1 Project Report On Customer Satisfaction on Mobile Service Provider Networks In International Market Research Bureau (IMRB) Hyderabad By CH.

KARTHIK (08M009) (Marketing/Finance) Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Post G raduation Diploma in Business Management DHRUVA COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT MEDCHAL HYDERABAD.

2 CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled Customer Satisfaction on Mobile Servi ce Provider Networks in IMRB INTERNATIONAL, HYDERABAD, that is being submitted by Mr. CH.KARTHIK in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degr ee of PGDM in MARKETING & FINANCE in Dhruva College of Management is a bonafied work carried out by him under the guidance and supervision of the undersigned. T he results embodied in this dissertation have not been submitted to any other un iversity or institution for the award of any degree or diploma. Date: Place: Supervisors Signature and designation DECLARATION

3 I hereby declare that the dissertation entitled Customer Satisfaction on Mobile S ervice Provider Networks that is being submitted by me in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of PGDM in FINANCE & MARKETING to Dhruva College of Management is a record of bonafied work carried out by me. The results embodied in this dissertation have not been submitted to any other univ ersity or institution for the award of any degree or diploma. Date: Place: Signature of the student Internal supervisor 1 2 Examiner (s) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

4 The authorship of a monograph is usually attributed to one person but a report o n the internship or a project work like this one is a joint affair. I am indebte d to all who have directly and indirectly been of great help to me in doing and writing this project report. Firstly, I am thankful and express my gratitude to Mr. Srikanth (SUPERVISIOR) who inspired me and guided me throughout the period o f Project Work that enabled me to successful completion the project. I am also g rateful to Dr. Satya Prasad, Faculty DCM - Hyderabad for his continuous and deli berate discussion on the topic and indeterminable burden taken by him in helping me during the project. I extend my thanks to Dr. S. Pratap Reddy (Chairperson D CM) and for providing all the necessary facilities in bringing out this project report Special regard and greatest appreciation is reserved for all the Executiv es and Employees of IMRB INTERNATIONAL, Hyderabad whose honest feedbacks, ideas and thoughts helped me navigate through the most difficult phases of the project work. Last, but not least I am thankful to my parents who motivated me througho ut this project work, The preparation of this report would not have been an easy task without the help and support of my parents. I am pleased to say that the w hole report is just the presentation of the facts that have been found during th e projects through different sources and its each sentence is an exact represent ation of the information obtained and the analysis thereof. I hope that I have m anifested my sincere attempts to represent all the information and other things to the best of ability. CH. Karthik ABSTRACT

5 The present study is undertaken to understand the customer satisfaction in mobil e service providers .It is done under the guidance of IMRB The study was done to find out the customer satisfaction level in mobile service provider players in the market and to know the customer perception towards other mobile service prov iders, this survey was done in twin cities. The data was processed using compute r aided tools such as MS-EXCEL,SPSS frequency tables were used for analysis ,the study was conducted from June 25th 2009 to July 25th 2009 i.e., for a period of one month in the city of Hyderabad. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................. ....................................................................3 ABSTRACT.. ................................................................................ ..........................................................................4 INTR ODUCTION........................................................................ ..........................................................................6

6 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF THE TOPIC............................................. .....................................................................6 Customer Satisfaction.................................................................... .................................................................6 Skills of Mar keters.......................................................................... .................................................................8 Method to Mea sure Customer Satisfaction...................................................... ...............................................9 Introduction to Telecom Industr y............................................................................... ...................................10 Market Share of Public and Private Industr y............................................................................... ................12 The Global Cellular Mobile Industry.......................... ................................................................................ ..13 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES........................................................ ................................................................................ ...16 RESEARCH LIMITATION....................................................... ................................................................................ .....17 MAIN TEXT LITERATURE REVIEW............................................. ...............................................................18 RESEARCH METHO DOLOGY.......................................................................... ..............................................23 SOURCES OF DATA................ ................................................................................ .................................................23 SAMPLING DESIGN............. ................................................................................ .....................................................23 COLLECTION METHOD....... ................................................................................ ......................................................24 RESEARCH DEFINITION.... ................................................................................ ........................................................24 DATA ANALYSIS........ ................................................................................ .......................................................25 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTE RPRETATION...................................................................... ................................................25 CONCLUSION................... ................................................................................ ..................................................39 BIBLIOGRAPHY............... ................................................................................ .................................................40 Introduction Theoretical Background of the Topic Customer Satisfaction 1.1.1 According to Philip Kotler, satisfaction is a persons feelings of pressure o r disappointment resulting from products perceived performance (outcome) in relatio n to his or her expectations. Customer satisfaction is the level of a persons

7 felt state resulting from comparing a products perceived performance (outcome) in relation to the persons expectations. This satisfaction level is a function of di fference between perceived performance and expectations. If the products performa nce, exceed expectation the customer highly satisfied or delighted. If the perfo rmance matches the expectations the customer is satisfied. If the products perfo rmance fall shorts of expectations the customer is dissatisfied. 1 Many companie s are aiming for high satisfaction because customers who are just satisfied stil l find it easy to switch when a better offer comes along. High satisfaction or d elight creates an emotional affinity with brand. 2 Variety of factors that affec t customer satisfaction includes product quality, product availability and after sales support such as warranties and services. Customer satisfaction is seen as a proof of delivering a quality product or service. It is believed that custome r satisfaction brings sales growth, and market share. A company can always incre ase customer satisfaction by lowering its price or increasing its services but t his may result in lower profits. Thus the purpose of marketing is to generate cu stomer value profitability. 3 India is on the threshold of a new millennium. Ind ia chose for global economy, exposing her to winds of change in the market place , which has expanded vastly and become fiercely competitive. In the changed envi ronment, decision makers view the marketing concept as the key to success. Marke ting in practice has to manage products, pricing, promotion and distribution. 4 A successful product can be developed by exploding these opportunities. While de livering the value of the consumer we make use of marketing support. This suppor t is based on the knowledge of consumers and distribution. Marketing support bot h at the introduction of products and maturing is considered 5 Marketing, as suggested by the American Marketing Association is "an organizatio nal function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering v alue to

