clients perception of service quality

Internship Report

Clients’ Perception of Service Quality: A Study on Account Management Department of Protishabda Communications

Internship Report on

Clients’ Perception of Service Quality: A Study on Account Management Department of Protishabda Communications

May 15, 2008

Chairman

Internship placement Committee

School/Department/Institution of Business Administration

……………… University

………………………..

Subject: Submission of the Internship report on “Clients’ perception of Service Quality: A

study on Account Management Department of Protishabda Communications”.

Dear Sir:

With due respect and honor I want to place my internship report entitled “Clients’

perception of Service Quality: A study on Account Management Department of Protishabda

Communications” as part of the internship program.

It was a partial requirement of our BBA program and I found it very interesting. I had to learn

and perform several official tasks to provide service to the clients of Protishabda

Communications. This gave me the opportunity to collect relevant data to prepare this

report. I thereby express my deep gratitude as you kindly give me the opportunity to

successfully prepare the report and fulfill the requirement.

Thanking you

Sincerely Yours

Student’s name

Roll

Batch

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At first, I must show my gratitude to Almighty Allah for giving me energy & capabilities to

preparing this report.

Then I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to my Faculty supervisor Mr.

…………………., Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration, …………………

University for his guidance and assistance to complete this report.

My deepest appreciation is to my external supervisor …………………, Account Manager,

Protishabda Communications for his guidance and cooperation to prepare the report.

I am also grateful to the Director of the Accounts Management department and all the

employees of Protishabda Communications for all kind of helps and cooperation.

My sincere gratitude to all the peoples of Department of Business Administration of

Jahangirnagar University including- My Teachers, My Friends and Other officials for their

support and help.

Organization Part

1.1 Background of Protishabda Communications

Protishabda Communication is one of the full-service advertising agencies in the country. The

growth rate of Protishabda shows that it is the fastest growing agency in the advertising

industry of the country. Protishabda provides advertising services as promotional strategies

and planning, creative artworks, creative concepts, media planning and media buying,

production activities for different promotional campaign, organization of different events and

different public relation activities.

1.2 History of Protishabda Communications

The entrepreneur of Protishabda Communications Limited started the venture in 1996 after

leaving his MNC job. The initial set-up was very small. Gradually, Protishabda developed

client base and set-up simultaneously. On its way, Protishabda handled brands like Ispahani,

Bengal Biscuits, Craze Cosmetics, Limo Electronics, and Proshikanet etc.

1.3 Protishabda at present

The office of Protishabda Communication Limited is now located at Banani, Dhaka in a

leased house. As a full service agency Protishabda has proper departments and complete set

up. The departments at Protishabda are:

Account Management: The department does the strategic planning and day to day activities

for the clients and their brands.

Creatives: The department generates ideas and concepts for advertisements and also executes

those.

Media: The department does the media planning and media buying activities for the clients.

Finance & Accounting: The department looks after the financial planning and day to day

accounting activities of the agency.

Production: The department carries out different production activities required for the

advertisements and other promotional affairs for the clients.

1.4 The affiliation of Protishabda Communications

Protishabda Communications got the affiliation of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Network

Worldwide in 1999. The next year, during 2000, it got the affiliation of PUBLICIS

Worldwide Communication Group – another reputed international communication network.

1.5 Financial performance

The annual Turnover of Protishabda was Tk. 8,50,00,000 in 2002, Tk. 16,00,00,000 in 2003

and Tk. 16,60,000,000 in 2004. From beginning till date Protishabda achieved a growth rate

of around 400%.

1.6 Human resource

The Protishabda team now consists of 30 personnel distributed among respective

departments. The number is almost triple than what was at the beginning. Protishabda ranks

Creatives and Account Management personnel as the most important human resource.

The minimum educational requirement for the Protishabda employees is Graduation or

Bachelors Degree. All the departments have some specific requirements regarding the subject

of the education of the employee like for the account management department one must have

to have at least a BBA degree, for the creatives and art department one have to have a

bachelors degree in the related subject, for the accounts department one have to be a

bachelors of commerce and for media department one have to be a bachelors of statistics or

BBA or a subject where the analytical ability is developed. Protishabda follows a standard

recruitment and selection process. The most preferable source of employment for Protishabda

are Internet, employee reference, word of mouth, newspapers, walk ins or direct employment.

For the selection of the employee the Protishabda Management go through an explicit

selection process like initial screening, written test, personal interview and then final

selection. Sometimes Protishabda goes for contract basis employment to fulfill the occasional

and special needs.

