ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF SERVICE AUGMENTATION ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: CASE OF A BARBERSHOP INDUSTRY
A barber shop is a service industry that caters to the needs of men wanting to get their haircut and grooming service in a men’s shop. But what matters most to customers in a barber shop?
Unlike women who make a big deal out of the little things done on their hair, for men, haircut is a not a major event in their lives. It is said that what men want is a barber shop that provides comfort in a relaxed setting and casual environment, with very low stress and with a television that shows sports, news and entertainment. These are the ambiance that men want for a good grooming experience.
At Who’s Next Barbershop in New York, they augment their service by including the following: shampoo, shoeshine, shave, facial, hot towel treatment, beard, moustache, neck trims and a selection of cigars. These additional, free of charge service are offered to satisfy each of the customer’s needs.
Today, barber shop are reinvented to provide men with the classic feel of an American barber shop. This is a new strategy that works as a competitive edge against unisex hair salons. The philosophy behind the classic American barber shop is that men want to be with their own kind and with their desired masculine atmosphere during their grooming rituals.
In the general business environment, two factors are identified to have an impact on customer satisfaction: supplier behavior and performance of service. Supplier behavior refers to the behavior and work ethics of the management, the barbers and other staff towards themselves, their customers and their work. (Management Study Guide, n.d.) It is important to note that a business cannot improve its service unless the employees are motivated. Un-motivated employees are unproductive, full of errors and non-friendly towards customers. Well-motivated employees are those that are cheerful, free of errors, productive and can establish and manage a good customer-barber relationship.
Service refers to the effective and efficient delivery of service, the quality of service produced, the consistency and nurturance of service and the skill of barbers and their customer relationship management skill. While supplier and service are two of the major factors that affect customer satisfaction. It is important to note that the sum of the over-all barber shop experience will determine customer satisfaction. The higher the level of satisfaction of customers, the higher is their sentimental attachment. This makes up for strong bonding between customer and barber. Which also translates to loyalty, and which ultimately means less defection to the other rival barber shop.
Customer service is defined by the Institute of Customer Service as “the sum total of what an organization does to meet customer expectations and produce customer satisfaction”. Customer service includes delivery of service, resolving problems of customer, communication and contact with customers, presentation of service and image, and customer relationship management among others. (Asset Skills, n.d.)
Customer satisfaction is measured by the number of customers who have positive experience with the service and who report to have a high degree of satisfaction of the service provided. Customer satisfaction is important because it reflects how the business is performing relative to customer expectations and vis a vis the other rivals in the industry. (Wikipedia, n.d.)
Customers demand value for money, if they do not get what they want they leave immediately. In the service industry the determinants of customer satisfaction are, in its order of relative importance: reliability (dependable and accurate service as promised to customers), responsiveness (promptness and willingness to help customers), assurance (courtesy towards employees, knowledge to inspire trust and confidence, empathy (caring and individualized attention) and intangibles (physical facilities, appearance of shops, personnel). (Parasuman, 2002)
Business industries who want to survive in a competitive environment employ organizational strategies to attract customers, satisfy them with the service and retain them as loyal customers. The purpose thus of ensuring customer satisfaction is to build loyalty. An augmented customer service in the barber shop means that it is reliable, responsive, assuring, and empathic. Last but not the least, the physical dimension of the barber shop, such as their facilities and equipment and to include the personnel are the intangible customer service determinants. With an augmented customer service, customer satisfaction is assured, loyalty among customers is retained and profit is sure to follow.
REFERENCES
Asset Skills, n.d. What is Customer Service? http://www.assetskills.org/CrossSectorSkills/CustomerCare/WhatIsCustomerService.aspx> [Accessed 4 June 2011].
Management Study Guide, n.d. Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction. [online] Available at:< http://www.managementstudyguide.com/factors-affecting-customer-satisfaction.htm> [Accessed 4 June 2004].
Parasuman, A., 2002. Defining, Assessing, and Measuring Service Quality: A Conceptual Overview. Powerpoint. [online] Available at:< http://www.sla.org/Presentations/sldc/parsu_LAB2002pp.ppt> [Accessed 4 June 2004].
Who’s Next Barbershop? [online] Available at:<http://www.locallifedesign.com/clients/whosnext/aboutus.htm> [Accessed 4 June 2011].
Wikipedia, n.d. Customer Satisfaction. [online] Available at:< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_satisfaction> [Accessed 4 June 2011].
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