1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Evaluation of Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction holds immense importance in todays marketing scenario and the companies should try to satisfy their customers. Satisfied customers usually return and buy more, they tell other people about their experiences, and they may well pay a premium for the privilege of doing business with a supplier they trust. Statistics are bandied around that suggest that the cost of keeping a customer is only one tenth of winning a new one. Therefore, when we win a customer, we should hang on to them. Customer satisfaction and loyalty research has become an essential business tool to help retain and increase the customer base. The main principal of any successful customer satisfaction program is to establish the issues that are of greatest importance to ones target audience. The research programmes develop focused customer strategies and provide intelligence to help identify and priorities management objectives.

The research here is carried to know the customer satisfaction of mobile users in the Telecom industry .the whole Telecom industry is undergoing a stupendous growth especially after so many players taking a plunge into in the mobile service business. Now buying mobile is not a rich mans possession any more. The mobile industry is on whopping high. With various technologies creeping in every day you always are on a back seat to keep your self updated. With a major chunk of the users being teenagers it makes the situation more dynamic and helps to create a niche market in itself.

Looking at the industry trends in mobile segment, the growth is tremendous. Various cellular providers try to be innovative in providing value added services to the subscribers. If the demand is rising in same pace then it is for sure that the subscriber base of the mobile users will definitely exceed the limit of the land line subscribers. They are so many mobile service providers in India; the competition between them to capture the market share is immense. The strategies and promotions they practice are awesome. At the end of all these strategies and promotion their main objective is to satisfy the existing customers, retain them and to attract potential customers.

The current trends and dynamism in this field invoked me to carry on a research to know the factors that influence the customer satisfaction in the Telecom industry. Aircel which is hot favorite among students encouraged me to take the study on Aircel because of their promotions and marketing strategy. This study deals with exploring the factors that effect the satisfaction of customers of AIRCEL and also tries to discover the satisfaction level of mobile service customers other than AIRCEL who can be the prospective customers for AIRCEL in future. The research has also led to understand the current market situation in terms of customer preferences, customer attitude, available alternatives, price sensitivity, buying decisions, and product attributes etc.

It has been a sincere effort to explore the factors that can lead to total customer satisfaction of the AIRCEL service users. Also the study of the customer perception & attitude of other mobile service users has resulted to highlight those issues that the customers give value to and regard important as, which will help the company to attract more and mare new prospective customers.

1.2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Market

The term market may be considered as a convenient meeting place where buyers and sellers gather together for the exchange of goods and services. Market means a group of people having unmet wants, purchasing power to make their demand effective and the will to spend their income to fulfill those wants. Today a market is equated with the total demand. The American marketing association defines a market, as the aggregate demand of potential buyers for a product or service.

Under keen competition, a marketer wants to create or capture and retain the market i.e. customer demand through an appropriate marketing mix offered to a target market. The market offering i.e. supply must meet fully customer demand, which are unmet needs and desires.

Marketing

Marketing is a comprehensive term and it includes all resources and set of activities necessary to direct and facilitate the flow of goods and services form the producer to the consumer in the process of distribution. Businessmen regards marketing as a management function to plan promote and deliver products to the clients or customers. Human efforts, finance and management constitute the primary resources in marketing.

We have twin activities, which are most significant in marketing:

1. Matching the product with demand i.e. customer needs and desires or the target market. 2. The transfer of ownership and possession at every stage in the flow of goods from the primary producer to the ultimate consumer.

The American marketing association defines marketing as 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 Management

Marketing management represents an important functional area of business management efforts for the flow of goods and services from the producer to the consumers. It looks after the marketing system of the enterprise. It has to plan and develop the product on the basis of known customer demand. Marketing management may be defined as, a process of management of marketing programs for accomplishing organizational goals and objectives.

Marketing management has to build up appropriate marketing plan or marketing mix to fulfill the set goals of the business. It has to formulate sound marketing policies and programs. It looks after their implementation and control. It has to implement marketing strategies, programs and campaigns. It must evaluate the effectiveness of each part of marketing mix and introduce necessary modifications to remove discrepancies in the actual execution of plans, policies, strategies, procedures and programs.

Marketing Mix

Marketing mix is the set of marketing tools the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market.

The elements or variables that make a marketing mix are four: 1. Decisions on product or service. 2. Decisions on promotion 3. Decisions on price 4. Decisions on distribution. The four ingredients are closely interested. Under the systems approach the decision in one area affects action in the other. Marketing mix decisions constitute a large part of marketing management. According to Philip Kotler the term marketing mix is, the set of controllable variables that the firm can use to influence the buyers response. In the simplest manner, the basic marketing mix is the blending of four inputs or sub mixes, which form the core of the marketing system.

Product mix decision refers to decisions on product variety, quality, design, features, brand image, packaging, sizes, services, warranties and returns.

