INDEX

CHAPTER -1

INTRODUCTION
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MEASUREMENT
METHODLOGIES
IMPROVING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS
BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

RESEARCH METHODLOGY
METHODS OF RESEARCH
NEEDS OF THE STUDY
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER -2

CHAPTER -3
INDUSTRY PROFILE
COMPANY PROFILE
PRODUCT PROFILE
CHAPTER -4
DATA ANALYSIS
INTERPRETATION
CHAPTER -5
FINDINGS & SUGEESTIONS

BIBLOGRAPHY
QUESTIONNAIRE

INTODUCTION

Customer satisfaction is a term frequently used in marketing, it is a

measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet
or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is defined as
the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose
reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services exceeds
specified satisfaction goals. In a competitive marketplace where
businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a
key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of
business strategy. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to
effectively manage customer satisfaction. To be able do this, firms
need reliable and representative measures of satisfaction.
Businesses monitor customer satisfaction in order to determine how
to increase their customer base, customer loyalty, revenue, profits,
market share and survival. Although greater profit is the primary
driver, exemplary businesses focus on the customer and his/her
experience with the organization. They work to make their customers
happy and see customer satisfaction as the key to survival and profit.
Customer satisfaction in turn hinges on the quality and effects of their
experiences and the goods or services they receive.
Customer Satisfaction
The definition of customer satisfaction has been widely debated
as organizations increasingly attempt to measure it. Customer
satisfaction can be experienced in a variety of situations and
connected to both goods and services. It is a highly personal
assessment that is greatly affected by customer expectations.
Satisfaction also is based on the customers experience of both
contact with the organization (the moment of truth as it is called in
business literature) and personal outcomes. Some researchers define

a satisfied customer within the private sector as one who receives

significant added value to his/her bottom linea definition that may
apply just as well to public services. Customer satisfaction differs
depending on the situation and the product or service. A customer
may be satisfied with a product or service, an experience, a purchase
decision, a salesperson, store, service provider, or an attribute or any
of these. Some researchers completely avoid satisfaction as a
measurement objective because it is too fuzzy an idea to serve as a
meaningful benchmark.4 Instead, they focus on the customers
entire experience with an organization or service contact and the
detailed assessment of that experience.
For example, reporting methods developed for health care patient
surveys often ask customers to rate their providers and experiences
in response to detailed questions such as, How well did your
physicians keep you informed? These surveys provide actionable
data

that

reveal

obvious

steps

for

improvement.

Customer

satisfaction is a highly personal assessment that is greatly influenced

by individual expectations

Some definitions are based on the observation that customer

satisfaction or dissatisfaction results from either the confirmation or
disconfirmation of individual expectations regarding a service or
product. To avoid difficulties stemming from the kaleidoscope of
customer

expectations

and

differences,

some

experts

urge

companies to concentrate on a goal thats more closely linked to

customer equity. Instead of asking whether customers are satisfied,

they encourage companies to determine how customers hold them

accountable Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of
how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass
customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance indicator
within business
Customer satisfaction depends on the products performance
relative to a buyers expectation, the customer is dissatisfied.

If

preference matches expectations, the customer is satisfied.

If

preference is exceeds expectation, the customer is highly satisfied or

delighted outstanding marketing insurance companies go out of their
way to keep their customer satisfied.

Satisfied customers make

repeat purchases insurance products and tell other about their good
experiences with the product.
expectations

with

The key is to match customer

company

performance.

Smart

insurance companys aim to delight customers by promising only

what they can deliver, then delivering more than the promise.
Consumers usually face a broad array of products and services that
might satisfy a given need. How do they choose among these many
marketing makers offers? Consumers make choices based on their
perception of the value and satisfaction that various products and
services deliver.
Customer value is the difference between the values the
customer gains from owning and using a product and the costs of
obtaining the products customers from expectations about the value
of various marketing offers and buy accordingly. How do buyers from
their expectations? Customer expectations are based on past buying

experiences, the opinion of friends and marketer and competitor

information and promises.
Customer satisfaction with a purchase depends on how well the
products performance lives up to the customers expectations.
Customer satisfaction is a key influence on future buying behaviour.
Satisfied customers buy again and tell others about their good
experiences dies-satisfied customers of ten switches to competitors
and disparage the products to others.

An insurance provider open

only to active duty, retired and separated military members and their
immediate families and therefore not included in the rankings,
achieved a satisfaction ranking equal to that any insurance company.

In general, customer satisfaction with auto insurance providers

decreased significantly, with 20 of the 21 companies surveyed
decreasing in satisfaction from the previous year. Insurance is the
only carrier that did not experience a decline in satisfaction. Though
consumers report their insurance carriers are resolving their claims
and

problems

faster.

