Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Measuring Service Quality Abstract This case study is dealing with research and different ways of tracking customers’ satisfaction as well as customer insight. Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Measuring Service Quality Enterprise Case study What decisions has Enterprise made with regard to primary data collection-research approach, contact methods, sampling plan and research instruments? 2)Enterprise made a decision to use a survey approach of its customers. Enterprise wants to know about the beliefs, attitudes and the emotions and the unique experience of its customers.
These are private and are usually not shared with others. Enterprise chose to contact its customers by using systematic sampling. Enterprise, after determining the sample size, then every nth record (1 in 20 customers) is selected from a list of population members. Systematic sampling yields a probability sample but it is not random sampling strategy. The research instrument that Enterprise uses is the questionnaire that the respondent completes. The questionnaire instrument is relatively inexpensive to administer.
The same questionnaire is sent to all respondents systematically selected. The respondents fill the questionnaire out at their own convenience. 3) In addition to or instead of the mail survey there are other means could Enterprise could use to gather customer satisfaction information. Enterprise can use the following methods to gather customer satisfaction information in addition to the mail survey. Enterprise can conduct personal interview. This interview will allow a detailed and in depth question and responses.
The unique experiences of the respondents will be known. Personal interview is costly and it could lead to the interviewer and or the respondents biases. It could lead to cheating by the interviewer. Enterprise could also use telephone survey. This is convenient. It saves time and it is relatively inexpensive. There is less interviewer and the respondents bias. Self-administered questionnaire (mail survey) is what enterprise uses. This is cost effective and it minimizes interviewer bias and may allow accuracy in answers provided by the respondents.
Mail survey on the other hand has a low response rate, unanswered questions and sometimes incorrect answers are given due to misunderstanding on the part of the respondents. 4) Online survey is also another method Enterprise could use. It provides timely response from respondents. To minimize drop out, a way is offered for the respondents to save their survey and return to it later on. Enterprise can improve the response rate and the timeliness of the feed back in several ways. Enterprise should send the respondents an advance letter telling them the purpose of the mail survey.
An introductory message should always be attached to the questionnaire just in case the respondents have forgotten about the advanced letter that was sent. The sampling procedure should be briefly explained so that the respondents would have the idea how they were selected. The questionnaire should be brief, simple and interesting and the respondents’ confidentiality must always be protected. Incentives to the respondents must be considered. This may encourage timely response. An incentive such as a dollar bill may compensate respondents for their time.
Always, a postage paid return envelope must be enclosed. Enterprise must have a follow-up mailing policy. The importance of customer service at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The Times 100 Business case studies. http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/enterprise-rent-a-car/the-importance-of-customer-service-at-enterprise-rent-a-car/introduction. html Cochran, Craig (2008) Measuring Service Quality. Quality Digest Retrieved from http://www. qualitydigest. com/mar08/articles/03_article. shtml