1.7 Management

Protishabda has top and middle level management. The management practice is democratic.

Protishabda believes that the management practice of ad agencies should be professional as

other organizations.

1.8 Marketing

The product Protishabda offers is advertising services. It maintains a rate chart, which reflects

the industry standard, for pricing of its offers. The agency promotion for Protishabda includes

public relations and, sometimes, planned advertisements.

1.9 Clients of Protishabda Communications

Protishabda has a rich portfolio of clients both MNC and local. Major clients of Protishabda

Communications include, along with others:

Procter & Gamble Bangladesh (P) Limited

o Ariel, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Oil of Olay, Pampers

Nestlé Bangladesh Limited

o Maggi, Polo, Smarties, Fruitips, Nesvita, Breakfast Cereal

Arla Foods Ingredients Milco, Bangladesh

o Dano

Global Beverage Co. Ltd.

o VIRGIN Drinks

Scancement International Ltd.

o Scancement White

Tetley ACI Bangladesh Limited

o Tetley tea

Citibank NA

o Corporate, Product/Services

Glaxosmithkline Bangladesh Limited

o Dextrose (Glucose Drink)

Marico Bangladesh Limited

o Parachute Herbal Hair Oil

Roxy Paints

Dekko Foods Ltd

o Foods Items

Anfords Bangladesh Ltd

o Mediplus Toothpaste, English Anti-lice Shampoo

Harvest Rich Ltd

Western Union Money Transfer

Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP)

Sony Ericsson

Abul Khair Group

o Starship condensed milk, Starship flavored milk, Starship juice

Bombay Sweets & Company Limited

Lipro Communications Limited

1.10 Mission of Protishabda

Protishabda looks forward to be the most admirable advertising agency in the country by

delivering quality advertising services to the clients and by building their brands and

businesses.

1.11 Views and opinion of Protishabda

Protishabda views the advertising industry as very promising. To its view, the industry is

growing and the competition is getting stiffer day by day. In the future, quality-advertising

services will be of high demand to more and more clients. Protishabda believes that the in-

house agency culture and the media malpractice are the main threats for the Bangladesh

advertising industry.

Protishabda is part of a network that wants to be revered as the hothouse for world-changing

ideas- the kind of ideas that are necessary to transform our clients’ businesses brands and

reputations. Protishabda believes that ‘nothing is impossible’. So it does not only give its

clients what they already want, but what they never dreamed possible too.

1.12 Protishabda organogram

.

Figure – 1: Protishabda Organogram

AdministrationAdministration

Cre

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ives

Acc

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Man

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Acc

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Man

agem

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Med

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edia

Pro

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Pro

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ion

Gen

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Ser

vice

sG

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ervi

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Top

Man

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Top

Man

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AccountsAccounts

Audio VisualAudio Visual

Print & EventPrint & Event

Media BuyingMedia Buying

Media PlanningMedia Planning

Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning

Client ServiceClient Service

Copy WritingCopy Writing

ArtArt

1.13 SWOT Analysis of Protishabda Communications:

Strength analysis helps the company in a way that this is the basic of their survival, which

ultimately works as a nucleus of strategic planning, through company’s weakness

identification it can go for taking corrective actions where needed and this is obvious for

every successful organization. Opportunities and threat analyses is one of the vital issues as

trend builder organizations are always keen to capture lucrative opportunities of the market

and shielding against coming threats for their total prospect to fight the competitors.

Strength:

← Proven management team

← Well reputation in the industry

← Strong financial back up

← Rapid growth of the organization

← High profile affiliation of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide and PUBLICIS

Worldwide Communication Group

Weakness:

← Absence of production facilities

← Lack of effective coordination between the departments

← Absence of proper performance appraisal

← Lack of developed training for the human resources

Opportunity:

← Fastest growing consumer market

← Increasing awareness of the advertisers about the significance of advertisement agencies

Threat:

← Lack of entry barriers for new entrants

← Number of low-profile advertising agencies which can offer services at a lower rate is

very high

← Diversifying options for the clients to switch any time

← In-house agency culture and the media malpractice

Project Part

This part of the report describes the project part— an overview of the project and findings.

Being an intern of The Protishabda Communications, I was able to view the service delivery

process of the organization very closely and interact with the clients. It gave me the

opportunity to do report on the clients’ perception of the service quality of the accounts

management department.

2.1 Objective of the Research:

The research objective is comprised with two types of objectives. They can be described as

primary and secondary objective.