8 customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organ ization and its stakeholders". 6 The two major factors of marketing are the recruitment of new customers (acquisi tion) and the retention and expansion of relationships with existing customers ( base management). Marketing methods are informed by many of the social, particul arly psychology, sociology, and economics. Anthropology is also a small, but gro wing, influence. Market research underpins these activities. Through advertising , it is also related to many of the creative arts. 7 For a marketing plan to be successful, the mix of the four "Ps"1 i.e. product, p rice, place, promotion must reflect the wants and desires of the consumers in th e target market. Trying to convince a market segment to buy something they don t want is extremely expensive and seldom successful. Marketers depend on marketin g research, both formal and informal, to determine what consumers want and what they are willing to pay for. Marketers hope that this process will give them a s ustainable competitive advantage. Marketing management is the practical applicat ion of this process. The offer is also an important addition to the 4P s theory. Skills of Marketers Marketers have 4 main skill sets that they bring to an enterprise: 1) Opportunit y Identification: Marketing begins before there is a product to sell. Many peopl e think marketing is just selling whatever comes out of the manufacturing plant. It s the job of marketing to decide WHAT comes out of the manufacturing plant i n the first place. Before a business can make money there must be opportunities for money to be made and it s marketing s job to define what those opportunities are. Marketers analyze markets, market gaps, trends, products, competition, and distribution channels to come up with opportunities to make money. 1

9 2) Competitive strategy/positioning: Markets consist of groups of competitors co mpeting for a customer s business. The job of marketing is to decide how to crea te a defensible sustainable competitive advantage against competitors. Marketers conceive strategies, tactics, and business models to make it hard if not imposs ible for competition to take away customers from their business. 3) Demand gener ation/management It s the job of marketing to create and sustain demand for a co mpany s products. Marketers manage demand for a company s products by influencin g the probability and frequency of their customer s purchase behavior. 4 ) Sales : The ultimate goal of marketing is to make money for a business. In most compan ys sales is a different discipline and department from marketing. But in order fo r salespeople to have any long term success in a company they must be led by mar keting. The better job a company does of identifying opportunities, creating a d ifferential sustainable competitive advantage, and generating demand for their p roducts the easier it will be for salespeople to make sales. Method to Measure Customer Satisfaction Companies use the following methods to measure customer satisfaction. 1 ) Compla ints and suggestion system: companies obtaining complaints through their custome r service centres, and further suggestions were given by customers to satisfy th eir desires. 2) Customer satisfaction surveys Responsive companies obtain a dire ct measure of customer satisfaction by periodic surveys. They send questionnaire s to random sample of their customers to find out how they feel about various as pects of the companys performance and also solicit views on their competitors perf ormance. It is useful to measure the customers willingness to recommend the compa ny and brand to other persons.

10 3 )Lost Customer Analysis. Companies should contact customers who have stopped b uying or who have switched to another supplier to learn why this happened. 4 )Co nsumer Behavior Vs Consumption Behavior Consumer behavior refers to the manner i n which an individual reaches decision related to the selection, purchases and u se of goods and services. Walters and Paul says that, consumer behavior is the p rocess where by the individuals decides what, when, how and from whom to purchas e goods & services. Consumer behavior relates to an individual person (Micro beh avior) where as consumption behavior relates to and to the mass or aggregate of individuals (Macro behavior) consumers behavior as a study focuses on the decisi on process of the individual consumer or consuming unit such as the family. In c ontrast the consumption behavior as a study is to do with the explanation of the behavior of the aggregate of consumers or the consuming unit. Consumer is a piv ot, around which the entire system of marketing revolves. The study of buyer beh avior is one of the most important keys to successful mark Introduction to Telecom Industry The Indian Telecommunications network with 110.01 million connections is the fif th largest in the world and the second largest among the emerging economies of A sia. Today, it is the fastest growing market in the world and represents unique opportunities for U.S. companies in the stagnant global scenario. The total subs criber base, which has grown by 40% in 2005, is expected to reach 250 million in 2007. According to Broadband Policy 2004, Government of India aims at 9 million broadband connections and 18 million internet connections by 2007. The wireless subscriber base has jumped from 33.69 million in 2004 to 62.57 million in FY200 4- 2005. In the last 3 years, two out of every three new telephone subscribers w ere wireless subscribers. Consequently, wireless now accounts for 54.6% of the t otal telephone subscriber base, as compared to only 40% in 2003. Wireless subscr iber growth is expected to bypass 2.5 million new subscribers per month by 2007. The wireless technologies currently in use are Global System for Mobile Communi cations (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). There are primarily 9 GS M and 5 CDMA operators providing mobile services in 19 telecom circles and 4 met ro cities, covering 2000 towns across the country. Evolution of the industry-Important Milestones Year

11 1851 First operational land lines were laid by the government near Calcutta (seat of British power) 1881 Telephone service introduced in India 1883 Merger with the postal system 1923 Formation of Indian Radio Telegraph Company (IRT) 1932 Merger of ETC and IRT into the Indian Radio and Cable Communication Company (IRC C) 1947 Nationalization of all foreign telecommunication companies to form the Posts, Te lephone and Telegraph (PTT), a monopoly run by the government s Ministry of Comm unications 1985 Department of Telecommunications (DOT) established, an exclusive provider of dom estic and long-distance service that would be its own regulator (separate from t he postal system) 1986 Conversion of DOT into two wholly government-owned companies: the Videsh Sanchar Nigam telecommunications Limited (VSNL) for international