Price mix decision refers to decisions on the product list price, discounts, allowances, payment period and credit terms available.

Place mix decision refers to decisions on the channels, coverage, assortments, locations, inventory and transport of the market offering.

Promotion mix decisions refer to decisions on the products advertising, sales promotion, sales force, public relations and direct marketing. Together they form the four Ps of marketing. Marketing Planning

A marketing plan lays down in writing the marketing objectives, programs and policies to be adopted to achieve the set marketing objectives. Even before an integrated marketing plan is prepared the company shall prepare functional plan for each component of marketing mix. To have a sound marketing plan, every operation is to be examined and the problems are to be identified. The overall marketing plan should be linked to the distribution channel of the company to have effective marketing operations.

The marketing planning covers the preparation of functional plans, integration of this plan and the preparation of master marketing plan to serve the objective of the organization. Marketing planning is bound to get a better hold of environmental factor.

Marketing Research

Marketing research is the systematic gathering, recording and analyzing of the data about problems connected to the marketing of goods and services i.e. problems relating to product, price, promotion and distribution of the 4ps of the marketing mix.

Marketing research is concerned with all those factors, which have a direct impact upon the marketing of products and services. Marketing research has grown along with the expanded role of marketing as the focus for the business decision-making. Need of marketing research

Marketing research is conducted for different purposes. They are: 1. To estimate the potential market for a new product. 2. To know the reactions of consumers to a product already existing in the market. 3. To find out the general marketing condition and tendencies. 4. To know the types of consumer buying and their buying motives. 5. To know the reactions of failure of a product already in the market. 6. To assess the strength and weakness of competitors.

Consumer Behavior

The term consumer behavior can be defined, as, the behavior that the consumer display in searching for, purchasing, using and evaluating products, services and ideas, which they expect, will satisfy their needs. The study of consumer behavior enables marketers to understand and predict consumer behavior in the market place; it also promotes understanding of the role that consumption plays in the lives of individuals. Consumer behavior refers to all psychological social and physical behavior of potential consumers as they become aware of, evaluate, purchase and consume and tell others about products and services. It is the pattern of response of buyers to marketing offer of a firm. It refers to the process as how consumers make their purchase decisions. It is concerned with what, why, how much, when and from whom buyers make their purchases of goods and services. Model of consumer behavior

The starting point of understanding consumer behavior is the stimulus-response model. Marketing and environmental stimuli enter the buyers consciousness. The buyers characteristics and decision process lead to certain purchase decisions. The marketers task is to understand what happens in the buyers consciousness between the arrival of outside stimuli and the buyers purchase decisions.

Major Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior

Consumers buying behavior is influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological factors.

Cultural Factors

Cultural factors exert the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behavior. The roles played by the buyers culture, subculture and social class are particularly important.

Culture

Culture refers to that complex whole which includes in it knowledge, beliefs, art or anything man acquires as a member of society.

Subculture

Each culture consists of smaller subcultures that provide more specific identification and socialization for their members. Sub cultures include nationalities, religions, racial groups and geographic regions.

Social Class

Virtually all-human societies exhibit social stratification. Stratification sometimes takes the form of a caste system where the members of different castes are reared for certain roles and cannot change their caste membership more frequently; stratification takes the form of social class.

SOCIAL FACTORS

Reference Groups

A persons reference groups consists of all the groups that have a direct or indirect influence on the persons attitudes or behavior.

Family

The family is the most important consumer buying organization in the society and it constitutes the most influential primary reference group.

Roles and statuses

A person participates in many groups, family, clubs, organizations etc. The persons position in each group can be defined in terms of role and status. A role consists of the activities that a person is expected to perform. Each role carries a status. Personal factors

Age and stage in the life cycle

People buy different goods and services over their lifetime. Taste in clothes, furniture and recreation is all age related. Consumption is shaped by the family life cycle. Marketers often choose life-cycle groups as their target market.

Occupation and economic circumstances Occupation also influences a persons consumption pattern. Product choice is greatly affected by economic circumstances; spend able income, savings and assets, debts, borrowing power and attitude toward spending versus saving.

Lifestyle

People from the same subculture, social class, and occupation may lead quite different lifestyles. A lifestyle is the persons pattern of living in the world expressed in activities, interests ands opinions. Lifestyle portrays the world person interacting with his or her environment.

Personality and self concept

Each person has a distinct personality that influences buying behavior. It is that distinguishing psychological characteristics that lead to relatively consistent and enduring responses to environment. Related to personality is self-concept or self image. Marketers try to develop bran images that match target markets self image. Psychological factors

Motivation

A person has many needs at any given time. A need becomes a motive when it is aroused to a sufficient level of intensity. A motive is a need that is sufficiently pressing to drive the person to act.

Perception

Perception is the process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets information inputs to create a meaningful picture of the world. How a, motivated person actually acts is influenced by his or her perceptions of the situation.