Businesses

survive

because

they

have

customers who are willing to buy their products or services. However,

many businesses fails to check in with their customers to determine
whether they are happy or not and what it will make to make or keep
them happy.
According to U.S consumers affairs department, it costs five
times more to gain a new customer than to retain an existing one.
Other studies have repeated that with just a five percent increase in

Customer retentions a firm can raise its profitability customers spend

salary at first, but with succeeding years of good experience, they will
spend increasingly more.
Depending on the industry and the nature of the bad
experience, dissatisfied customers will complain to 10 to 20 friends
and acquaintances, which is three times more than those with good
experiences are. Hence, the negative information is influential, and
consumers generally place significant weight on it when making a
decision. If that is not the reason enough, fierce competitor is needed
more and more to differentiate firms from one another. With
technology available to virtually every one today, the traditional
features and cost advantages are no longer relevant. Still product and
service quality provides an enormous opportunity to distinguish a firm
from the rest. The Japanese have recognized this and have though us
to expect quality. Todays consumers do, and they know more about
products and services than they ever did.
Customers are the best source of information. Whether to
improve an existing product or service or whether firms are planning
to launch something new. There is no substitution for getting it from
horses mouth When you talk to your customer directly, to increase
your odds for achieving success you mistake-proof your decisions
and work on what really matters. When you routinely ask the
customers for feedback and involve them in business they, in turn,
become committed to the success of your business.

Customer Satisfaction Measurement: -

A basic and effective base line customer satisfaction survey

program should focus on measuring customer perceptions of how will
the company delivers on the critical success factors and dimensions
of the business as defined by the customers:
For example:

Service Promptness

Courtesy of Staff
Responsiveness
Understanding the customer problem, etc.

The findings of the company performance should be analyzed both

with all customers and by key segments of the customer population.
The essential starting point for Customer Satisfaction Measurement
(CMS) is exploratory research. Since satisfaction is about an
organizations ability. To meet customer requirement one has to start
by clarifying with customers exactly what those requirements are.
This is done through exploratory research using focus groups or one
to one depth interviews.
Two main factors determine the accuracy of CMS. The first is
the asking the right question and the second is the asking them to
the right people sample of customers which accurately reflects the
customer base.
Three things decide the accuracy of a sample. They are:

It must be representative.

It must be randomly selected.

It must be adequate enough.

Measuring customer satisfaction

Organizations need to retain existing customers while targeting
non-customers.

Measuring

customer

satisfaction

provides

an

indication of how successful the organization is at providing products

and/or services to the marketplace.
Customer satisfaction is an abstract concept and the actual
manifestation of the state of satisfaction will vary from person to
person

and

product/service

to

product/service.

The

state

of

satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and physical

variables which correlate with satisfaction behaviors such as return
and recommend rate. The level of satisfaction can also vary
depending on other factors the customer, such as other products
against which the customer can compare the organization's products.
Work done by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (Leonard L)
between 1985 and 1988 delivered SERVQUAL which provides the
basis for the measurement of customer satisfaction with a service by
using the gap between the customer's expectation of performance
and their perceived experience of performance. This provides the
researcher with a satisfaction "gap" which is semi-quantitative in
nature. Cronin and Taylor extended the disconfirmation theory by
combining the "gap" described by Parasuraman, Zenithal and Berry
as two different measures (perception and expectation) into a single
measurement of performance relative to expectation.

The usual measures of customer satisfaction involve a survey

with a set of statements using a Linker Technique or scale. The
customer is asked to evaluate each statement in terms of their
perception and expectation of performance of the service being
measured.
Methodologies
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is a scientific
standard of customer satisfaction. Academic research has shown that
the national ACSI score is a strong predictor of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth, and an even stronger predictor of Personal
Consumption Expenditure (PCE) growth. On the microeconomic level,
research

has

shown

that

ACSI

data

predicts

stock

market

performance, both for market indices and for individually traded

companies. Increasing ACSI scores has been shown to predict loyalty,
word-of-mouth recommendations, and purchase behaviour. The ACSI
measures

customer

satisfaction

annually

for

more

than

200

companies in 43 industries and 10 economic sectors.

In addition to quarterly reports, the ACSI methodology can be
applied to private sector companies and government agencies in
order to improve loyalty and purchase intent. Two companies have
been licensed to apply the methodology of the ACSI for both the
private and public sector: CFI Group, Inc. applies the methodology of
the ACSI offline, and Foresee Results applies the ACSI to websites and
other online initiatives. ASCI scores have also been calculated by
independent researchers, for example, for the mobile phones sector,
higher education, and electronic mail.

The Kano model is a theory of product development and

customer satisfaction developed in the 1980s by Professor Noriaki
Kano that classifies customer preferences into five categories:
Attractive, One-Dimensional, Must-Be, Indifferent, Reverse. The Kano
model offers some insight into the product attributes which are
perceived to be important to customers. Kano also produced a
methodology for mapping consumer responses to questionnaires onto
his model. SERVQUAL or RATER is a service-quality framework that
has been incorporated into customer-satisfaction surveys (e.g., the
revised Norwegian Customer Satisfaction Barometer) to indicate the
gap between customer expectations and experience.
J.D. Power and Associates provides another measure of customer
satisfaction, known for its top-box approach and automotive industry
rankings. J.D. Power and Associates' marketing research consists
primarily of consumer surveys and is publicly known for the value of
its product awards.
Other research and consulting firms have customer satisfaction
solutions as well. These include A.T. Kearney's Customer Satisfaction
Audit process, which incorporates the Stages of Excellence framework
and which helps define a companys status against eight critically
identified dimensions. For Business to Business (B2B) surveys there is
the Info Quest box. This has been used internationally since 1989 on
more than 110,000 surveys (Nov '09) with an average response rate
of 72.74%. The box is targeted at "the most important" customers
and avoids the need for a blanket survey.
Improving Customer Satisfaction

Published standards exist to help organizations develop their

current levels of customer satisfaction. The International Customer
Service Institute (TICSI) has released The International Customer
Service Standard (TICSS). TICSS enables organizations to focus their
attention on delivering excellence in the management of customer
service, whilst at the same time providing recognition of success
through

3rd

Party

registration

scheme.