12 and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) for service in metropolitan areas. 1997 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India created. 1999 Cellular Services are launched in India. New National Telecom Policy is adopted. 2000 DoT becomes a corporation, BSNL A large population, low telephony penetration levels, and a rise in consumers i ncome and spending owing to strong economic growth have helped make India the fa stest-growing telecom market in the world. The first and largest operator is the state-owned incumbent BSNL, which is also the 7th largest telecom company in th e world in terms of its number of subscribers. BSNL was created by corporatizati on. while DTS (Department of Telecommunication Services), a government unit resp onsible for provision of telephony services. Subsequently, after the telecommuni cation policies were revised to allow private operators, companies such as Bhart i Telecom, TATA Indicom, Vodafone, MTNL, Idea, Vodafone and BPL have entered the space. Major operators in India. However, rural India still lacks strong infras tructure. The total number of telephones in the country crossed the 300 million mark on June 18 2008The overall tele-density has increased to 36.98% in March 20 09 .In the wireless segment, 15.87 million subscribers have been added in March 2009. The total wireless subscribers (GSM, CDMA & WLL (F)) base is more than 391 .76 million now. The wire line segment subscriber base stood at 38.22 million wi th a decline of 0.13 million in October 2008. Market Share of Public and Private Industry The fixed line and mobile segments serve the basic needs of local calls, long di stance calls and the international calls, with the provision of broadband servic es in the fixed line segment

13 and GPRS in the mobile arena. Traditional telephones have been replaced by the c odeless and the wireless instruments. Mobile phone providers have also come up w ith GPRS-enabled multimedia messaging, Internet surfing, and mobile-commerce.The much-awaited 3G mobile technology is soon going to enter the Indian telecom mar ket. The GSM, CDMA, WLL service providers are all upgrading them to provide 3G m obile services. Along with improvement in telecom services, there is also an imp rovement in manufacturing. In the beginning, there were only the Siemens handset s in India but now a whole series of new handsets, such as Nokia s latest N-seri es, Sony Ericsson s W-series, Motorola s PDA phones, etc. have come up. Touch sc reen and advanced technological handsets are gaining popularity. Radio services have also been incorporated in the mobile handsets, along with other application s like high storage memory, multimedia applications, multimedia games, MP3 Playe rs, video generators, Camera s, etc. The value added services provided by the mo bile service operators contribute more than 10% of the total revenue. The Global Cellular Mobile Industry Global telecom sector Earnings visibility Earnings growth is being driven by imp roving pricing conditions, stabilizing operating trends, aggressive cost cutting initiatives, a positive regulatory environment, strong wireless growth, and new market opportunities. This has translated into greater visibility of forward ea rnings as evidenced by recent increased analyst upgrades within the sector. Merger synergies Given the substantial amount of excess capital available in the sector and in pr ivate equity we expect to see additional merger and acquisition activity, albeit at a slower pace than recently witnessed. Global telecom M&A deals over the pas t two years have reflected market expansion but have also had a positive effect on the buyers balance sheets. Partnering companies have begun realizing their syn ergies through cost reductions and economies of scale. In the US, the largest th ree companies now account for over 70% of the sector market cap; this compares t o 34% in 1990. Trends in bundled services are also paving the way for additional M&A activity. Sector consolidation will further increase the importance of stoc k selection. Growth

14 While cost-cutting has been a major source of earnings growth, we have seen topline pressures decreasing which will help revenues become a larger driver of ear nings growth again. We see growth within the sector coming from a number of area s including: broadband, 3G (third generation) technology, expansion in emerging markets. Broadband penetration has been accelerating as internet customers are s eeking faster downloads for audio and video files. 3G services, which facilitate the simultaneous transfer of both voice and non-voice (i.e. video, downloads, S MS, etc.) data are providing mobile users with a much more robust communication platform and should finally begin to realize their growth potential in 2007. Eme rging market companies benefit from low penetration rates and also tend to have lower leverage, higher margins and higher growth than most developed markets tel ecom companies. Global opportunities It has become less difficult to find attrac tive telecom investment opportunities globally than it was a year ago. As the fo g has lifted from the sector, there are increased opportunities within both the growth and value spaces. Definition of Cellular/Mobile phone The Cellular telephone (commonly "mobile pho ne" or "cell phone" or "hand phone") is a long-range, portable electronic device used for mobile communication. In addition to the standard voice function of a telephone, The Global Cellular Mobile Industry: The global mobile phone industry is based on many different manufacturers and op erators. The industry is based on advanced technology and many of the manufactur ers are operating in different industries, where they use their technological sk ills, distribution network, market knowledge and brand name. Four large manufact urers of mobile phones are today dominating the global mobile phone industry &ne tworks; Nokia, Sony Ericson, Samsung and Motorola . Airtel, Bsnl , tataindicom , Vodafone, reliance, others. In addition to these companies there are many manufa cturers that operate globally and locally.