Learning When people act they learn. Learning involves changes in an individuals behavior arising from experience. Learning theory teaches marketers that they can build up demand for a product by associating it with strong drives, using motivating cues and positive reinforcement.

Beliefs and attitudes

Through doing and learning, people acquire beliefs and attitudes. These in turn influence buying behavior. A belief is a descriptive thought that a person holds about something. The beliefs make up product and brand images and people act on these images.

An attitude is a person enduring favorable or unfavorable evaluations, emotion feelings and action tendencies toward some object or idea. Thus a company would be well advised to fit product into existing attitudes rather than try and change peoples attitudes.

2. DESIGN OF THE STUDY

2.1 OBJECTIVES To study the satisfaction level of the AIRCEL customers. To understand the current market situation in terms of customer preferences, customer attitude, available alternatives, price sensitivity, buying decisions, product attributes etc. To come with a suitable conclusion and Suggestions based on analysis and interpretation of the study.

2.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

A study of this kind helps to put theoretical aspects into the project and aims to give information to AIRCEL. Nature of study methods used, findings of the investigation, conclusion and recommendations inferred from the findings also aims to enable AIRCEL to implement the recommendations made at the end of the study.

The research is purely based on the survey conducted in Chennai city and has been focused on Aircel Subscribers. The number of respondents interfere is 50. The study covers information about customer brand preference, service attributes etc. The project will be useful to management, students and other who may want to broader their horizon. Overall scope of the study would be to enhance the services to the subscribers in the city.

2.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study deals with consumer perception of AIRCEL subscribers. The myriad factors that have a fearing or influence customer purchase decision are of paramount importance to the service providers and dealers. In order to retain its subscribers it is necessary for the organization to study the behavior of the existing and new subscribers and meet their expectations and preferences. In this scenario, it is necessary to evaluate the different factors that influence the subscriber. So some issues that are needed to be studied are Perception of Customer of various brands. Buying motives of subscribers. Satisfaction level of the subscribers. Awareness about different brands. Major forces that influence purchase decision.

Statement of the problem has been summarized as consumer Behavior of cellular providers and a market survey on Aircel Subscribers.

2.4 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The research required primary and secondary source of data. The primary data is obtained through structured questionnaires designed Secondary Datas are the one which is collected from web sites, common man, dealers, and company records

Some of the books referred are Principles of Marketing, Philip Kotler. Marketing Management, A. J. Sherlekar,

2.5 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE STUDY

Marketing is a comprehensive term and it includes all resources and set of activities necessary to direct and facilitate the flow of goods and services form the producer to the consumer in the process of distribution. Marketing management may be defined as, a process of management of marketing programs for accomplishing organizational goals and objectives Consumer behavior can be defined, as, the behavior that the consumer display in searching for, purchasing, using and evaluating products, services and ideas, which they expect, will satisfy their needs.

Market segments may be identified by examining demographic, psychographic and behavioral differences among buyers.

Target markets may be defined as those markets or market segments that offer the greatest opportunity to the marketer.

An offering is a combination of products, services, information and experiences. A brand is an offering from a known source.

Relationship marketing may be defined as the aim of building mutually satisfying long term relationships with key parties consumers, suppliers, distributors in order to earn and retain their business.

Brand It is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller and to differentiate them from those of competitors.

2. PROFILE

2.1 COMPANY PROFILE

The Aircel Group is a result of alliance between Maxis Communication Berhad of Malaysia (74% equity) and Sindya Securities & Investment Private Limited (26% equity). The Aircel Group, formed in 1994, offers affordable and outstanding mobile services to a vast subscriber base in India. Aircel has a vision of delighting its customers by giving them the respect they deserve. Their goal is to provide customers with exemplary service and persistently look for new ways to surpass their expectations.

Aircel commenced operations in 1999. In their first decade of operations, they concentrated on building foundations in the southern part of the country, and soon emerged as the regional market leaders. They worked hard and achieved that success by remaining focused on growth opportunities. Soon after the company began with its expansion in 2005 and has now set its sight on becoming a pan India operator. Their project pipeline is robust, allowing for sustainable long-term growth.

In addition to their leadership position in Tamil Nadu, Aircel met with extraordinary success in the Eastern frontier circles. They pride themselves on customer satisfaction and managed to emerge as the market leaders in Assam and

North Eastern states within 18 months of operations. During this period, the company gained a strong foothold in 10 circles, to provide better access to their customers. Today, Aircel operates in 18 telecommunication circles and the company is ready to embark on a dynamic expansion plan, swiftly rolling out in new circles in the near future.

Aircel recognizes the tremendous growth in its customer base. They have also got an authorization from the Department of Telecommunications for ILD and NLD telephony services and are now on track to realize their dream of becoming a nationwide player by the year 2010.

