The usage of quality management to improve customer satisfaction

Abstract

The different opinion about customer satisfaction amongst academics and practitioners is useful in gaining broader understanding of the term customer satisfaction. This study anchors its definition of customer satisfaction on three main drivers: (1) product’s knowledge such as emotional or cognitive, (2) consumption experience and (3) the response after consumption. Although, this definition departs from market expectation of companies’ production and marketing orientation, it certainly forms the base for concerns about the need for product quality that now drives companies’ quality and competitive strategy. This study evaluates the usage of quality management to understand management perception of product quality and its relationship with customers’ satisfaction and competitiveness. This evaluation used survey research method to collect empirical data from 110 respondents randomly selected from manufacturing companies based in Cape Town. The data received were analysed using descriptive statistic, presented in tables and charts to understand and describe respondents’ perception of the usage of quality management for improved customer satisfaction. The finding shows that quality, management was used to improve satisfaction of customers.