15

Telecom Industry in India The telecom industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India. India s nearly200 million telephone lines making it the third largest network in the w orld after China and USA. With a growth rate of 45%, Indian telecom industry has the highest growth rate in the8world. Much of the growth in Asia Pacific Wirele ss Telecommunication Market is spurred by the growth in demand in countries like India and China. Indias mobile phone subscriber base is growing at a rate of 82. 2%. China is the biggest market in Asia Pacific with a subscriber base of 48% of the total subscribers in Asia Pacific. Compared to that Indias share in Asia Pac ific Mobile Phone market is 6.4%. Considering the fact that India and China have almost comparable populations, India slow mobile penetration offers huge scope f or growth. History of Indian Telecommunications It was Started in 1851 ,when the first oper ational land lines were laid by the government near Calcutta (seat of British po wer). Telephone services were introduced in India in 1881. In 1883 telephone ser vices were emerged with the postal system. Indian Radio Telegraph Company (IRT) was formed in 1923. After independence in 1947, all the foreign telecommunicatio n companies were nationalized to form the Posts, Telephone and Telegraph (PTT), a monopoly run by the government s Ministry . Telecom sector was considered as a strategic service and the government considered it best to bring under state s control. The first wind of reforms in telecommunications sector began to flow in 1980s when the private sector was allowed in telecommunications equipment manuf acturing. In 1985, Department of Telecommunications (DOT) was established. It wa s an exclusive provider of domestic and long distance service that would be its own regulator (separate from the postal system). In 1986, two wholly governmentowned companies were created: the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) for intern ational telecommunications and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) for serv ice in metropolitan areas. In 1990s, telecommunications sector benefited from th e general opening up of the economy. Also, examples of telecom revolution in man y other countries, which resulted in better quality of service and lower tariffs , led Indian policy makers to initiate a change process finally resulting in ope ning up of telecom services sector for the private sector. National Telecom Poli cy(NTP) 1994 was the first attempt to give a comprehensive roadmap for the India n telecommunicationssector. In 1997, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI ) was created. TRAI was formed to act as a regulator to facilitate the growth of the telecom sector.. Telecommunication sector in India can be divided into two segments: Fixed Service Provider (FSPs), and Cellular Services. Fixed line servi ces consist of basic services, national or domestic long distance and internatio nal long distance services. The state operators (BSNL and MTNL), account for

16 almost 90 per cent of revenues from basic services. Private sector services are presently available in selective urban areas, and collectively account .Global S ystem for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The GSM sector is dominated by Airtel, Vodfone-Essar, and Idea Cellular, while t he CDMA sector is dominated by Reliance and Tata Indicom. Opening up of internat ional and domestic long distance telephony services are the major growth drivers for cellular industry. Cellular he tariffs on airtime, which along with rental was the main source of revenue. The reduction in tariffs for airtime, national l ong distance, international long distance, and handset prices has driven demand. Classification of Telecommunication services 1. Basic services 2. Cellular serv ices 3. Internet Service Provider (ISP) Research Objectives Scope of study: scope is limited to Hyderabad and secunderabad region only Objectives of the study: This project aims at studying the present market scenar io.The major players in the market today are Airtel, Vodafone,Bsnl, Tata indicom ,Reliance,Idea.All The companies want to capture the market study concerns with evaluating fast developing area and so all the service providers were taken to measure the satisfaction of customer The main objective of the study are: 1. Service providers in the market which ar e not reaching the customer. 2. To study the customer satisifaction towards mobi le service providers. 3. To study and identify how the customers are benefited. 4. To evaluate the major service provider satisified the customer. 5. To assess the needs, requirements and expectations of the customers in order to assess the ir current satisfaction levels. 6. To know the attitude, enthusiasm regarding th e service provided to customers. 7. To understand the performance of different b rands in the market on various parameters like product quality, performance of t he customer relationship officer (CRO), service quality, range and selection of products available. About the company IMRB Established in 1971 and with over three decades of market research experien ce, It is a pioneer in India in various research areas. Associated with a group of international market companies .International promises high quality conceptua lization, ISMRB International is the

17 only research company in India today that offers the entire range of research ba sed services to its clients. consumer market research both quantitative and qual itative, industrial market research, business to business market research, socia l and rural market research, media research, retail research, and consumer panel s. This provides specialist research services to its clients in India and overse as on products and services covering the entire business and industry. IMRB Inte rnational today, operates out of its five full service offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and Bangalore and is supported by15 other regional centers fo r collection of survey information that literally spanthe entire country. ABACUS FIELD Abacus Field handles the field operations for all the business divisions in IMRB . it has a network of 15 regional offices spread across the country that gives I MRB the capability to run pan India research projects smoothly &effectively. In research infrastructure in neighbouring countries. They work with associate comp anies in Sri Lanka (Lanka Market Research Bureau) and in the Middle East(Arab Ma rket Research Bureau), and through affiliates in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Egypt, Tunisia, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh a nd Myanmar. 3.2) DIVISIONS IMRB has five specialist units to serve the diverse needs of their clients: Probe Qualitative Research (PQR) Social and Rural Research Institute (SRI) Media & Pane l Research Group Customer Satisfaction Management & Measurement (CSMM) Business & Industrial Research Division (BIRD) Research Limitation Limitations of the Study Carrying the survey was a general learning experience f or us but we also faced some problems, which are listed here: The market of Tele communication is too vast and it is not possible to cover each and every dealer, manufacturer and seller in the available short span of time. Generally the resp ondents were busy in their work and were not interested in responding rightly.

18 Respondents were reluctant to discover complete and correct information about th emselves and their organization. Most respondents were not maintaining proper knowledge of various services provi ded by their company, so they were unable to provide exact information. Most of the respondents dont want to disclose the information about the various o ther companies which they have experienced before. Some of the respondents were using the service first time of their company and t hey were not able to properly differentiate among their product. Due to human behavior information may be biased. Mainly in BSNL case. Main Text Literature Review . Review of Literature 1. Robins (2008) This paper is about marketing the next generation of mobile telephones. The study is about third generation of cell phone technology, what i s usually known as 3G for short. There are various issues about that new innovativ e. One is how to price 3G handsets and services at a level which will enable tel ephone operating companies to recoup the high prices they have already paid to g overnments for operating licenses. Second the technology is not yet complete, th ere are no agreed international standards and companies do not yet know what new services the technology will prove capable of delivering effectively. All varia nts of 3G remain dependent on largely unproven technology. Marketing 3G is going to be about services which are new and in many cases, yet to be designed. At th e same time, it will involve services which can also be obtained by computer and other means. It follows that the marketing task will be high risk. First, 3G ha s no obviously unique selling proposition to build on except, perhaps, the combi nation of live video and easy portability. Second, the potential customers have not yet had adequate opportunity to signal their service likes and dislikes. Thi rd, the cost and complexity of service provision leave doubt about the markets re action to price.