Aircel offers its customers, services and products that are easy to understand and use. All offerings are stimulating and at the same time unique as Aircel continue to re-invent itself constantly to deliver the best and most up-to-date services. The brand instills a feeling of pride, confidence and reliance among all stakeholders by anticipating their desires and fulfilling the same efficiently.

With their foundations deeply set on their brand values of simplicity, creativity, trust and excitement, they will continue to deliver superior services to their customers and will do their best to live up to high expectations

Major competitors of Aircel

AIRTEL IDEA VODAFONE TATA DOCOMO RELIANCE BSNL

About 3G 3G will bring to life the experience of mobile broadband on phone. With this technology, one can enjoy superior videos, enhanced voice calls and swift data transmission on the mobile phone that will make life quicker, exciting and efficient so one can do more on the go. High speed internet Allows real time video streaming Video conferencing High Definition Gaming High speed download/upload

Awards and Recognition Aircel has also been recognized for its consistent and reliable efforts, receiving the highest rating for overall customer satisfaction and network quality by Voice and Data in 2006, an accolade given to only a select few. They succeeded in keeping their promises to their customers as they were recognized for the same award by IDC in 2007. Aircel emerged as the top mid-size utility company in Business worlds 'List of Best Mid-Size Companies' in 2007. Additionally, they have also been recognized as the best regional operator by the Tele.net Publication in 2007 and have been honored by CMAI INFOCOM for excellence in marketing of new telecom service in 2009.

AIRCEL is rated as 'Best Mobile Service in the Country' by the national TNS survey of mobile users.

AIRCEL is Named 'Most Respected Telecom Company' by Business World.

AIRCEL has been Named 'Creative Advertiser of the Year' and has won the 'Campaign of the Year' award at the annual Abby 2004 advertising awards function. AIRCEL has been Named Social Responsibility of Wild and has won the 'Campaign of the Save our Tigers award at the a NDTV 2010 awards function.

3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The marketing research problem calls for the descriptive types of research. Descriptive studies are undertaken in many circumstances. When the researcher is interested in knowing the characteristics of certain groups such as age, sex, education level etc or in cases where the researcher in is interested in knowing the proportion of people in a given population who have behaved in a particular manner. Descriptive research is used for the following data. Consumer profile study Consumer Behavior study

SOURCES OF DATA Data, facts, figures, other relevant material of past and present and surveying are the basis for study and analysis. Without an analysis of factual data no specific inferences can be drawn on the questions under study. Inferences based on imagination or guesses cannot provide correct answer to research questions. The relevance adequacy and reliability of data determine the quality of the findings of a study.

For the purpose of the present study, data from two sources has been collected namely primary and secondary data.

 Primary Data Primary data is source from which the researcher collects the data. It is a first hand data, which is used directly for the analysis purposes. Primary data always gives the researcher a fairer picture. In the present study primary data has been collected using questionnaires. For the purpose of collecting the same, 50 respondents have been randomly selected. Even the response of the respondents was taken into consideration. In this study, primary data plays a vital role for analysis, interpretation, conclusion and suggestions. Secondary Data Secondary data is data which is collected and compiled for other purposes. Secondary data also plays a key factor in the in providing various other information which will influence the analysis. Few of the main sources of secondary data include newspapers, business journals, magazines, internet and company reports etc.

POPULATION The aggregate of all the units pertaining to a study is called the population. Population is the largest group to be studied. Its the total collection of elements about which we wish to make inferences the populations for this research are the people residing in Chennai city.

SAMPLE DESIGN A part of the population is known as sample. The process of drawing a sample from a large population is called sampling. The type of sample design used is Simple Random Sampling. Simple Random Sampling gives every unit of the population a known and non-zero probability of being selected. Since random sampling implies equal probability to every unit in the population, it is necessary that the selection of the sample must be free from human judgment. The sample design is formulated at Chennai city only.

SAMPLE PLAN

SAMPLE SIZE The sample size for the survey is 50 respondents of which 25 are Existing AIRCEL Subscribers and 25 are New AIRCEL Subscribers.

SAMPLE UNIT One of the units into which an aggregate is divided or regarded as divided for the purpose of sampling, each unit being regarded as individual and indivisible when the selection is made. The definition of unit may be made on some natural basis fro example households, persons, units of product etc. Hence, in the study the sample unit is Respondents who are Prepaid Aircel Subscribers.

3.2 DATA COLLECTION TOOLS

The following sampling techniques have been implemented: Personal interviews Approaching people personally and interviewing directly. Questionnaires

Designing the questions in such a way that is covers various opinions, views about AIRCEL subscribers at the present market conditions. The questionnaire consisted of various types of questions say Openended questionnaire, Close ended or Dichotomous questions, Multiple-choice questions.

FIELD WORK This project involved a field work where in the survey is conducted by having a personal interaction with 50 subscribers who are AIRCEL subscribers. Personal interaction has been carried out and the information sought as was required in the questionnaire for the purpose of data processing and analyzing. The respondents have been directly contacted.

METHODOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS

For the purpose of the study the following assumptions have been made. It has been assumed that the information given by the respondents are authentic, Bona fide and genuine. The sources of the data are the basis, from which the actual required information can be extracted. The sampling procedure adopted will help in choosing an appropriate sample that truly represents that actual population. It has also been assumed that interview-questionnaire is more suitable for collecting data for the present day.

3.3 OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT

Chapter 1

This chapter deals with the general introduction about the report, the need objectives and a scope of the study. It includes certain management definition concerned with the study.

Chapter 2

This chapter deals with the design of the study concerning research methodology, sampling, tools of data collection, overview and limitation of study.

Chapter 3

This chapter deals with the profile of organization such as its origin, its growth, present status, functional departments and the organization structure.

Chapter 4

This chapter deals with the analysis and interpretation of data.

Chapter 5

This chapter deals with the summaries of finding of the study and suggestions based on the findings.

2.9 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The limitations of the study are as follows: Sample size of the subscriber is limited. Many subscribers do not give the exact picture of their opinion.

The time period for conducting the survey is inadequate as the sample size covers only Chennai city. One subscriber may have more than one connection.

The opinion of the subscriber depends on the geographical location of the subscriber this may include the network of the provider. Since its a prepaid service it may be temporarily be used.

Since most of the subscribers are teenagers it fails to give a general view of other age groups.

4. ANALYSIS

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS OF POTENTIAL AIRCEL SUSCRIBERS NO. OF RESPONDENTS 45 5 50 Respondents Based on Gender.

GENDER Male Female TOTAL

PERCENTAGE 90 10 100

Source: primary data

Inference: 90% of the respondents are Male and the rest 10% are Females.

Interpretation:

Majority of the respondents are males as more males are having mobiles.

Graph 1.1 Profile based on Gender

No. of Respondents
50 40 30 20 10 0 Male Gender Female

Table 1.2

Profile of Respondents Based on Age Group.

AGE GROUP Less Than 20 YRS 20-25 YRS 25-30 YRS 30-35 YRS More Than 35YRS TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 3 38 6 Nil 3 50

PERCENTAGE 6 76 12 Nil 6 100

Source: primary data Inference: 76% of the respondents are of age group 20-25 years. 12% of the respondents are of age group 25-30 years. 6% belong to the age group <20 years. Interpretation: Majority of the subscribers are of the age group 20-25 years. This is mainly due to Tariff plans which are competitive and cost effective which are more suitable for teenagers.

Graph 1.2 Profile based on Age Group

0% 12%

6%

6%

<20 Years 20-25 Years 25-30 Years 30-35 Years 35+ Years

76%

Table 1.3 Profile of Respondents Based on Occupation. OCCUPATION Student Salaried Business Others Total NO. OF RESPONDENTS 36 9 2 3 50 PERCENTAGE 72 18 4 6 100

Source : primary data

Inference: 72% of the subscribers are Students. 18% are Salaried Subscribers. 4% are from a Business Background. 6% are from others. Interpretation:

A large number of AIRCEL subscribers are students. The tariffs are more economical and attractive to students, when compared to other service providers in the market.

Graph 1.3 Profile based on occupation.

Business 4% Salaried 18%

Others 6%

Student Salaried Business Others

Student 72%

Table 1.4

Respondents Based on Brand Sequence NO.OF BRAND RESPONDENTS AIRCEL 20 AIRTEL 18 CELLONE 6 IDEA 1 VODAFONE 1 RELIANCE 4 TOTAL 50 PERCENTAGE 40 36 12 2 2 8 100

Graph 1.4 Profile of Respondents Based on Brand Sequence

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

AIRCEL AIRTEL CELLONE TATA INDICOM SPICE RIM

Table 1.5

Mobile service providers in terms of their overall performance BRAND AIRCEL AIRTEL VODAFONE BSNL RIM IDEA NO. OF RESPONDENTS 18 23 1 3 4 1 PERCENTAGE 36 46 2 6 8 2

Source: primary data Inference:

46% of the respondents recalled AIRTEL, first in overall performance. 36% of the respondents recalled AIRCEL, second in overall performance. Interpretation:

Most of the subscriber recalls the brand they use; hence a majority of the subscribers prefer Airtel followed by Aircel, Rim, BSNL, and Vodafone.

Graph 1.5 Mobile service providers in terms of their overall performance

50 40 30 20 10 0 NO. OF RESPONDENTS
AIRCEL AIRTEL SPICE CELL ONE RIM TATA INDICOM

Table 1.6

Type of service intended to use INTENDED SERVICE PREPAID POSTPAID TOTAL 32 18 50 64 36 100 NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE

Source: Primary Data

INFERENCE

64% of the respondents are willing to use prepaid and 36% of them are willing to use postpaid services.