TICSS

focuses

an

organizations attention on delivering increased customer satisfaction

by helping the organization through a Service Quality Model. TICSS
Service Quality Model uses the 5 P's - Policy, Processes People,
Premises, Product/Services, as well as performance measurement.
The implementation of a customer service standard should lead to
higher levels of customer satisfaction, which in turn influences
customer retention and customer loyalty.

Customer Satisfaction Surveys:

Surveys and questionnaires are the most common marketing
research methods. Typically, they are used to:
Assess the level of customer satisfaction with a particular
product, service or experience
Identify factors that contribute to customer satisfaction and
dissatisfaction;

 Determine the current status or situation of a product or

service;
Compare and rank providers;
Estimate the distribution of characteristics in a potential
customer population; or
Help establish customer service standards.

Benefits and Challenges:

Surveys allow an organization to quickly capture vital information
with relatively little expense and effort. A primary advantage of this
method is its directness: the purpose is clear and the responses
straightforward. Additionally, the information gathered by surveys
can easily be analyzed and used to identify trends over time. The
public views consumer product polls and pollsters in a generally
positive manner compared to political and other polls. One study
found that at least sixty percent of the public feels that market
research about products and services has a positive impact on
society. Seventy percent consider the people who conduct such
surveys to have positive impacts on society.
A major disadvantage of customer surveys is that the
responses may be influenced by the measurement itself through
various forms of bias. For example, most surveys are voluntary, and
some

researchers

have

found

differences

between

survey

respondents and non-respondents. People who respond to surveys

answer questions differently than those who do not respond, and late
responders answer differently than early responders.

COMPANY
PROFILE

Bharti
Airtel
Limited
is
a
leading
global
telecommunications company that ranks amongst the top 4 mobile
service providers globally, in terms of subscribers. The revenue from
operations is INR 4,53,509* Mn and its net profit is INR 50,963* Mn. It
employs over 15,563 people full time. In India, the Company offers
products and services both for the end consumer as well as for
businesses. The consumer business offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless
services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed DSL
broadband, IPTV and Digital TV. The enterprise services include
national & international long distance services to large enterprises,
carriers and tower infrastructure services. In the rest of the
geographies (i.e. Africa), it offers 2G and 3G wireless services and
mobile commerce. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company
has operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Our network
coverage extends to over 4,65,482 towns and villages in India. Our
products are available at over 1.4 million retailers, and by end March
2013, we had over 271 million subscribers across operations in two
continents. It is our vision that by 2015, Airtel will be the most loved
brand, enriching the lives of millions across the world. Our corporate
vision describes what we aim to do. Our values of AIR - Alive,
Inclusive and Respectful - describe how
we intend to get there.
Alive

We are alive to the needs of our customers. We act with

passion, energy and a 'can do' attitude to help our customers realise
their dreams.
Inclusive
Airtel is for everyone we champion diversity,
recognizing the breadth and depth of the communities we service. We
work with them, anticipating, adapting and delivering solutions that
enrich their lives.
Respectful
We live the same lives as customers, sharing the same
joys and the same pains. We never forget that they are why we exist.
We act with humility, honesty and mutual respect.
Sunil Bharti Mittal founded the Bharti Group. In 1983,
Mittal was in an agreement with Germany's Siemens to manufacture
push-button telephone models for the Indian market. In 1986, Mittal
incorporated Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL), and his company became
the first in India to offer push-button telephones, establishing the
basis of Bharti Enterprises. By the early 1990s, Sunil Mittal had also
launched the country's first fax machines and its first cordless
telephones. In 1992, Mittal won a bid to build a cellular phone
network in Delhi. In 1995, Mittal incorporated the cellular operations
as Bharti Tele-Ventures and launched service in Delhi. In 1996,
cellular service was extended to Himachal Pradesh. In 1999, Bharti

Enterprises acquired control of JT Holdings, and extended cellular

operations to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In 2000, Bharti acquired
control of Skycell Communications, in Chennai. In 2001, the company
acquired control of Spice Cell in Calcutta. Bharti Enterprises went
public in 2002, and the company was listed on Bombay Stock
Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India. In 2003, the cellular
phone operations were rebranded under the single Airtel brand. In
2004, Bharti acquired control of Hexacom and entered Rajasthan. In
2005, Bharti extended its network to Andaman and Nicobar. This
expansion allowed it to offer voice services all across India. In 2009,
Airtel launched its first international mobile network in Sri Lanka. In
2010,

Airtel

acquired

the

African

operations

of

the

Kuwait-

based Zain Telecom. In March 2012, Airtel launched a mobile

operation in Rwanda.
Airtel launched "Hello Tunes", a Caller ring back tone
service (CRBT), in July 2004 becoming to the first operator in India to
do so. The Airtel theme song, composed by A.R. Rahman, was the
most popular tune on that year.

