use of the product by the customer. In most instances, it is viewed in terms of unspecified judgment out of comparison between post purchase assessment and pre purchase expectations of the service, goods or experience. Satisfaction of customer is not necessarily related to quality of the product or service but it may also be measured in terms of equity, needs or perception of fairness and it entails experience with both the service and service provider among other issues. It is evident that customer satisfaction has been the focus and corporate aim of many companies. On the other hand, if customers are dissatisfied with the product or service offered, it is possible for such customers to switch off from such brand and go for alternative brands. The effect of dissatisfaction of customer may be involvement in negative advertisement as well as declining to purchase the same product which greatly affects the profits of the company (Jamal  Naser, 2002).

In a market research carried out by freight transportation companies pointed out that four factors were vital to most of their customers when choosing freight carriers. The four factors included on time delivery, reliability of the transport means, responsive personnel as well as claim free shipments. The study also found out that customers realized no disparity between the four factors and other range of factors between the firm and its main competitors (Bob et al, 2009).

The study also found out that some customers stopped using the company due to dissatisfaction from city dispatchers and delivery drivers. Research data shows that minority of clients were not impressed with performance of companies regional workers hence causing a revenue loss of over  1 million (Anubhav, 2009). The company therefore realized that revenue loss and dissatisfaction of customer arose from the weakness in the course of performance by the firm due to poor management at regional level and their failure to inform their drivers on how they can respond to clients properly when disappointed (Bob et al, 2009).

In India retail banking, it is indicated that customer satisfaction is a very significant factor for the profitability of such firms. The study shows that there is greater need for long-term retaining of customers because its quite economical than attracting new customers in the current marketing world characterized by higher level of competition, new technologies, demanding customers and other economic uncertainties . Research shows that in India retail banking is growing at a very fast rate thus greater need to understand whether customers are dissatisfied or satisfied. The study indicates that branch location, staff and convenience are factors with great bearing on client satisfaction in retail banking (Anad, 2009).

In a research conducted to find out various types of antecedents like emotion, disconfirmation and fairness and their fairness on various types of behavioral emotions and satisfaction, it was established that customer satisfaction plays an important role (Lages and Lages, 2005). The study also examined client cooperation against rebellious response to penalty and it was established that cognitive and effective antecedents have got varied effect on two kinds of satisfaction decision, behavioral intention to repurchase and transaction specific and overall satisfaction. The research shows that emotions are mediated by operation specific satisfaction whereas cognitive antecedents have effect on both general satisfaction and transaction specific satisfaction (Lages and Lages, 2005).  On the other hand, clients consider transaction specific assessment, evaluations related to penalty like emotion, disconfirmation, fairness and dissatisfaction with penalty and worldwide satisfaction assessment based variedly on company relationship. Likewise, cooperative customers consider general satisfaction greatly in relation to transaction specific assessments while rebellious clients consider transaction specific assessment more than general satisfaction. It is therefore predictable that cognitive antecedents have significant influence on the general customer satisfaction even after putting into considerations the impact of transaction specific satisfaction (Sally, 2010). The above relationship can be illustrated as below

A figure showing antecedents and results of consumer penalty evaluation
Customer satisfaction in marketing serves as connection between different stages of consumer buying habits. For instance, if a client is contented with service or product offered to him or her there will be greater likelihood of repurchasing the product and also share their favorable experience with other customer thus helping the company in carrying out advertisement. Such type of advertisement is believed to be important in collectivist Middle Eastern cultures such as Abu Dhabi where social life is structured in a manner to promote social relationship in the general public. Research shows that if perceived performance exceeds client expectation the client will feel more satisfied but if perceived performance is below customer expectation the customer will feel dissatisfied (Ahmad,  Kamal, 2002).

Customer satisfaction can also be illustrated by link between equity and satisfaction where the customer looks at dimensions like rightness, judgment in relative to what other clients receive. Similarly improvement in quality of the service is still an important aspect in determining customer decision. Available literature shows that service quality incorporates various dimensions for instance responsiveness, empathy, tangible, reliability, assurance among others. Likewise customer expertise is seen in the potential to perform tasks related to the product very well. Therefore there are customers who are expertise in assessing the service quality in relation to others and that is why service providers should always aim at exceeding expectations of clients and this will earn customer satisfaction unlike service providers failing to meet customer satisfaction. Research about consumer behavior reveals that experts have high potential of learning new information pertaining offering services in relation to novice customers (Yi and La, 2004).

Research indicates that customers have main areas of contact with suppliers which include suppliers main services, policies, procedures, non core business roles, properties and personnel. Market research thus must offer information on these areas so as to understand customer level of satisfaction and dissatisfaction and consider customers suggestions on either to improve or maintain, customers expectations, attributes which influence client choice of suppliers among others (Arbore and Busacca, 2009)

In a case study of Italian prominent bank, around five thousand customers confirmed that there is a symmetric and a non linear link between customer satisfaction and attribute performance. In another study conducted by America online panel it showed that the quality of customer to customer interaction has got a direct positive effect in marketing and this is exactly true with tourists because of the close social contacts between local and foreign tourist when they are vacation (Oliver, 1997).

In another survey to establish web site interactivity and appreciate the difference between subjective and objective interactivity and establish their impact on customer satisfaction an online experiment was conducted in American universities so as to understand online shopping behaviors from different retail websites representing low and high interactivity, the analysis supports objective and subjective interactivity as different constructs whereas all positively affect online shoppers behavioral interaction and satisfaction (Arbore  Busacca, 2009).

Investment in clients satisfaction through customer relationship and service quality leads to high rates of returns and market share. In retail banking where focus is on money there is higher need of satisfaction and this makes customers to become loyal to the bank thus reducing incidents of dissatisfaction. The study noted that the relationship between customer loyalty and satisfaction may be dependant on price and service though service features at the branch, staff are main factors in determining customer satisfaction in retail banking (Ahmad and Kamal, 2002).

Customer satisfaction is useful in business because it forms a basis of providing managers with information that helps them to identify areas of need such as personnel management, product quality, quality of the service, consumers preference, efficiency of the employees in terms of handling customers grievances and adopt necessary strategies such as improving quality of the product, offering high level of services to that enhances highest level of satisfaction. This enables companies to have high rates of customer retention and customer loyalty which enables them to realize high rates of return and compete effectively with other companies involved offering similar products or services as well those offering close products or services.