INTERPRETATION

Respondents are more interested to use prepaid services than postpaid services.

Graph 1.6

Type of service intended to use

36% 64%

PREPAID POSTPAID

Table 1.7

Profile of Respondents Based on Various Selection Parameters.

PARAMETERS Promotion Friend and family Attractive Service Plan Special Discount Good Service Quality Location Of Service Stations TOTAL

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 25 31 12 4 11 1 50

PERCENTAGE 50 62 24 8 22 2 100

Source: primary data

Note: 1. Some of the Respondents Have opted more than one Parameter. 2. Sample Size 50

Inference: 62% of the respondents are influenced by their family and friends. 50% of the respondents are influenced by the promotion of the company. 24% of the respondents are influenced by the Service Plans. 22% of the respondents are influenced by the Service Quality. 8% of the respondents are influenced by the Special Discounts. 2% of the respondents are influenced by the Location of Service Stations.

Interpretation:

The respondents are highly influenced by their social circle i.e. friends, familyetc followed by the promotion done by the company and later the service parameters.

Graph 1.7

Profile of Respondents Based on Various Selection Parameters

NO.OF RESPONDENTS

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Series1

Table 1.8

Profile of Respondents Based on Network.

PARAMETERS Excellent (5) Good (4) Fair (3) Poor (2) Very Poor (1) Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 5 16 14 8 7 50

PERCENTAGE 10 32 28 16 14 100

Source: primary data

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 5*5=25 16*4=64 14*3=42 8*2=16 7*1=7 154

= Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size = 154 / 50

= 3.08

Inference:

32% of the respondents rate Good. 28% of the respondents rate Fair. 16% of the respondents rate Poor. 14% of the respondents rate Very Poor. 10% of the respondents rate Excellent. On an average it is 3.08, which is fair. Interpretation:

The network coverage of AIRCEL is not all that competitive compared to AIRTEL. Hence there is only a 4% difference between the respondents who have rated Good and Fair.

Graph 1.8

Rating based on Network.

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

No. of Respondents

16 5

14 8 7

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Very Poor

Table 1.9

Profile of Respondents Based on Customer Care.

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 7 18 17 1 7 50

PERCENTAGE 14 36 34 2 14 100

SOURCE: PRIMARY DATA

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 7*5=35 18*4=72 17*3=51 1*2=2 7*1=7 167

= Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size

= 167 / 50 = 3.34

Inference: 36% of the respondents rate Good. 34% of the respondents rate Fair. 14% of the respondents rate Excellent. 14% of the respondents rate Very Poor. 2% of the respondents rate Poor. On an average it is 3.34, which is in between fair and good. Interpretation:

Customer care service is not satisfactory. Most of the respondents complain that they are not able to get through the connections as they are busy and no timely action is taken for the grievances

Graph 1.9

Rating based on Customer Care.

50
No. of Respondents

40 30 20 10 0 Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 7 1 18 17 7

Table 1.10
Profile of Respondents Based on Value Added Services.

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 9 22 18 1 0 50

PERCENTAGE 18 44 36 2 0 100

SOURCE: PRIMARY DATA

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 9*5=45 22*4=88 18*3=54 1*2=2 0*1=0 189

= Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size

= 189 / 50

= 3.7 Inference:

44% of the respondents rate Good. 36% of the respondents rate Fair. 18% of the respondents rate Excellent. 2% of the respondents rate Poor. On an average it is 3.78,which is in between fair and good. Interpretation:

Value Added Services of AIRCEL is the Good, as it was the first provider to provide such services and to inject the concept of providing services other than basic communication.

Graph 1.10 Rating based on Value Added Services

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

No. of Respondents

22 18 9 1 Excellent Good Fair Poor 0 Very Poor

Table 1.11

Profile of Respondents Based on Availability of Sim Cards and Recharge Cards.

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 18 25 6 0 1 50

PERCENTAGE 36 50 12 0 2 100

SOURCE: PRIMARY DATA

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 18*5=90 25*4=100 6*3=18 0*2=0 1*1=1 209

= Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size = 209 / 50 =4.18

Inference: 50% of the respondents rate Good. 36% of the respondents rate Excellent. 12% of the respondents rate Fair. 2% of the respondents rate Very Poor.

Interpretation:

Availability of Sim cards and Recharge cards is Good, followed by Excellent and a marginal percentage of Fair and Poor. AIRCEL has a good distribution channel system, which plays a very important role in order to penetrate the market and know the pulse of the subscribers.

Graph 1.11

Rating based on Availability of Sim and Recharge cards.

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

No. of Respondents

25 18 6 0 Excellent Good Fair Poor 1 Very Poor

Table 1.12

Profile of Respondents Based on Roaming Facility.