2.1.1 The primary objective of the study was— To find out the clients’ perception of service quality of the Accounts management

department of Protishabda Communications by analyzing the service quality

dimensions

Find responses of the clients on specific dimensions of the service quality

2.1.2Secondary Objective:The secondary objectives are to fulfill the academic requirement and obtaining some practical knowledge about the satisfaction and retention of the consumers in banking sector.

2.2 Significance of the Study:

This study is significant for the following reasons:

o The findings of this research effort may have practical implications for the Account

management department that strive to organize their services in order to accomplish

their objectives.

o The study will help or assist the company to enhance their understanding of the actual

clients’ perception so that it will be easy for the particular department to take

necessary steps to correct or improve the service.

2.3 Expected Findings:

The researcher is expected to find out the following issues in this research. The issues are—

The clients' perception of service quality of the Accounts management department

Find any area where improvement is needed in response to the service quality dimensions

2.4 Methodology:

The methodology for this research is given in the below.

Research Type:

The research was an exploratory research and it tried to clarify the nature of the problem.

Sources of Data:

All the information was collected from primary as well as secondary sources. The primary

source included the contact persons of the client organizations of the agency. The secondary

sources included the Web sites, various books and magazines.

Methods of collection the primary data:

Personal interviews were the methods of collecting the primary data.

Method of administering the questionnaire: Personal interview was the method of

administering the questionnaire.

Sample plan and sample size:

As the number of the clients of the organization is eighteen, all the clients were surveyed for

best outcome.

2.5 Data Analysis & Presentation:

Five dimensions of service quality were used to determine the perception of service

quality. They are reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. Data

was analyzed using weighted average of the assigned values. Each of the criteria of

the service quality dimensions was ranked according to relative importance. The

ranking was made by interviewing the manager of the department. The data were

presented by simple tables and bar charts.

The weighted average was calculated by following formula:

∑ W / N

Where, W = Weight calculated by multiplying assigned weight and frequency

N = Number of Clients

2.6 Limitations:

Like all the research paper, this one also has some limitations. The obstacles faced by me, are

given bellow:

o Limitation of time was one of the most important factors that shortened the

present study. Due to time limitation, many aspects could not discuss in the

present study. Rush hours and business was another reason that acts as an

obstacle while gathering data.

o Lack of experience of the researcher

o Lack of secondary data created a lot of problem for the organization part.

3.1 Advertising

Advertising, a form of commercial mass communication designed to promote the sale of a

product or service, or a message on behalf of an institution, organization, or candidate for

political office. Evidence of advertising can be found in cultures that existed thousands of

years ago, but advertising only became a major industry in the 20th century. Today the

industry employs hundreds of thousands of people and influences the behavior and buying

habits of billions of people. Advertising spending worldwide now exceeds $350 billion per

year. In the Bangladesh alone about 150 advertising agencies help create and place

advertisements in a variety of media, including newspapers, television, direct mail, radio,

magazines, the Internet, and outdoor signs. Advertising is so commonplace in the everyday

life that an average person may encounter from 200 to 800 advertisements in a single day,

according to some estimates.

In 2000 the United States was the leading advertising market in the world with total

advertising spending of $147.1 billion. Japan ranked second with $39.7 billion, followed by

Germany with $20.7 billion, the United Kingdom with $16.5 billion, and France with $10.7

billion. In Bangladesh that was around $1 billion according to some informal data.

3.2 Types of Advertising

Advertising can be divided into two broad categories – consumer advertising and trade

advertising. Consumer advertising is directed at the public. Trade advertising is directed at

wholesalers or distributors who resell to the public. This research focuses on consumer

advertising, the form of advertising that is familiar to most people.

Consumer advertising can be further divided into national advertising and local advertising.

National advertising is aimed at consumers throughout the entire country. National

advertising usually attempts to create awareness among the public of a product or service, or

it tries to build loyalty to a product or service. Local advertising is aimed at informing people

in a particular area where they can purchase a product or service. Advertising to the public

may also take the form of institutional advertising, image advertising, informational

advertising, or cooperative advertising.

Institutional advertising seeks to create a favorable impression of a business or institution

without trying to sell a specific product. This type of advertising is designed solely to build

prestige and public respect. Such advertising helps nonprofit institutions to support their

activities – for example, by encouraging blood donations or cash contributions for the work of

an organization like the Red Cross or Shandhani

Informational advertising seeks to promote an idea or influence behavior. Sometimes known

as public service advertising, it may try to discourage young people from using illicit drugs or

tobacco, or it may encourage people to adopt safer, healthier lifestyles.

