A study of the factors influencing customer satisfaction ...

A study of the factors influencing customer satisfaction

and efficiency in contact centers: the combined effect

Marketing

Master's thesis

Terhi Rekil?

2013

Department of Marketing

Aalto University

School of Business

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AALTO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

Department of Marketing

Master¡¯s thesis

Terhi Rekil?

ABSTRACT

6.1.2013

A STUDY OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND

EFFICIENCY IN CONTACT CENTERS: THE COMBINED EFFECT

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to expand understanding of the factors influencing

customer satisfaction and efficiency in contact centers. More specifically, the focus is

on examining the grouped impact of the factors. First, this research draws on existing

research on the factors influencing customer satisfaction. Second, an empirical

research is conducted to discover the combined effect of different factors on hand on

customer satisfaction and on the other hand on efficiency.

METHOD

A novel method in marketing called fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis is the

used method. It was chosen because it is suitable for a research with a small

population and because it takes both quantitative and qualitative aspects into

consideration. It also analyses the impact of factors combined together rather than as

separate individuals.

KEY FINDINGS

The main findings include the notion that a factor can have a different impact on

customer satisfaction and efficiency depending on which other factors it is combined

with. Additionally, separate factors or the same factors in a different form influence

customer satisfaction and efficiency. Hence, there are tradeoffs while attempting to

achieve very good levels of both customer satisfaction and efficiency. In addition, the

results include findings related to individual factors. For example, it is indicated that a

high degree of feedback can have a positive effect on customer satisfaction.

KEY WORDS

Customer satisfaction, efficiency, contact center, fuzzy set qualitative comparative

analysis, FS/QCA

AALTO YLIOPISTON KAUPPAKORKEAKOULU

Markkinoinnin laitos

Pro Gradu -tutkielma

Terhi Rekil?

TIIVISTELM?

6.1.2013

TUTKIMUS ASIAKASTYYTYV?ISYYTEEN JA TEHOKKUUTEEN VAIKUTTAVISTA

TEKIJ?IST? ASIAKASPALVELIKESKUKSISSA: TEKIJ?IDEN YHTEISVAIKUTUS

TAVOITTEET

T?m?n tutkimuksen tarkoitus on laajentaa ymm?rryst? asiakastyytyv?isyyteen ja

tehokkuuteen vaikuttavista tekij?ist? asiakaskeskuksissa. Tarkastelun keski?ss? on

eri tekij?iden yhteisvaikutus. Aluksi tarkastelussa on aikaisemmassa tutkimuksessa

tunnistetut asiakastyytyv?isyyteen vaikuttavat tekij?. T?m?n j?lkeen tutkimuksella

kartoitetaan eri tekij?iden yhteisvaikutusta toisaalta asiakastyytyv?isyyteen ja

toisaalta tehokkuuteen.

METODI

Tutkimuksessa on k?yt?ss? markkinoinnin alalla viel? melko tuore menetelm?

nimelt? FS/QCA, joka on lyhenne englanninkielisest? termist? fuzzy set qualitative

comparative analysis. Suomennettuna se tarkoittaa sumean logiikan kvalitatiivista

vertailevaa analyysia. Kyseinen menetelm? valittiin tutkimuksen tekoon, koska sen

k?ytt?miseen riitt?? pieni tutkimusjoukko, mink? lis?ksi sen piiriss? voidaan

tarkastella sek? m??r?llist? ett? laadullista aineistoa. Menetelm? tarkastelee lis?ksi

nimenomaan tekij?it? yhdess? niiden yksitt?isen analysoinnin sijaan.