19 2. Debnath (2008) This study explain that the prime focus of the service provide rs is to create a loyal customer base by benchmarking their performances and ret aining existing customers in order to benefit from their loyalty. With the comme ncement of the economic liberalization in 1991, and with a view to expand and im prove telecom infrastructure through the participation of the private sector, th e Government of India permitted foreign companies holding 51 percent equity stak e in joint ventures to manufacture telecom equipment in India. The Indian Govern ment has announced a new policy, which allows private firms to provide basic tel ephone services. There had been a monopoly of the state-owned department of tele communications. However, several companies are expected to benefit from the poli cy change. 3. Bhatt (2008), in his study titled A Study of Mobile Phone Usage Among the Post Graduate Students analyzed that it is important for mobile carriers, service prov iders, content developers, equipment manufacturers, as well as for parents and y oung people alike that the key characteristics of mobile technology is well unde rstood so that the risks associated with its potentially damaging or disruptive aspects can be mitigated. This paper has tried to compare the usage difference b y gender with respect to the difference manufacturing and service provider compa nies. 4. Jha (2008), in his study analyzed that it is the youth which is the real grow th driver of the telecom industry in India. Considering this give a snapshot of how frequently young people ral embodied functions of the cell phones. Data 08 mobile phone owners, aged between 20 and 29. der, monthly voucher amount and years of owning e pattern of this device. Findings of the study service providers and handset manufacturers to or different market segments. fact, the paper is an attempt to use their mobile phones for seve was collected from a sample of 2 The study sheds light on how gen mobile phones influence the usag would be helpful for the telecom formulate a marketing strategy f

20 5. Kalavani (2006) in their study analyzed that majority of the respondents have given favourable opinion towards the services but some problems exist that deserve the attention of the service providers. They need to bridge the gap between the ser vices promised and services offered. The overall customers attitude towards cell phone services is that they are satisfied with the existing services but still t hey want more services to be provided. 6. Kumar (2008), in their study titled Customer Satisfaction and Discontentment v is-avis BSNL Landline Service: A Study analyzed that at present, services marketing p lays a major role in the national economy. In the service sector, telecom indust ry is the most active and attractive. Though the telecom industry is growing rap idly, India s telecom density is less than the world s average telecom density a s most of India s market is yet to be covered. This attracts private operators t o enter into the Indian telecom industry, which makes the Bharat Sanchar Nigam L imited (BSNL) more alert to run its business and survive in the market. 7. Seth et al (2008), in their study titled Managing the Customer Perceived Servi ce Quality for Cellular Mobile Telephone: an Empirical Investigation analyzed that t here is relative importance of service quality attributes and showed that respon siveness is the most importance dimension followed by reliability, customer perc eived network quality, assurance, convenience, empathy and tangibles. This would enable the service providers to focus their resources in the areas of importanc e. The research resulted in the development of a reliable and valid instrument f or assessing customer perceived service quality for cellular mobile services.

21 8. Fernandez (2007) in their study titled Understanding Dynamics in an Evolving Industry: Case of Mobile VAS in India analyzed that Mobile Value Added Services ( VAS) is a rising star in the fast growing wireless business. In the paper, attem pt is made at understanding the strategic dynamics of the evolving environment w ithin which the Indian players are operating, the challenges and structure of th e same. Our literature and industry review indicates that - while the value chai n of industry is complicated yet one can observe the bipolar nature of bargainin g powers between mobile network operators and content aggregators. 9. Bismut (2006) in his study titled Competition in European Telecom Markets analyzed that in recent years the European telecommunications market has witness ed major developments, with rapid expansion in access to telecommunications netw orks and a surge in the number of available services and applications. While man y factors have contributed to the transformation of the telecommunications indus try, competition has played a key role in driving telecom players to invest in n ew technologies, to innovate and to offer new services. 10. Kalpana and Chinnadurai (2006) in their study titled Promotional Strategies o f Cellular Services: A Customer Perspective analyzed that the increasing competitio n and changing taste and preferences of the customers all over the world are forc ing companies to change their targeting strategies. The study revealed the custo mer attitude and their satisfaction towards the cellular services in Coimbatore city. It was found that advertisement play a dominant role in influencing the cu stomers but most of the customers are of opinion that promotional strategies of cellular companies are more sale oriented rather than customer oriented. 11. Fredric (2008) analyzed the importance of yield management and discriminatio n pricing in telecommunication sector. Yield management is the process of allocati ng the right type of capacity or inventory unit to the right kind of customer at the right

22 price so as to maximize revenue or yield. Yield management and dynamic pricing s trategies could be usefully applied to preserve and increase profitability. Yiel d management techniques can help telecom operators and similar companies to opti mize the benefits they can derive from a subtle management of information networ ks and partnerships. However, such an approach is more difficult to implement in the telecommunications industry than in the airlines sector because of the diff iculty to control (and sometimes to refuse) network access to customers 12. Chris (2003) has analyzed Telecom advertising in print media. This research at tempted to investigate why Telecom theme are used in advertisement, and the moti ves that lead companies and advertisers to use sport celebrities and sport conce pt in advertisements. From study it has been revealed that the appearance of spo rt celebrities in advertising endorsement occurred more often in Telecom magazin es than in other magazines, because their target group is more acquainted with a thletes. The sport celebrities that dominated each printed media are related wit h their target group characteristics.