Cooperative advertising is an arrangement between manufacturers and retailers in which

manufacturers offer credits to their retail customers for advertising.

3.3 Advertising – its relationship with marketing

In marketing advertising has a dominant role. Every formal marketing plan includes the

advertisement plan. Even if there is no formal marketing plan, there is always a budget

allocated for advertising.

3.3.1Advertising’s role in designing the Marketing Mix

A formal definition of marketing reveals that advertising (as a part of overall promotion) is

one of the primary tools available to any organization:

‘Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing,

promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that

satisfy individual and organizational objectives.’

Marketing assumes a wide range of responsibilities related to the conception, pricing,

promotion and distribution of ideas, goods or services. These areas of responsibility and

decision making in marketing are referred to as the marketing mix. Generally speaking, the

role of advertising in the marketing mix is to focus on the ability of the advertising effort to

communicate to a target audience the value a product or service has to offer. Indeed, the

customers/consumers look for the value in the product or service. In addition, a wide range of

emotional values such as belonging, affiliation and prestige can also be pursued in the brand

choice process. Because of consumers’ search for such diverse values, marketers must

determine which marketing mix ingredients to emphasize and how to blend the mix elements

in just the right way to attract and satisfy customers. These mix ingredients play a significant

role in determining the message content and placement of advertising.

3.3.2 Advertising’s role to revenue and profit generation

Advertising plays a significant role in driving sales as a part of the revenue generating

process. Advertising communicates persuasive information to audiences based on the values

created in the marketing mix. This communication, which can highlight brand features, price

or availability, attracts customers. When the brand has the right features, the right price, the

right distribution and the right communication, sales will occur, and the firm generates

revenue. In this way advertising makes a direct contribution to the marketing goal of revenue

generation. The effect of advertising on profits is a bit more involved. This effect comes about

when advertising can help give a firm greater flexibility in the price it charges for a product or

service. Advertising can help create pricing flexibility by (1) contributing to the economies of

scale and (2) creating brand loyalty.

3.3.3 Advertising’s role in creating customer satisfaction

Once again advertising can communicate how a brand addresses certain needs and desires

and, therefore, plays an important role in attracting customers to the brands they will find

useful and satisfying. Advertising can go even further. It can help link a brand’s image and

meaning to a consumer’s social and environmental affairs, and even can extend the linkage to

the larger cultural issues of the consumers. Thus advertising delivers a sense of personal

connection for the consumers. Without advertising as a way to reveal the availability of

brands and draw out these connections of broader meaning, a firm’s ability to deliver

customer satisfaction would be limited.

The extent of advertising crosses the parameter of commercial ventures only. The process of

advertising very well permits achieving different socially beneficiary results. This practice of

advertising refers to as social communication. Such social communication can benefit the

society by changing peoples’ beliefs and attitudes. This is especially true for the least

developed countries like Bangladesh.

3.4 History of Advertising

Archaeologists have found evidence of advertising dating back to the 3000s BC, among the

Babylonians. One of the first known methods of advertising was the outdoor display, usually

an eye-catching sign painted on the wall of a building. Archaeologists have uncovered many

such signs, notably in the ruins of ancient Rome and Pompeii. An outdoor advertisement

excavated in Rome offers property for rent, and one found painted on a wall in Pompeii calls

the attention of travelers to a tavern situated in another town. In medieval times word-of-

mouth praise of products gave rise to a simple but effective form of advertising, the use of so-

called town criers. The criers were citizens who read public notices aloud and were also

employed by merchants to shout the praises of their wares. Later they became familiar figures

on the streets of colonial American settlements. The town criers were forerunners of the

modern announcer who delivers radio and television commercials.

Although graphic forms of advertising appeared early in history, printed advertising made

little headway until the invention of the movable-type printing press by German printer

Johannes Gutenberg about 1450. This invention made the mass distribution of posters and

circulars possible. The first advertisement in English appeared in 1472 in the form of a

handbill announcing a prayer book for sale. Two hundred years later, the first newspaper ad

was published offering a reward for the return of 12 stolen horses. In the American colonies,

the Boston News-Letter, the first regularly published newspaper in America, began carrying

ads in 1704, and about 25 years later Benjamin Franklin made ads more readable by using

large headlines.