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 19 16 13 1 1 50

PERCENTAGE 38 32 26 2 2 100

Source: primary data

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 19*5=95 16*4=64 13*3=39 1*2=2 1*1=1 201

= Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size

= 201/50 = 4.01

Inference: 38% of the respondents rate Excellent. 32% of the respondents rate Good. 26% of the respondents rate Fair. 2% of the respondents rate Poor. 2% of the respondents rate Very Poor. On an average it is 4.01,which is good.

Interpretation:

The Roaming Service is good, as they are Prepaid Connections there is no necessity to pay any deposit for availing the roaming service.

Graph 1.12

Rating Based on Roaming Facility

50
No. of Respondents

40 30 20 10 1 0 Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 1 19 16 13

Table 1.13

Profile of Respondents Based on Overall Rating.

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 4 29 15 2 0 50

PERCENTAGE 8 58 30 4 0 100

Source : primary data

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 4*5=20 29*4=116 15*3=45 2*2=4 0*1=0 185

= Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size

= 185 / 50 = 3.7 Inference: 58% of the respondents rate Good. 30% of the respondents rate Fair. 8% of the respondents rate Excellent.

 4% of the respondents rate Poor. On an average it is 3.7,which is in between fair and good. Interpretation:

Factors like Tariffs, Network, Customer, Roaming Service etc the Overall Rating of AIRCEL is good.

Graph 1.13

Overall Rating

50
No. of Respondents

40 30 20 10 0 Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor 4 29 15 2 0

Table 1.14

Profile of Respondents Based on Tariffs.

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 12 27 8 3 0 50

PERCENTAGE 24 54 16 6 0 100

SOURCE: PRIMARY DATA

The weights are assigned to the parameters in order to calculate the overall average rating of all the respondents as follows

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor

Weight 5 4 3 2 1

PARAMETERS Excellent Good Fair Poor Very Poor Total

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 12*5=60 27*4=108 8*3=24 3*2=6 0*1=0 198

=Sum of [frequency X Weight] / sample size = 198 / 50 = 3.96

Inference: 54% of the respondents rate Good. 24% of the respondents rate Excellent. 16% of the respondents rate Fair. 6% of the respondents rate Poor.

 On average it is 3.96 which is good.

Interpretation:

The pricing strategies of AIRCEL were far more effective compared to the competitors as it offered low tariffs. Hence more than 50% of the respondents rate the service as Good.

Graph 1.14

Rating Based on Tariffs

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

No. of Respondents

27

12 8 3 Excellent Good Fair Poor 0 Very Poor

5. SUMMARY

5.1 FINDINGS Generally most of the subscribers are students and teenagers. Majority of the subscribers recalled the brand they used. Brand switching was not on a large scale. The tariffs plans, promotion of the company and influence of the social circle had a huge impact over the subscribers. Most of them opted for AIRCEL because it was cost effective. The extensive promotion of AIRCEL has a huge impact over the subscribers. The excellent ad feature by O & M where a boy is followed by his dog created a sort of nostalgia among the subscribers. In fact the ad feature also won award of Creative Advertiser of the year 2004. Roaming service on prepaid cards was highly utilized. Majority of the subscribers recharge well in advance the validity. The service was utilized more during the day.

 On an average respondents spend around Rs 300-500 per month. Most of them prefer AIRCEL when compared to its competitors is the tariff aspects. They feel that the tariff AIRCEL is providing is really economical. The network coverage of Aircel is not effective, as it provides the service on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, GPRS and EDGE.

Various Parameters Tariffs 24% of the subscribers were extremely satisfied with the tariffs. 54% of the subscribers were satisfied with the tariffs. 16% of the subscribers were not fully satisfied with the tariffs. 6% of the subscribers were dissatisfied with the tariffs. Network 32% of the subscribers were satisfied with the network coverage. 28% of the subscribers were fairly satisfied with the network coverage. 16% of the subscribers were not satisfied with the network coverage.

 14% of the subscribers were dissatisfied with the network coverage. 10% of the subscribers were extremely satisfied with the network coverage.

Customer Care 36% of the subscribers were satisfied with the customer care service. 34% of the subscribers were fairly satisfied with the customer care service. 14% of the subscribers were extremely satisfied with customer care service. 14% of the subscribers were not satisfied with the customer care service. 2% of the subscribers were extremely dissatisfied with the customer care service.

Value Added Service 44% of the subscribers were satisfied with the value added services.

 36% of the subscribers were fairly satisfied with the value added services. 18% of the subscribers were extremely satisfied with the value added services. 2% of the subscribers were not satisfied with the value added services.

Availability of sim and recharge cards 50% of the subscribers were satisfied with the distribution services. 36% of the subscribers were extremely satisfied with the distribution services. 12% of the subscribers were fairly satisfied with the distribution services. 2% of the subscribers were extremely dissatisfied with the distribution services.

Roaming services 38% of the subscribers were extremely satisfied with the roaming services.