During the 200910 financial year, Bharti negotiated for

its

strategic

partner Alcatel-Lucent to

manage

the

network

infrastructure for the tele-media business. On 31 May 2012, Bharti

Airtel awarded the three-year contract to Alcatel-Lucent for setting up
an Internet Protocolaccess network (mobile backhaul) across the
country. This would help consumers access internet at faster speed
and high quality internet browsing on mobile handsets.
In

May

2013,

Bharti

Infotel

paid

Rs

50,000

as

compensation to a customer "for unfair trade practices". The

customer alleged that the company continued to aggressively
demand payment despite customer requests for disconnection of
service.

Mobile Services
Airtel operates in all telecom circles of India. Airtel is the
largest operator in rural India, with 83.82 million subscribers as of
April 2013. Airtel was the 6th most valued brand according to an
annual

survey

Times in 2010.

conducted

by Brand

Finance and The

Economic

3G
On
completed

and

18

May

Airtel

2010,
paid

the 3G

the

spectrum

Indian

auction was

government 122.95

billion (US$1.9 billion) for spectrum in 13 circles, the most amount

spent by an operator in that auction. Airtel won 3G licences in 13
telecom circles of India: Delhi, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West), Rajasthan,West Bengal, Himachal
Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, North East, and Jammu & Kashmir. Airtel also
operates 3G services in Maharastra & Goa and Kolkata circles through
an agreement with Vodafone and in Gujarat through an agreement
with Idea. This gives Airtel a 3G presence in 15 out of 22 circles in
India. Airtel is fined by DoT 3.50 billion for not stopping offering 3G
Services through Roaming Pacts outside its Licensed Zones in Seven
Circles.
On 20 September 2010, Bharti Airtel said that it had
given contracts to Ericsson India, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN)
and Huawei Technologies to set up infrastructure for providing 3G
services in the country. These vendors would plan, design, deploy and
maintain 3GHSPA (third-generation, high-speed packet access)

networks in 13 telecom circles where the company had won 3G

licences. While Airtel awarded network contracts for seven 3G circles
to Ericsson India, NSN would manage networks in three circles.
Chinese

telecom

equipment

vendor Huawei Technologies

was

introduced as the third partner for three circles.

Airtel launched 3G services in Bangalore on 24 January
2011. On

27

January

2011,

Airtel

launched

3G

in Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. On 27 July 2011, 3G

services

were

launched

in Kerala's

largest

cities

Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram.

Airtel 3G services are available in 200 cities through its
network and in 500 cities through intra-circle roaming arrangements
with other operators. Airtel had about 5.4 million 3G customers of
which 4 million are 3G data customers as of September 2012.
4G
On 19 May 2010, the broadband wireless access (BWA)
or 4G spectrum

auction

billion (US$520 million)

in

India ended.
for

Airtel

spectrum

paid 33.1436
in

circles:Maharashtra and Goa,

Karnataka, Punjab and Kolkata. The

company was allocated 20 MHz of BWA spectrum in 2.3 GHz

frequency

band.

Airtel's TD-LTE network

by ZTE in Kolkata and Punjab, Huawei in

is

built

and

Karnataka,

operated
and Nokia

Siemens Networks in Maharashtra and Goa. On 10 April 2012, Airtel

launched 4G services through dongles and modems using TDLTE technology in Kolkata, becoming the first company in India to
offer 4G services. The Kolkata launch was followed by launches
in Bangalore(7

May

2012), Pune (18

October

2012), and Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula(Tricity)(Airtel

broadband authorized Distributor in chandigarh) (25 March 2013).
Airtel obtained 4G licences and spectrum in the telecom circles of
Delhi, Haryana, Kerala and Mumbai after acquiring Wireless Business
Services Private Limited, a joint venture founded by Qualcomm, which
had won BWA spectrum in those circles in the 4G spectrum auction.
Airtel launched 4G services on mobile from February 2014. The first
city to get the service was Bangalore. Airtel had 100,000 4G
subscribers as of January 2014.

WiFi
Airtel has plans to launch WiFi services, initially in Delhi
NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore. Users can use the service by finding
a hotspot and selecting the 'airtel WiFi Zone'.

Airtel Money
Airtel has started a new mCommerce platform called
Airtel Money in collaboration with Infosys and SmartTrust (now
Giesecke & Devrient). The platform was launched on 5 April 2012, at
Infosys' headquarters in Bangalore. Using Airtel Money, users can
transfer money, pay bills and perform other financial transactions
directly on the mobile phone. It has an all-India presence. Certain
charges are levied per Airtel Money transaction.

SmartDrive
SmartDrive

is

navigation

app

exclusive

to

Airtel

customers. The app features voice-based turn by turn navigation,

traffic updates, and approximate travel time based on current
conditions. The app was launched on 12 September 2012. At the time
of launch, it was available only in Bangalore, Mumbai and NCR.

Services are currently available in Chennai.Service will be expanded

to Pune and Hyderabad by December 2012.
iPhone
The iPhone 3G was rolled out in India in 2008 by Airtel.
However, high prices and contract bonds discouraged consumers and

digital divide by collapsing the technology between India &

Rest of the World

it was not as successful as the iPhone is in other markets of the

world. Airtel introduced the iPhone 4 on 27 May 2011 and the iPhone
5 on 2 November 2012.