In the United States, the advertising profession began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1841

when Volney B. Palmer set up shop as an advertising agent, the forerunner of the advertising

agency. Agents contracted with newspapers for large amounts of advertising space at discount

rates and then resold the space to advertisers at a higher rate. The ads themselves were created

by the advertisers. In 1869 Francis Ayer bought out Palmer and founded N. W. Ayer & Son,

an agency that still exists today. Ayer transformed the standard agent practice by billing

advertisers exactly what he paid to publishers plus an agreed upon commission. Soon Ayer

was not only selling space but was also conducting market research and writing the

advertising copy.

Advertising agencies initially focused on print. But the introduction of radio created a new

opportunity and by the end of the 1920s, advertising had established itself in radio to such an

extent that advertisers were producing many of their own programs. The early 1930s ushered

in dozens of radio dramatic series that were known as soap operas because they were

sponsored by soap companies.

Television had been introduced in 1940, but because of the high cost of TV sets and the lack

of programming, it was not immediately embraced. As the American economy soared in the

1950s, so did the sale of TV sets and the advertising that paid for the popular new shows.

Soon TV far surpassed radio as an advertising medium.

The tone of the advertising was also changing. No longer did advertising simply present the

product benefit. Instead it began to create a product image. Bill Bernbach, founder of Doyle

Dane Bernbach in New York City; Leo Burnett, founder of the Leo Burnett agency in

Chicago, Illinois; and David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather in New York City, all came

to prominence in the late 1950s and 1960s and led what has been called the "creative

revolution." Bernbach's agency captured the spirit of the new age. Bernbach believed that

advertising had to be creative and artistic or it would bore people. He also believed that good

advertising began with respect for the public's intelligence. The ads his agency created were

understated, sophisticated, and witty.

For example, when Bernbach's agency picked up the account for the Henry S. Levy Bakery in

Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, the agency created an ad that entertained New

Yorkers and provided fodder for many conversations. The ad showed a Native American

eating a slice of the bakery's rye bread with the headline, "You don't have to be Jewish to love

Levy's." But it was the advertising for Volkswagen that made the agency's reputation. At a

time when American cars were getting bigger and bigger and the advertising for them

trumpeted that bigger was better, Doyle Dane Bernbach created a magazine ad that showed a

small picture of the Volkswagen Beetle surrounded by a sea of white space with the headline,

"think small." An equally unconventional ad carried the headline "lemon" beneath a photo of

an apparently flawed Volkswagen. The ad's copy explained that "this Volkswagen missed the

boat. The chrome strip on the glove compartment is blemished and must be replaced…We

pluck the lemons; you get the plums." In an era of hype and bombast, the Volkswagen ads

stood out because they admitted failure in a witty way and gave facts in a believable manner

that underlined the car's strengths. This wit together with a conversational and believable style

was a hallmark of the advertising created by Doyle Dane Bernbach and that style became

highly influential.

The creative foundation established by Bernbach and others has been critical to the success of

contemporary advertising. The introduction of the TV remote control and access to hundreds

of cable channels mean that today advertising must interest and entertain consumers or else

they will simply use the remote to change the channel. New digital devices even threaten to

make it possible to edit out commercials. The development of interactive television,

combining the functions of a computer with access to high-speed transmission over cable

lines or optical fibers, will likely enable consumers to select from a vast video library.

Consumers will be able to determine not only when they watch something, but also, to a

greater extent than ever before, what they will watch. Some industry observers believe that as

consumers gain greater control over their viewing activities, they will find it easier to avoid

advertising.

No one can predict what new forms advertising may take in the future. But the rapidly

increasing cost of acquiring new customers makes one thing certain. Advertisers will seek to

hold onto current customers by forming closer relationships with them and by tailoring

products, services, and advertising messages to meet their individual needs. So while

advertising will continue to encourage people to consume, it will also help provide them with

products and services more likely to satisfy their needs.

3.5 The scope of the advertising industry

To fully understand the structure of the advertising, we need to appreciate the scope of

advertising. By any measure, advertising is an enormous global business. Annual expenditure

on advertising in he US totals about USD 200 billion, with nearly USD 425 billion spend

world-wide. Advertising expenditure worldwide have been growing about 7 to 8 percent a

year, with the United States, Great Britain, Asia, and Latin America leading the way. In the

Bangladesh scenario, all advertising expenditure in the country increased more than six times

from the early nineties till date. During the starting of nineties the amount of ad expenditure

was around Tk. 500 million which jumped to almost Tk. 2900 million in the year 2000.

4. Service Quality

Service quality is a critical element of customer perception. In the case of pure services,

service quality will be the dominant element in customers’ evaluations. Researches suggest

that customers do not perceive quality in a unidimension way but rather judge quality based

on multiple factors relevant to the context. The dimensions of service quality have been

identified through the pioneering research of Parsu Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithmal and

Leonard Berry. They are Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy and Tangibles.