23 Research Methodology Sources of Data SOURCES OF DATA The study undertaken there to be mainly based on the primary dat a i.e. structured questionnaire is designed. The study also contains secondary d ata i.e. data from authenticated websites and journals for the latest updates ju st to gain an insight for the views of various experts. METHODOLOGY & PRESENTATI ON OF DATA The data collected is then coded in the tables to make the things pre sentable and more effective. The results are shown by tables which will help me out in easy and effective presentation and hence results are being obtained. TOO LS AND TECHNIQUES USED FOR ANALYSIS In this study the technique used for interpr eting the results is CHI SQUARE test. It is used as because sample size is 100. Sampling Design RESEARCH DESIGN The design for this study is Exploratory and Random sampling

24 Collection Method DATA COLLECTION The data is collected randomly irrespective of the category of t he people in the form of questionnaire and the sample size is 100 respondents. B ecause it is a pilot study and due to time constraint the sample size is small. Research Definition The word research is derived from the Latin word meaning to know. It is a system atic and a replicable process, which identifies and defines problems, within spe cified boundaries. It employs well-designed method to collect the data and analy ses the results. It disseminates the findings to contribute to generalize able k nowledge. The main characteristics of research presented below are: Systematic problem solving which identifies variables and tests relationships be tween them, Collecting, organizing and evaluating data. Logical, so procedures c an be duplicated or understood by others Empirical, so decisions are based on dat a collected Reductive, so it investigates a small sample which can be generalize d to a larger population Replicable, so others may test the findings by repeating it. Discovering new facts or verify and test old facts. Developing new scientif ic tools, concepts and theories, this would facilitate to take decision. For the proper analysis of data simple statistical techniques such as percentage were use. It helps in making more generalization from the data available. The d ata which will be collected from a sample of population was assumed to be repres enting entire population was interest. Demographic factors likeage, income and e ducational background was used for the classification purpose.

25 Data Analysis Data Analysis and Interpretation Customer satisifaction: Gap b/w Consumer Expectations and Companies Performance of Telecommunication Q1: - Which mobile connection do you have? Particular AIRTEL VODAFONE IDEA BSNL No. of respondents 40 32 16 12

26 Interpretation: - As the area of the study is in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, whe re the market leader is Airtel. Thats why majority of the questionnaire I got fil led by Airtel. Above data analysis shows that majority of the market that is app roximately 50% is covered by two market leaders Airtel and vodafone. Minor is bs nl. Q2:- What kind of service you have? Particular Pre-Paid Post-Paid No. of respondents 84 16

27 Interpretation: - Above data shows that most of the respondents in the area have pre-paid connections. And I got only 16% questionnaire filled by post-paid user s. Q3:- Overall, how would you rate your service provider? Brands Excellent Good 18 15 06 10 Avg 10 20 04 03 Poor 0 0 05 08 Terribl e Not Sure Airtel 7 Vodaphone 5 Idea Bsnl 1 0

28 Interpretation:- From the graphic it depict that Airtel is the most excellent an d good service provider as 19 out 20 responded believes that the service of the company is excellent. Then vodaphone has also good rate of excellence as 16 out of 18 respondents rated Vodaphone as a good service provider. But the idea and B snl are not under good ratings. 8 respondents of BSNL and 5 of Idea have rated t heir service provider as Poor. BSNL is found to be worst service provider from a ll above as 12 respondents rate it as a average service provider and 8 as a poor service provider. Q4:- Rank the following factors which influenced you the most to buy the service of your choice?

29 H1: -Price factor is not the most influencing factor for the purchase of Telecom service. H0: - Price factor is the most influencing factor for the purchase of Telecom service. Brands Price Network Service 16 Brand Image 4 3 3 VAS Expected values 25 Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl 7 6 22 4 7 6 10 10 25 25 25 Chi square value: 6.035 Table value: 5.991 Interpretation of Chi: - As the 95% level of confidence Chi square value 6.035 i s more than the table value 5.991, so the null hypothesis is rejected, it means Price factor is the most influencing factor for the purchase of Telecom service. Interpretation:- Above data analysis shows that Airtel is being preferred becaus e of its best network service and Brand image as well. Where Vodafone is preferr ed because of its good pricing strategy, network service, brand image and the mo st Value Added Services of the company. And Idea is preferred because of all abo ve factors. Where Bsnl is preferred the most because of its low price as compare to its competitors and because of its value added services as well. Q5- Rank the following VAS which attracted you the most to buy or retain the mob ile service: Particular Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl

30 SMS Pack 0 9 15 4 6 16 11 Concession 3 Call Rates Internet Service Full Talk Time 6 5 1 7 6 4 0 7 Interpretation: - Above data analysis shows that Airtel is being preferred becau se of its internet service. And vodaphone because of its Concession calls rates and full talk time VAS. Where Idea the most because of its Concession Call Rates and SMS pack. But BSNL because of its SMS pack mainly and then concession rates also. Q6:- How long have you used the service of that company?

31 Brands Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl >1 Month 1-6 Month 2 6 M 1 Year < 1 Year 7 11 7 3 13 13 3 9 < 3 Year 6 1 2 2 3 3 5 3 2 Interpretation:- Above table analysis depicts that most of the users are using t heir telecom service from last one year. Some of the users are also using it fro m last 3 year, where majority of the users are BSNL connection holders. Most of the users of the Vodaphone are using it from last 6 months. Very few respondents are a new users of their services that let our study not vague. Q7:- Overall, how satisfied are you, with network service of your company? Brands Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfy Very Dissatisfy

32 Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl 7 3 2 2 23 18 13 14 0 1 2 8 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 Interpretation: - Above table data analysis shows that the satisfaction rate of network service is leaded by Airtel as not a single user of service is neutral o r dissatisfy. And vodaphone network service satisfaction rate is also good. And it can be also found that BSNL network service is not good as compare to others competitors as 14 respondents are found to be not satisfied with the company net work service. Q8:- How would you rate the service s value for money?