TULOKSET

Tutkimuksen p??asiallisiin tuloksiin kuuluu l?yd?s, ett? tietyll? tekij?ll? voi olla eri

vaikutus asiakastyytyv?isyyteen ja tehokkuuteen riippuen muista samaan aikaan

vaikuttavista tekij?ist?. Tulokset osoittavat my?s, ett? asiakastyytyv?isyyteen ja

tehokkuuteen vaikuttavat eri tekij?t. Vaihtoehtoisesti my?s samat tekij?t voivat

vaikuttaa niihin, mutta eri tavoin. N?in ollen asiakastyytyv?isyyden ja tehokkuuden

yht?aikainen optimoinnissa on vaikeaa. Lis?ksi tuloksiin sis?ltyy havaintoja

yksitt?isten tekij?iden roolista. Esimerkiksi s??nn?llisell? palautteenannolla vaikuttaa

olevan positiivinen merkitys asiakastyytyv?isyyteen.

AVAINSANAT

Asiakastyytyv?isyys, tehokkuus, asiakaspalvelukeskus, sumean logiikan

kvalitatiivinen vertaileva analyysi

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Table of contents

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6

1.1 Background for the research........................................................................................ 7

1.2 Research Objectives and Questions ............................................................................ 9

1.3 Methodology and scope............................................................................................. 10

1.4 Main contributions of the research ............................................................................. 11

1.5 Structure of the research ........................................................................................... 12

2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 13

2.1 Studies of factors with significant influence on customer satisfaction ......................... 13

2.2 Studies of factors with insignificant influence on customer satisfaction ...................... 18

2.3 Studies of factors with mixed results .......................................................................... 19

3 Framework of influential factors........................................................................................ 21

3.1 Customer perception related factors .......................................................................... 21

3.2 Process related factors .............................................................................................. 24

3.3 Agent related factors ................................................................................................. 27

3.4 Full framework ........................................................................................................... 32

4 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 37

4.1 Background of FS/QCA ............................................................................................. 37

4.2 Using FS/QCA ........................................................................................................... 37

4.3 FS/QCA in marketing ................................................................................................. 40

4.4 Limitations of FS/QCA ............................................................................................... 41

5 FS/QCA in case contact centers ...................................................................................... 42

5.1 Data Collection .......................................................................................................... 43

5.2 Specification of outcomes .......................................................................................... 45

5.3 Selection of conditions ............................................................................................... 45

5.4 Calibration of outcomes and conditions ..................................................................... 51

5.4.1 Calibration of the outcomes ................................................................................. 52

5.4.2 Calibration of conditions with the Boolean method .............................................. 54

5.4.3 Calibration of conditions with three-value fuzzy set ............................................. 57

5.4.4 Calibration of conditions with four-value fuzzy set ............................................... 60

5.5 FSQCA analysis ........................................................................................................ 72

6 Results ............................................................................................................................. 74

6.1 Customer satisfaction ................................................................................................ 75

6.1.1 Configurations leading to high customer satisfaction ........................................... 75

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6.1.2 Configurations leading to low customer satisfaction ............................................ 79

6.2 Efficiency ................................................................................................................... 82

6.2.1 Configurations leading to high levels of efficiency ............................................... 82

6.2.2 Configurations leading to low levels of efficiency ................................................. 85

6.2.3 Important considerations ..................................................................................... 87

6.3 Evaluation of the goodness of the solutions ............................................................... 87

6.3.1 Criteria for research strategy ............................................................................... 88

6.3.2 Criteria for the representation of QCA ................................................................. 89

6.3.3 Criteria for the selection of cases, conditions, set memberships, and truth .......... 90

table algorithm criteria .................................................................................................. 90

6.3.4 Overall assessment of the goodness of the results ............................................. 91

7 Discussion of results ........................................................................................................ 92

7.1 Customer satisfaction ................................................................................................ 92

7.1.1 Discussion of configurations in relation to prior research ..................................... 93

7.1.2 Implications of factors outside the FSQCA analysis ............................................ 96

7.2 Efficiency ................................................................................................................... 97

7.3 Joint discussion of customer satisfaction and efficiency............................................. 98

8 Implications .................................................................................................................... 101

8.1 Theoretical implications ........................................................................................... 101

8.2 Managerial Implications ........................................................................................... 102

9 Limitations of the research ............................................................................................. 103

Appendices: ...................................................................................................................... 105

References: ...................................................................................................................... 121

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