Their research identified five specific dimensions of service quality that apply a variety of

service contexts. The dimensions represent how consumers organize information about

service quality in their mind.

4.1 Reliability: Delivery on promises

Of the five dimensions, reliability has been consistently shown to be the most important

determinant of perceptions of service quality among the customers. Reliability has been

defined as the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. In its

broadest sense, reliability means that the company delivers on promises- promises about

delivery, service provision, problem resolution and pricing. Customers want to do business

with companies that keep their promises, particularly their promises about the service

outcomes and core service attributes. All firms need to be aware of customer expectations of

reliability. Firms that do not provide the core service that customers think they are buying fail

their customers in the most direct way.

4.2 Responsiveness: Being willing to help

Responsiveness is the willingness to help customers and to provide prompt service. This

dimension attentiveness and promptness in dealing with customer requests, questions,

complaints and problems. Responsiveness is communicated to the customers by the length of

time they have to wait for assistance, answers to questions or attention to problems.

Responsiveness also captures the notion of flexibility and ability to customize the service to

customer needs. To excel on dimension of responsiveness a company must view the process

of service delivery and the handling of requests from the customer’s point of view rather than

the company’s point of view.

4.3 Assurance: Inspiring trust and confidence

Assurance is defined as employees’’ knowledge and courtesy and te ability of the firm and its

employees to inspire trust and confidence. This dimension is likely to be particularly

important for servicesthat customers perceives for high risk or for services of which they feel

uncertain about their abilityto evaluate outcomes. Trust and confidence may be embodied in

the person who links the customer to the company.

4.4 Empathy-Treating customers as individuals

Empathy is defined as the caring, individualized attention that the firm provides its customers.

The essence of empathy is conveying, through personalized or customized service, that

customers are unique and special and that their needs are understood. Customers want to feel

understood by and important to firms that provide service to them.

4.5 Tangibles: Representing the service physically

Tangibles are defined as the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and

communication materials. Tangibles provide physical representations or images of the service

that customers, particularly, new customers will use to evaluate quality. Service industries

that emphasize tangibles in their strategies include hospitality services in which the customer

visits the establishment to receive the service. Although tangible are often used by service

companies to enhance their image, provide continuity and signal quality to customers, most

companies combine tangibles with another dimension to create a service quality strategy for

the firm. Firms that do not pay attention to the tangibles dimension of the service strategy can

confuse and destroy an otherwise good strategy.

5.0 Analysis and findings of the study

Clients were asked to give points in respect of some service quality dimensions. A five point

Likert scale with a range from "Strongly agree" to strongly disagree" was used to gauge

clients’ perception. The questionnaire consists of twenty questions. The questions are

distributed throughout the five service quality dimensions. First eight questions are for

reliability, three questions are for responsiveness, three are for assurance, four questions are

for empathy and two questions are for tangibles. The analysis of the collected data also was

made individually for each of the dimensions. The results of the study are as follows:

5.1 Reliability of the employees of the Account management department

Table 1: Reliability of the employees according to the clients

Rank Factors

Strongly Agree (wt=5)

Agree (wt=4)

Neutral (wt=3)

Disagree (wt=2)

Strongly Disagree (wt=1)

Weighted average

fW

(f*5)f

W (f*4)

fW

(f*3)f

W (f*2)

fW

(f*1) ( W / N )

1 Quality of relations 1 5 9 36 8 24 3.611

2 Pro-activity/Flexibility 2 10 9 36 7 21 3.722

3Project management capabilities

5 25 10 40 3 9 4.111

4Coordination & cooperation between agencies

5 25 5 20 8 24 3.833

5 Brand understanding 7 35 8 32 3 9 4.222

6 Performs right first time 3 15 2 8 9 27 3 6 3.111

7Interest in solving client’s problem

6 30 8 32 4 16 4.333

8 Regular market research 6 24 3 9 9 18 2.833

The clients’ perception of reliability regarding the Account management department is

satisfactory. The analysis showed that for the most important criteria the clients’ perception is

high. So it can be said that employees of the department are qualified, skilled, flexible and

knowledgeable in providing service. But as for the market research the weighted average

score is 2.833, below the mean value 3. So it can be stated that the clients are not satisfied

with the present research activities done by the department.