33 Brands Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl Excellent 9 6 2 3 Good 24 20 10 14 Fair 6 5 Poor Not Sure 1 Interpretation: - Above data and chart analysis depicts that BSNL has the highes t rating of Value for /money as 33 persons out 34 has rated it as a excellent an d good service provider. Then Idea Company is following Bsnl as a best service p rovider for value for money. Other two players Airtel and Voda has similar perfo rmance approximately. Both has been rated good and excellent, where good has bee n rated more as compare to other options. Q9:- What kind of problems occurs the most for which you need to contact custome r care/service department of your service provider? H0: - People do not contact customer care mostly for activation and deactivation of the service

34 H1: - People contact customer care mostly for activation and deactivation of the service Brands Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl Billing Related 1 Activation/ Deactivation 8 18 Informatio n of VASs 10 7 5 11 Network Problem Expected values 25 25 6 12 6 3 13 25 25 Chi square value: 9.351 Table value: 7.815 Interpretation of Chi:- As the 95% level of confidence Chi square value 9.351 is more than the table value 7.815, so the null hypothesis is rejected, it means P eople contact customer care mostly for activation and deactivation of the servic e. Interpretation: - From the above data analysis it has been found that most of th e users of telecommunication contact to their customers care for activation and deactivation of various services. Then they also contact for information about v arious value added services provider by companies like validity, call rates, sms pack, caller tones etc. Network service has been found a problem of mainly BSNL users and to some extent of Idea users as well. Q10:- In thinking about your most recent experience with that company, how much satisfied are you with the customer care service? H0: - Airtel is not the best service provider of customer care service. H1: - Ai rtel is the best service provider of customer care service. Brands Very Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfy Very

35 Satisfied Airtel 14 6 12 11 2 3 6 3 3 7 Dissatisfy Vodaphone 3 Idea Bsnl 1 7 22 Chi square value: 11.143 Table value: 9.488 Interpretation of Chi:- As the 95% level of confidence Chi square value 11.143 i s more than the table value 9.488, so the null hypothesis is rejected, it means Airtel is the best service provider of customer care service in the industry.. Interpretation:- From the above data interpretation we can conclude that Airtel is the best service provider of customer care service. As it has been also found in some of the article that Airtel is expending more on its customer care servi ce as compare to other competitors in the market. The Vodaphone service is also satisfactory as most of the users has rated it as satisfied service provider. Bu t Bsnl is to be found as a not satisfactory service provider. Most of the users said that they have not talk to their customer care service provider even for a single time. Q11:- How satisfied are you with the process of getting your queries resolved? Brands Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl Very Satisfied 12 2 1 Satisfied 17 12 1 3 Neutral Dissatisfy Very Dissatisfy 3 8 3 6 9 2 19

36 Interpretation: - From above data analysis we can say that most of the users, wh o are satisfied with their customer care service, are also satisfied with the pr ocess of getting their queries resolved. Airtel again has been rated as the best service provider for getting queries resolved. Results are similar approximatel y with the 10-question analysis. Q12:- The customer service representative was very courteous. Brands Airtel Vodaphone Idea Bsnl Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral Somewhat Agree 7 8 Strongly Agree 13 14 10 2 20 12 12 2

37 Interpretation: - Above data analysis shows that most of the users of all compan ies found their customer service provider courteous. But the result of BSNL is n ot good as the users say that they have not talk to their customer care service provider even for a single time. Some of them have talk but after a lot of waiti ng time. So they are found not satisfied and rated this question also as dissati sfied. So after studying their views with a personal discussion we can not say t hat the customer care representatives of BSNL are not courteous. Q13:- The customer service representative was very knowledgeable. Brands Airtel Vodaphone Idea Bsnl Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral Somewhat Agree 3 1 Strongly Agree 22 17 10 8 20 12 5 2

38 Interpretation: - Above data analysis shows that most of the users of all compan ies found their customer service provider knowledgeable. But the result of BSNL is again not good as the users say that they have not talk to their customer car e service provider even for a single time. Some of them have talk but after a lo t of waiting time. So they are found not satisfied and rated this question also as dissatisfied. So after studying their views with a personal discussion we can not say that the customer care representatives of BSNL are not knowledgeable. B ut one more finding is there in that question that Idea is not perfect in hiring best personnel for customer care representatives as 8 users are neutral for thi s question reply. Q14:- The waiting time for having my questions addressed was satisfactory. Brands Airtel Vodafone Idea Bsnl Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral Somewhat Agree 2 3 Strongly Agree 23 15 10 8 20 12 5 2

39 Interpretation: - Above data analysis shows that most of the users of all compan ies are found satisfactory with the waiting time their queries resolved. But the result of BSNL is again not good as the users say that they have not talk to th eir customer care service provider even for a single time. Some of them have tal k but after a lot of waiting time. So they are found not satisfied and rated thi s question also as dissatisfied and neutral. So after studying their views with a personal discussion we can not say that the customer care representatives of B SNL are not able to solve their customer queries in a satisfactory time. Conclusion CONCLUSION As per my belief we have seen that the choice of mobile handset and services can not be separated came out true because when we tried to find out the customer d ecision .we successfully classified customers in to eight group each with some s pecial requirement service wise and handsets attribute wise. Competition in telec om industry is heating up its time for Indian telecom players also to align up i n the new dynamic business environment. Telcom majors should think to launch the product according to the needs of customers to satisfy them and make them brand loyal as very soon this blue ocean of Indian telecom scenario will convert into red ocean where the loss of is the gain of other .They should also think for se arching new space or we can say either creating a new blue space to sustain thei r growth in long run. There is more room for data analysis but the rest of the p art is beyond the scope of this project report According to the results, the mos t important determinant for consumers are price and sacrifice perception (moneta ry and non-monetary sacrifice), which in perception. These are periodical fixed cost, minute or traffic charge and opening cost when purchasing mobile phone. Th e results indicate that the minute charge is the most