Launch of Delhi Mobile

Network
Mobile Voice Services
1995

2G

Basic Data Transmission SMS/MMS/e-mail

Increased privacy - digitally
encrypted messages

Third Generation of Wireless

Technology
2011

3G

Internet Speed up to 20
mpbs
Video Conferencing / Video

Calling

Fourth Generation of Wireless

Technology
Heterogeneous Network
2014

4G

Self optimizing & Context

Aware
High Speed Internet up to
100 mpbs
High Quality Multimedia
Video Streaming
High Definition Gaming

Airtel Easy recharge

Denominati
on(Range)

TalkTime Range
Value (Rs)

Proce
ssing
Fee
(Rs)

Ser
vic
e
tax
(Rs
)
0.5
5

All India calls at

1p/sec

4.45

65 local / national
sms

5.34

0.6
6

National Roaming
incoming
Free,Outgoing
@1.6p/sec

6.23

0.7
7

35 MB 2G data

7.12

0.8
8

Local Mob
calls@30p/min

8.01

0.9
9

10

7.9

1.1

11

STD @25ps for 25min

post @35ps

9.79

1.2
1

12

40 Local A2A

10.68

1.3
2

Vali
dity
(da
ys)

5
days

disco
unte
d
tariff
recha
rge
1
SMS
Day recha
rge
1
disco
day unte
d
tariff
recha
rge
1
2G
day inter
net
recha
rge
3
disco
days unte
d
tariff
recha
rge
unli
top
mite
up
d
recha
rge
4
disco
days unte
d
tariff
recha
rge
2
disco
days unte
d
tariff

for RC 28 - TalkTime of Rs 10 is available.

Disclaimer - All daily / per day recharge packs will be valid till
12:00 midnight.
2G: post free usage charges applicable are 10p/10kb
3G: post free usage charges applicable are 4p/10kb

Airtel Voucher Rates

SC(R
s)

Calling
Value (Rs)

Processi
ng
Fee (Rs)

10

7.90

Servi
ce
tax
(Rs)
1.10

20

15.80

23

(ps/sec) UAE
Saudi
Bahrain10
Kuwait 6
50 All India
mins
150 MB
(GPRS),1p/1
0kb post
1GB till 90
Days
26 TT + STD
SMS @
50ps/SMS
23.70 TT

25

25

26

30

Validity
(days)

Grace
Period(da
ys)

UNLIMIT
ED

Approxim
ate
Minutes
Of Usage
-

2.20

unlimite
d

NA

NA

20.47

2.53

30 days

NA

NA

22.25

2.75

3 days

NA

NA

22.25

2.75

5 Days

NA

NA

23.14

2.86

3 days

NA

NA

3.30

UNLIMIT
ED

NA

NA

32

30p/min STD

28.48

3.52

30 days

NA

NA

45

300 MB 2G
data

40.05

4.95

10 Days

NA

NA

45

100 All India

mins

40.05

4.95

5 days

NA

NA

45

12p/sec to
Gulf

40.05

4.95

90 days

NA

NA

50

41.50 TT

5.50

unlimite
d

NA

NA

70

--

NA

NA

30 days

NA

NA

100

upto Rs
100 , min
talktime: Rs
60
Mobile office
(Paper
Pack).
86 TT

11

unlimite
d

NA

NA

110

110

Unlimite
d

150

150

200

210

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

96

Postpaid Services
Service Name

Type of
Services

Description

How to Access

Postpaid
Charges

5 in 1 SPORTS
PACK

Optional

Stay connected
with the NDTV 5
in 1 Sports Pack

Dial 53515 or
sms SUB SPO
to 566670

Rs 3/ day

543217 - For
Ring Tones
and Music; To
listen to songs
and download
ringtones

On Usage

Airtel Call
Manager

Optional

for the latest

action on
Football, Cricket,
Tennis, Hockey
and Motorsports.
Airtel offers you
the largest
collection of
Hindi, English &
Regional songs
that you can
listen, download
and send as
message to a
friend.
With this service
one can keep
their loved ones
informed when
user is in
meeting, driving,
roaming or busy
for particular
duration and can
not take calls.
An SMS will alert
user of those
trying to reach
and can decide
when to call
back.

Airtel Live SIM

Services

On Usage

airtel offers a
range of
services right on
your SIM Card.
Access loads of
fun content and

Just dial short

code 543217

Rs. 2/min

Activation
Modes

Rs 30/month

(1) SMS CM to
52323. (2) Dial
*323#.
(3) Call 52323.
(4) Visit
cm.airtel.in
Or download
the App by
sending CM to
52323.
User will also
get SMS alerts
for all calls on
mobile when
anyone tries
calling.
To download
new services,
choose Whats
new option on
your SIM under
airtel services

Rs 3/- per
message

Airtel Radio

Optional

Blackout Days
- SMS

On Usage

Call
Conference
Charges

Optional

exciting services
like cricket,
stocks Star
Peep at the
touch of a few
buttons
Now listen over
1.5 lacs of songs
in different
categories n
languages
anytime
anywhere. Airtel
Radio presents
300 minutes of
free music in just
Rs30/month
On Black Out
days, all P2P
SMS will be
charged at
Standard SMS
Rates.
Discounted SMS
tariffs will not be
applicable.
Blackout Days
2014: 1. New
Years (31st
December 2014)
Blackout Days
2015: 1. New
Years(1st Jan
2015) 2. Holi 3.
Choti Diwali 4.
Diwali 5. New
Years (31st
December 2015)
This service
allows you to
talk to 5 people
at the same time
making it ideal
for organising

menu.