Table 2: Response of clients regarding Reliability

Response

Queries

Strongly Agree

(%)

Agree (%)

Neutral (%)

Disagree (%)

Strongly disagree (%)

Quality of relations 5.55 50 44.44

Pro-activity/Flexibility

11.11 50 38.89

Project management capabilities

27.78 55.55 16.67

Coordination between agencies

27.78 27.78 44.44

Brand understanding 38.88 44.44 16.67

Performs right first time

16.67 11.11 50 16.67

Interest in solving client’s problem

33.33 44.44 22.22

Regular market research

33.33 16.67 50

Source: Primary Data

But the analysis shows that there are places where improvement is needed. Regarding the market research most of the clients that is 50%, are not satisfied. So the department should take decisions to improve the scenario.

5.2 Responsiveness of the employees

Table 3: Responsiveness of the employees

Rank Factors


Agree (wt=4)Neutral (wt=3)

Disagree (wt=2)


Weighted average

( W / N )

fW

(f*5)f W

(f*4)f W

(f*3)f

W (f*2)

fW

(f*1)

1 Prompt service 7 35 5 20 6 18 4.056

2 Willingness to help

8 40 3 12 7 21 4.055

3 Attentiveness 3 15 9 36 5 15 1 2 3.778

The result of collected data shows that all the individual criteria averages are higher than the

mean 3. The individual averages are 4.056, 4.055 and 3.778. So it can be concluded that

employees of the department are providing prompt services with intent to help.

Table 4: Response of clients regarding Responsiveness

Response

Queries

Strongly Agree

(%)

Agree (%) Neutral (%) Disagree (%)


Prompt service

38.89 27.78 33.33

Willingness to help

44.44 16.67 38.89

Attentiveness 16.67 50 27.78 5.55


The above frequency distribution shows that for prompt service a significant number of the

respondent, 33.33% are neither agree nor disagree with the researcher. That is also true for

willingness to help and responsiveness, 38.89% and 27.78% respectively are the frequency of

neutral clients. So it directs that this situation should be improved.

5.3 Assurance of the serviceTable 5: Assurance of the service

Rank Factors


Agree (wt=4)

Neutral (wt=3)

Disagree (wt=2)


Weighted average

( W / N )

fW

(f*5)f W

(f*4)f W

(f*3)f

W (f*2)

fW

(f*1)

1 Confidence on

Client5 25 10 40 3 9 4.111

2 Attitude towards

Client9 45 8 32 1 3 4.444

3 Knowledge 5 25 6 24 6 18 1 2 3.77

The result of collected data shows that weighted averages are 40111, 4.444 and 3.77. So it can

be concluded that the clients’ perception of assurance of the service quality of the department

is high.

Table 6: Response of clients regarding Assurance

Response

Queries

Strongly Agree

(%)



Confidence on

client27.78 55.55 16.67

Attitude towards

client50 44.44 5.55

Knowledge27.78 33.33 33.33 5.55


The frequency of individual query scores shows that most of them agreed that the department

is serving with assurance. They show confidence on client, their attitude are always cordial.

But the 5.55% of the clients disagree with the knowledge of the employees. So the employees

should give attention to improve the situation and try to make the unsatisfied customer

satisfied.

5.4 Empathy in the service

Table 7: Empathy in the service

Rank Factors


Agree (wt=4)

Neutral (wt=3)

Disagree (wt=2)


Weighted

average

fW

(f*5)f W

(f*4)f W

(f*3)f

W (f*2)

fW

(f*1)

1 Individual attention

8 40 5 20 4 12 1 2 4.111

2 Caring 5 25 8 32 5 15 4.01

3 Understand Brand

Specific needs

7 35 8 32 3 9 4.222

4 Operating hours

6 30 11 44 1 3 4.278

Since the weighted average values are higher than the mean 3 we can say that Account

management department is caring to clients’ need, listen problems sincerely and give

individual attention to the clients.

Table 8: Response of clients regarding empathy

Response

Queries

Strongly Agree

(%)

Agree (%) Neutral (%)

Disagree (%)


Individual attention 44.44 27.78 22.22 5.55

Caring27.78 44.44 27.78

Understand Brand Specific needs

38.89 44.44 16.67

Operating hours33.33 61.11 5.55


5.55% respondents disagreed with the researcher that they always got individual attention.

This should be in notice of the policy makers of the agency and should take steps before

the clients become dissatisfied and tend to switch.