40 influential factor when a customer assesses to purchase. The second most importa nt factor is the periodical fixed cost and another factor is the opening cost. T hese indicate, not surprisingly, that communication firms need to deeply conside r. Also, this indicates that a lot of effort must be put in the pricing strategy . Quality of service and the ability to attract and retain customers dictate the s uccess or failure of next-generation communications service providers. In todays competitive environment, customers are quick to abandon services that do not mee t expectations. The ease with which customers can switch from their current serv ice to another, demands that providers deliver the highest possible levels of se rvice quality and performance. To be successful, communications service provider s must deliver positive customer experiences with rich, value-added services sup ported by comprehensive service quality management. To this effect-Mobile servic es has experienced the negative attributes of not being customer focused and rea lizes that quality is an attribute that creates customer satisfaction profitably . Therefore quality must be fused with all resources channeled towards their cus tomers Bibliography REFERANCES 1. Jallet, Frederic, Yield management, Dynamic pricing and CRM in telecommunications, (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do;jse ssionid=236E2B6B4 5CF101465D540FD4401AEB9? contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml& contentId=1747102&history=true>) [Viewed 13/3/09] 2. Debnath, Roma Mitra, Benchma rking telecommunication service in India, 2008 (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Ins ight/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=236E2B6B4 5CF101465D540FD4401AEB9? contentTyp e=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1742535&history=true>) [Viewed 2/3/09] 3. Robins, Fread, The marketing of 3G, vol 21, no 6, 2008

41 (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=236E2B6B4 5 CF101465D540FD4401AEB9? contentType=Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=854647&hi story=true>) [Viewed 2/4/09] 4. Kalwani, Banumathy, Consumers Attitude towards Cell phone Services, 2006 5. Fern andez, Fronnie, Understanding Dynamics in an Evolving Industry: Case of Mobile VAS in India, 2007 (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem. do;jsessionid=2086527F07 57A565F9A6CBAC8800F658? contentType=Article&hdAction=ln khtml&contentId=881588&history=true>) [Viewed 4/4/09] 6. Kumar, Kaliyamoorthy, Influence of Demographic Variables on Marketing Strategies in the Competitive Scenario, 2007 (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insig ht/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=2086527F07 57A565F9A6CBAC8800F658? contentType= Article&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=881588&history=true>) [Viewed 4/4/09] 7. Seth et, Etal, Managing the Customer Perceived Service Quality for Cellular Mobile Te lephone: an Empirical Investigation, 2008 (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=2086527F07 57A565F9A6CBAC8800F658? contentType=Boo k&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1758667&history=true>) [Viewed 6/4/09] 8. Tecor, Jha, Understanding Mobile Phone Usage Pattern among College-Goers, 2008 (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do;jsessionid=208652 7F07 57A565F9A6CBAC8800F658?

42 contentType=Book&hdAction=lnkhtml&contentId=1760544&history=true>) [Viewed 7/4/0 9] 9. Bhatt, Andre, A Study of Mobile Phone Usage Among the Post Graduate Students, 2008 10. Chris, Kambitsis, Telecom advertising in print media, 2003 Journal The Indian Telecom Industry, IIM Calutta, Vatsal Goyal, 2007 Investment Surge in the Indian Telecom Space, Times Global, Issue 2, 2008 A multiple-perspective mo del for technology assessment, vol 3, 2008 The marketing of 3G, Vol 21, no. 6, 2 003 Books Zeithaml, Valarie (2008), Service Marketing, 4th Ed. New Delhi: Tata McGra w Hill Publishing Company Lmt. 1.6 ANNEXURE Questionnaire NAME- ___________________ AGE- ________ MOBILE MODEL_ _______ OCCUPATION-_________________ Q1:- Which mobile connection do you have?

43 a) Airtel b) Vodafone c) Idea d) Bsnl Q2:- What kind of service you have a) Pre-paid b) Post-paid Q3:- Overall, how would you rate your service provider? a) Excellent b) Good c) Average d) Poor e) Terrible f) Not Sure Q4:- Rank the following factors which influenced you to buy the service of your choice? a) b) c) d) Price Network Service Brand Image Value Added Services (Rel to Rel Free after 11PM) Q5- Rank the following VAS which attracted you the most to buy or retain the mob ile service: a) SMS pack Poor b) Concession Call Rates c) Internet Service d) Fu ll Talk Time 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent --1 2 3 4 5 -Q6:- How long have you used the service of that company? a) Less than one month d) 1 to 3 years b) 1 to 6 months e) Over 3 years c) 6 months to a year

44 Q7:- Overall, how satisfied are you, with network service of your company? a) Ve ry satisfied b) Satisfied c) Neutral d) Dissatisfied e) Very dissatisfied Q8:- How would you rate the service s value for money? a) Excellent b) Good c) F air d) Poor d) Not sure Q9:- What kind of problems occurs the most for which you need to contact custome r care/service department of your service provider? Rank them. a) b) c) d) Billi ng related Activation/deactivation related Information about VASs Network problem Q10:- In thinking about your most recent experience with that company, how much satisfied are you with the customer care service? a) b) c) Very satisfied Satisf ied Neutral

45 d) e) f) Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied N/A Q11:- How satisfied are you with the process of getting your queries resolved? a) b) c) d) e) Very satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Q12:- The customer service representative was very courteous. a) b) c) d) e) Str ongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree Q13:- The customer service representative was very knowledgeable. a) b) c) d) e) Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree

46 Q14:- The waiting time for having my questions addressed was satisfactory. a) b) c) d) e) Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Neutral Somewhat Agree Strongly Ag ree If you were not totally satisfied with the customer service, will you please des cribe the reasons for your dissatisfaction? -- Thank you for spending your precious time on filling in the questionnaire for us !