 32% of the subscribers were satisfied with the roaming services. 26% of the subscribers were fairly satisfied with the roaming services. 2% of the subscribers were extremely dissatisfied with the roaming services.

5.2 SUGGESTIONS

SUGGESTIONS TO AIRCEL TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICE

AIRCEL is providing a very good service to its customers and it is one of the best service providers for telecommunication, it has to make use of its resources optimally. In addition to implementing the suggestions given by various customers AIRCEL should follow the following steps to maximize profits, by means of customer satisfaction in a cost effective manner. Respondents suggest that the over all service is not satisfactory and not meeting the customer expectations or the satisfaction level. Network has been a key factor for customer dissatisfaction, majority of the respondents suggested to increase the number of network towers, widen the coverage area and reduce network congestion.

 The tariffs have to be consistent for quite some time in order to avoid the confusion among the subscribers. More accessible contact numbers for Customer care (increase number of lines) and promote them in order to make the user aware of the facility. Provide subsidized rates for calling or messaging to one or few number of our choice. Providing free messaging. Have Good plan, schemes, and packages in order to provide the customer with a wide choice. Keep the subscriber well informed about any deductions or any change in the plan and provide value for what the customer is paying for.

5.3 CONCLUSION

Going mobile is the craze today!! Now buying mobile is not a rich mans possession any more. The mobile industry is on whopping high. With various technologies creeping in every day you always are on a back seat to keep your self updated. With a major chunk of the users being teenagers it makes the situation more dynamic and helps to create a niche market in itself.

Looking at the industry trends in mobile segment, the growth is tremendous. Various cellular providers try to be innovative in providing value added services to the subscribers. If the demand is rising in same pace then it is for sure that the subscriber base of the mobile users will definitely exceed the limit of the land line subscribers.

This report helps in knowing the consumer behavior of the Aircel subscribers and what perception customers have about the brand AIRCEL. With this report the company can capture its loop holes or weaknesses and convert them in to their strengths and opportunities.

From the above study we come to a conclusion that in case of parameters of selection, customer or the subscriber will first look at the network coverage, tariffs and then other parameters. The Subscriber also expects the company to give in detail information of the service they are availing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TEXT BOOKS Principles of Marketing, Philip Kotler. Marketing Management, A. J. Sherlekar,

PORTALS / WEBSITES www.Aircel.co.in www.orange.co.in www.vodafone.com www.businessworldindia.com www.timesofindia.com www.indiainfoline.com

 www.aitelworld.com www.bsnl.com www.relianceinfocom.com

BUSINESS JOURNALS Business World JAN 31 ,2011-12, Aircel World Business Today OCT 22 , 2010

NEWSPAPERS Times Of India- 13 MAY 2012 Economic Times-21 APRIL 2012 Business Standard 1 MARCH 2012

QUESTIONNAIRE A Study of the Potential SUBSCRIBERS perception towards Aircel

PERSONAL INFORMATION

1. 2.

Name___________________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________ 3. Mobile: Yes ( ) No ( )

if yes ,Service Provider Name _______________________________ Mobile no.________________________________________________ ( If YES go to Q. No. 4 If NO go to Q. No. 5 ) 4. Have you ever changed the mobile service provider Yes ( ) No ( )

If yes then the reason _________________________________________ 5. 6. Gender: Male ( ) Age Group a) < 20 years d) 30-35 years 7. Occupation Student Business ( ) ( ) Salaried ( ) ( ) ( ) b) 20-25 years ( ) e) 35+ years ( ) c) 25-30 years ( ) Female ( )

Others ___________________

AWARENESS & USAGE 8. What brand comes to your mind when you hear Mobile Service sector Cellone IDEA ( ) ( ) Aircel ( ) Airtel ( ) RIM ( ) Vodafone ( )

Any other(s) ________________________________________________ 9. Rank the mobile service providers in terms of their overall performance Cellone IDEA ( ) ( ) Aircel ( ) Airtel ( ) RIM ( ) Vodafone ( )

( Denote 1 for Highest and 6 for Lowest rank ) 10. What type of service do you intend use? Pre-paid ( ) Postpaid ( )

11.

Which mobile service you would prefer to go in for Cellone ( ) Aircel ( ) RIM ( )

IDEA ( )

Airtel ( )

Vodafone ( )

Any other(s)________________________________________________ Why______________________________________________________ ( If Aircel go to Q.No. 13 otherwise go to Q. No 15 ) 12. Why do you choose AIRCEL (You can choose more than one.) Promotion Friend/Familys influence Attractive service plan ( ) Special discount ( ) Good service quality ( ) ( )

( ) Locations of services station ( )

14.

How do your aircel based on traiffs ? Excellent( ) good ( ) fair ( ) poor ( ) very poor ( )

13.

Any further suggestion for improvement to your service provider? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________

Customer Signature