5.5 Tangibles

Table 9: Perception regarding tangibles

Rank Factors


Agree (wt=4)

Neutral (wt=3)

Disagree (wt=2)


Weighted average

fW

(f*5)f W

(f*4)f

W(f*3

)

fW

(f*2)

f

W

(f*1)

1Use of modern

Equipments11 55 6 24 1 3 4.389

2 Appearance 12 60 6 24 4.667

The clients were asked about the used equipments and the appearance of the employees of the

department. The result of the above table shows that the weighted average values are 4.389

and 4.667. So it can be stated that clients agreed that the department use modern equipment

and employees appear neat.

Table 10: Response of clients regarding tangibles

Response

Queries

Strongly Agree

(%)



Use of modern

Equipments61.11 33.33 5.55

Appearance66.67 33.33


Most of the clients (61.11% and 66.67%) for queries regarding equipment used and

appearance strongly agreed with the researcher that the department uses necessary modern

equipments and the executives always appear neat. This is the most satisfactory area of the

department.

The perception of the clients was measured by using five dimensions of the service quality.

The criteria of any dimensions are ranked and individual weighted average was calculated for

each of them. For all the dimensions the individual values of the most important criteria are

satisfactory. But in reliability most of the clients are not satisfied with the current market

research activities of the department. Other than this overall perception of the clients of

service quality is over the mean value 3 that means clients agree that the service quality is

satisfactory.

Conclusion

The advertising industry in Bangladesh is yet to mature. It is going through development

phases. The current working process of the industry will shape the industry in the future. But

the market is full of competitors and is increasing day by day.

It is very crucial to know the perception of the clients, especially for the advertising industry

as the industry has become the most intensely competitive one at present. Operating in such a

market demands high service quality to have satisfied clients. The account management

department is the main communication window of the agency with clients. So the employees

of the department should be highly qualified, knowledgeable, smart and courteous. The

organization should take necessary steps to train the employees to ensure best performance

and make the service quality as a competitive advantage. The department should also conduct

regular market research to know the market scenario and uncover new opportunities to exploit

for the organization’s benefit.

Recommendations

Considering the clients’ responses and the findings of the research, the following

recommendation is presented:

The response of the clients shows that the department is reliable. But it also shows

that fifty percent of the clients are not agreeing with the researcher that the

department conduct regular market research. So the management should take

necessary steps to conduct regular market research activity. A monthly or quarterly

market research can be made mandatory to improve current state

In the responsiveness dimension a significant number of clients gave score 3 that

mean they are neutral about the responsiveness of the contact persons. The personnel

of the department should be more attentive and be prompt in responding the clients’

query.

.

Appendix

Questionnaire

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a student of …………. of Business Administration of …………… University, conducting a survey on “Clients’ perception of service quality: a study on Account Management Department of Protishabda Communications.” as a requirement of my twelve weeks Internship program in the Protishabda Communications. Kindly note that this is an academic study and the findings will be remain confined within academic interests. No part of this study will be printed or disclosed with others. Your cooperation and guidance are important for the success of this study and will be very much appreciated.

Dimension: Reliability

1. Quality of relations and contacts / Capacity to listen and take into account client

needs (as long as the needs are stated in writing: contact reports, statement of

work/briefs)

Strongly disagree Strongly agree

2. Initiative / Pro-activity/ Flexibility of the employees


3. Project management capabilities (project planning, activity reports, contact reports,

methodology, respect of agreed timelines, ...) of the department


4. Quality of coordination, cooperation & relations between agencies involved in the

meeting organization (creative agency., technical production agency, logistic agency

etc)


5. Key contact person of the department understands your brand


6. The Account management department performs the service right first time


7. The employees of the department shows a sincere interest in solving your problems

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5


8. The account management department does regular market research for relevant

data for your benefit


Dimension: Responsiveness

9. Employees of the department give you prompt service


10. Employees of the department are always willing to help you


11. Employees of the department are never too busy to respond to your request


Dimension: Assurance

12. The behavior of the employees of the department instills confidence in you


13. Employees of the department always courteous with you


14. Employees of the department have the knowledge to answer your queries


Dimension: Empathy

15. you are provided with individual attention by the department


16. the key contact person in the department has your best interest at heart

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5


17. The key personnel of the

department understand specific needs of your brand


18. The department has convenient operating hour


Dimension: Tangibles

19. The department uses modern technologies


20. The personnel appear neat


Name of the Company:

Thank you

Bibliography

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

(n.d.). Retrieved 04 20, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.com

Zeithaml, V. A., & Bitner, M. J. (2006). Services Marketing. New York: McGraw Hill.

Zikmund, W. G. (2006). Business Research Methods. New York.

clients perception of service quality

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