Just Dial
543213 or
*321*13# from
your Airtel
mobile and
subscribe to
Airtel Radio now

Rs.30 with 300

mins free music,
with 30 day
validity

On Usage

Re1/Local SMS,
Rs1.5/National
SMS &
Rs5/Internation
al SMS

NA

Rs30/month

Conversion
from Post-Paid
to Prepaid

Optional

Conversion
from Prepaid
to Postpaid

Optional

Cricket Pack

Optional

Duplicate Bill

On Usage

Easy Music

Optional

events or
discussing
business.
Convert your
Post-Paid
subscription to
Prepaid with
ease.
Convert your
Prepaid to PostPaid
subscription with
ease.
Subscription
based Product
where users can
listen to
commentary &
get cricket score
updates on their
mobile
Request for a
duplicate bill at
121 or register
for e-bill and
view your
detailed
statement
online, with the
facility to
segregate
calculate your
personal usage.
Simply walk into
your nearest
Airtel retailer
and pick your
favorite Hello
Tunes or choose
a Melodious
Ring tone of
your favorite
song. It is as
simple as

Give in your
request at the
nearest ARC.

No charges
(Outstanding
should be clear)

Give in your
request at the
nearest ARC.

NA

Call 543212601
Toll Free

Rs 5/Match Day

Call 121 and

give in your
request

Rs. 50

NA

Subscription Rs.
36/month & Rs.
15/Hello Tunes
Song. Rs. 10/Mono Ringtone.

English Guru

On Usage

Fax and Data

service

Optional

Friends &
family pack

Optional

Friendz Chat

Optional

recharging your
phone with
talktime.
Learn spoken
English anytime
and anywhere at
your
convenience. A
unique situation
based approach
specially
customised to
Indian context.
Take your office
wherever with
airtel Fax and
data service.
You can send
and receive
data/fax
documents
through your
mobile, access
the internet,
email accounts
and corporate
databases on
the move.
3000 mins of
calling free on
one Airtel
number. After
the free mins,
tariff applicable
as per Bill Plan.
Facility available
on My Plan Only
Now get a new
life and make
new friends with
AIrtel Friendz
Chat.The
product aims at
helping

Just dial 55066

to access the
service. Choose
any situation
and subscribe
to the service.

Subscription Rs
30 for 30 Days.

Contact nearest
ARC or dial
customer care
121 for more
information and
plan activation.

Rs. 249 per

month & airtime
charges as per
bill plan.

Call 121

Rs 149/ month

To subscribeSMS SUB to
543216 (TOLL
FREE) OR Call
543216(Rs
3/min) OR Dial
*321*6#

Rs30/20 days,
Call Charges Rs
3/min

GPRS zero
rental plan(2G)

Optional

Hello Tunes

Optional

ISD Facility
activation

Optional

individuals to
make new
friends amongst
all the Airtel
users across
India that too
without
disclosing their
mobile
number/identity.
Stay connected
to the internet
and access your
e-mail anywhere
anytime on your
phone or on
your laptop with
your mobile as a
modem.
Welcome your
callers with your
favorite song
when they call
you. You can
play different
Hello Tunes for
different callers,
set special hello
tunes for your
friends, spouse
and business
associates.
For a post paid
customer in
order to activate
ISD facility on
his phone he
needs to call up
the call center
for the
service.This
service wiil be
activated free of
cost if the

Access the
internet
anytime,
anywhere.Dial
*567# for
activation.(Toll
Free)

Zero Rental , 10
p/10KB
download
charges.

Just dial 543211

to choose the
song of your
choice

543211 calling
charges
Rs.3/min,
Subscription
Rs.36/month,
Rs.15/Hello
Tune

To activate the
the service the
customer needs
to call customer
care or visit the
nearest ARC.

NA

Itemised Bill

On Usage

Live Aarti

Optional

Live Pandit Ji

Optional

customer meets
the applicable
requirements.
Itemised bill is a
detailed
statement of
your account,
which helps you
keep track of all
your calls, SMS
and other
services.
Provides user an
option to listen
to live feeds of
gurbani, prayers
from prominent
holy shrines on
their mobile.
This service
gives users an
experience of
virtual presence
at the
temple/place of
worship
premises and
feel him/her
connected to
actual prayers
activities
happening at the
temple at the
that point in time
when the
devotee has
called up the
service.
Now get
answwers for
your health,
profession,
matrimonial and
career related

Call 121 and

give in your
request

Rs. 50

Dial 55200- IVR

& USSD*321*284#

Rs 30/15days

Dail 5432146
from your Airtel
Mobile

Rs. 9/min

Love Ki
Dispensary

Optional

MMS

On Usage

Mediphone call a doctor

Optional

Missed Call
Alert

Optional

doubts. Speak
live to our
experienced
team of
Astrologists and
get instant
answers.
Love ki
dispensary is an
in-dial portal
which offers
answers to all
your love related
queries. All you
have to do is to
call Love ki
dispensary and
leave your
query. Experts
will evaluate
your query and
provide you with
the best
elucidation
airtel MMS
[Multi-media
Messaging
Service] turns
your messages
into a visual
experience
Talk to doctor
and get
consultation for
health related
issues 24*7
anywhere
anytime
Get updates of
all calls you miss
if your phone is
switched off or
you are
unreachable.

Dial
54321799(tollfre
e)

Subscription:
Rs10/10 days
( 30 minutes of
browsing
everyday)

MMS activation
- Call customer
care at 121. For
MMS Settings
send MMS to
543210(Toll
Free)
Dial 54445

Rs.5/MMS.

To Activate
MCA:
1) Dial
*321*881#
2) Call 54888
(Toll Free)

Rs 35 per
consultation
(IVR toll free)

Rs. 30 per 30
days.

PostPaid SMS
Packs

Optional

Next time
someone tries to
call you while
you away you
will receive a
SMS notification
as soon as you
are back in the
coverage area,
or when you
switch on your
phone.
Pay Rs25/Month
and get 20 Free
Local + National
SMS per day for
30 days.

3) Sms START
MCA and send
it to 54321 (Toll
Free)
Charges: Rs30
for 30 days.

Call Customer
Care (121) to
activate

Depending on
the plan opted

Give in your
request at the
nearest ARC.

As per number
tag

Pay Rs50/Month
and get 50 Free
Local + National
SMS per day for
30 days.
Pay Rs85/Month
and get 90 Free
Local + National
SMS per day, for
30 days.

Premium
Numbers

Optional

Pay Rs99/Month
and get 100
Free Local +
National SMS
per day, for 30
days.
Both existing
and non mobile
owners are
eligible for these
premium mobile
numbers. Walk
up to the nearest
ARC and check

Radio Mirchi

Optional

Railway
Enquiry

Optional

the availability of
your preferred
mobile numbers.
Enjoy FM Music
from any
handset from
anywhere-ONLY
on Airtel
Call 139xx for
PNR Status,
Arrival/
Departure,
Accommodation
Availability, Fare
Enquiry, Ticket
Booking through
Credit/ Debit
Card, SMS
Ticket Booking
Helpline or Meal
Booking.
SMS for PNR
Status, Train
Arrival/Departur
e, Train Current
Position, Meal
Request in
Train, Seat
Availability,
Tatkal Seat
Availability, Fare
Enquiry, Train
Schedule, Trains
Between Two
Stations, Next
Train, Time
Table, Platform
Information &
Ticket Booking.
For Help on
SMS ticket
keywords type
HELP and send

Dial 59830 to
subscribe and
listen (tollfree)

Rs. 10 for 100

min for 7 days

For IVR Call

139xx
For USSD Dial
*139#
SMS as below
For PNR Status
SMS PNR (PNR
No) , Train
Arrival/Departur
e SMS AD (Tr
No) (Stn STD
Code) , Train
Current Position
SMS SPOT (Tr
No), Meal
Request in Train
SMS MEAL
(PNR No), Seat
Avail SEAT (Tr
No) (Dt
ddmmyy) (From
Stn STD Code)
(To Stn STD
code) (Class)
(Quota) to,
Tatkal Seat
Avail SMS
TSEAT (Tr No)
(Dt ddmmyy)
(To Stn Code)
(To Stn Code)
(Class),
TimeTable SMS
TIME (Tr No) ,
Train
Name/Number

Call @ Rs.2 per

min, SMS @ Rs
3 per SMS,
dialing *139# is
toll free with Rs
3 per query

it to 139
Airtel Customers
can now dial
*139# for
Railway Enquiry.
The following
information is
available:
1. PNR Status 2.
Arrival/
Departure of
Trains (Train
Schedule) 3.
SPOT TRAIN
4.Seat
Availability 5.
Fare Enquiry. 6.
TRAIN
NO/Name
enquiry 7.
TRAIN timetable
8. Train
schedule.

SIM
Replacement

Optional

In event of a
damage or loss
of your SIM, we
provide you with
a replacement to
ensure your
immediate
accessibility
needs are met.

SMS TN (Tr No/

Name) , Next
Train SMS
NEXT (From
Stn Code) (To
Stn Code) ,
Train Route
SMS ROUTE(Tr
No),Station
Code
CODE(Stn
Name) , Train
Schedule SMS
SCHEDULE(Tr
No) , Fare
Enquiry SMS
FARE (Tr No)
(Dt ddmmyy)
(From Stn STD
Code) (To Stn
STD code)
(Class)
(Quota) , Trains
Between Two
Stations SMS
TRAIN (From
Stn Code) (To
Stn Code) ,
Help on SMS
Ticket Booking
SMS HELP OR
TKT
Mandatory
Documents:
Passport Size
photograph
along with proof
of identity
Note: In case of
damaged SIM
old physical SIM
to be submitted.

Rs.25

SMS

On Usage

Make
arrangements
share moments
or just say hello,
text messaging
is a fast and
convenient way
to keep in
touch.
As per TRAI
guidelines , wef
27th Sept 11 , a
Postpaid
customer can
send maximum
of 3000 SMS /
bill cycle . The
customer will not
be able to send
greater than
3000 SMS in a
month .
The customers
who get greater
than 3000 SMS
(discounted
/free) within the
bill plan , will be
able to send a
maximum of
3000 SMS within
the Bill Cycle.
** Note :
As per TRAI
guidelines , the
same will not be
applicable on
blackout days as
per the list
available on
Website

NA

Re 1.00 for local

SMS , National
Rs 1.5,
International
Rs.5.00

SMS to 58888,
57272,
52424,54545
etc.

On Usage

STAR SPORTS
CRICKET
PACK

Optional

Safe Custody

Optional

Customers on
SMS packs
which offers
daily SMS
benefits
(discounted /free
SMS) greater
than 100 in a
day will be
restricted to a
max of 100 SMS
/day.
A host of
services are
available on
SMS. Download
ringtones,
wallpapers,
logos,contests
and a lot more
through SMS.
User gets
Cricket match
commentary for
India , sms
score alerts ,
schedule and
complete cricket
round up on
mobile.
If you are not
using your Airtel
number as you
will be out of
station but wish
to retain your
mobile number,
We have an
option where in
you may put
your number in
safe custody at
a nominal rental
of Rs 50 +

NA

Rs. 3/SMS

Dial 53776

Rs 5/Match Day
, Rs 49/Month,
Rs 90/60 days

*Clear your due

amount (Billed
& Unbilled
amount) and
pay the
Advance rental
for the required
period

Minimum rent of
Rs150+12.36%
for the initial 3
months :
thereafter Rs 50
+12.36% tax
per month

*Give your
request at the
nearest Airtel
store/Customer
care at 121 or

12.36% tax per

month.

email at
121@iairtel.in

All you need to

do is pay Rs 50
+ 12.36% tax *
months (duration
which you need
to activate safe
custody) in
advance.
Minimum rent is
150+12.36% tax
for first 3
months.

*Please include
your alternate
contact number
and email ID in
the mail

For example, if
you want to
activate safe
custody for 6
month, you need
to pay your
rental in
advance
(Rs.50+12.36%
* 6 months) to
avoid disruption
of services.
You may
reactivate the
number anytime
within the safe
custody period,
but rental for 3
months is
mandatory to be
paid.
Tax: As per
Govt. of India tax
guideline it is
12.36%, which
includes

*For Company
paid connection,
please contact
the coordinator

1. Service tax 12
%,
2. Education tax
2%
3. Secondary
and higher
education tax
1%

Talkies

Optional

Voice Mail

Optional

Note
For extension of
safe custody,
rental has to be
paid in advance
before
completion of
existing period.
In case of nonreceipt of
payment number
will get
disconnected
automatically.
World of Movies
Entertainment in
13 languages Talkies, Super
hit Movies,
Movie
Trailers/Preview
s, Songs,
Dialogues &
much more

Stay in touch
with your friends
& family even
while your
phone is
switched off, out
of coverage,
busy, or when
you are not in a

User can initiate

the Request by
dialing on Short
code 51010
accordingly can
subscribe for
the Services &
in return will get
the desired
service content
or USSD
*321*510#
To activate Dial *321*671#
To deactivate Dial *321*673#
Retrieval-Dial
52555 while in
home circle and
09810098200
while in

Rs.30/450 mins
FREE / 20 Days

No Subscription
charge, retrieval
free in home
circle, Roaming
-as per roaming
call charges

Voice SMS

On Usage

airtel Live
Portal

On Usage

position to take
any calls.
Voice Mail
service will work
in below
scenarios:
Default -Not
reachable/Switc
hed Off
Optional
-Busy/No Reply
Now add
emotions to your
sms by sending
a Voice SMS. To
send a Voice
SMS to any
mobile number
in India Just
prefix * to the
10-digit mobile
number and call.
Record your
message after
the beep. You
can record your
message
maximum upto
30 sec. After
recording your
message just
press # or
disconnect the
call. The system
records your
voice and sends
it to the person
for whom you
have left a Voice
SMS.
Make your
mobile the most
happening
entertainment

roaming.
Capacity - 30
Messages of 60
Seconds each

You can send a

Voice SMS
message to any
mobile number
in your circle by
dialing * and
suffixing it with
the recipients
mobile number
(*9xxxxxxxxx)

Depositing a
voice messageRe 0.75
2.Retriving
VSMS 1st
time(*0*)-Toll
free 3 Retrive
VSMS 2nd time
onwards (*1*)
Re.0.75 4.
Sending reply
Re. 0.75 per
VSMS 5.
Forward a
VSMS Re.0.75

Visit
airtellive.com

Browsing
Charges as per
your data plan.
Content

destination with
airtel Live.
Download latest
ringtones, true
tones, games,
wallpapers and
many more
goodies. You
can also get
download full
songs on your
phone

Download
charges as
applicable

Industry profile
Cellular Industry:
The technology that gives a person the power to communicate anytime has
spawned an entire industry in mobile Telecommunication. Mobile telephones have
become an integral part of growth, success and efficiency of any business or economy.
The most prevalent wireless technology in the world today, is GSM. The DSM
ASSOCIATION (Global System for Mobile Communication) was instituted in 1987 to
promote and expedite the adoption, development, deployment and evolution of the
GSM standard for digital wireless communication. The association was formed as a
result of a European community agreement on the need to adopt common standard
suitable for cross border European mobile communications. Starting off primarily as it
was then called soon came to represent the global system for mobile communications as
it achieved the status of a worldwide standard
The GSM membership has grown exponentially since 1992. The membership
now extends to 501 members from over 161 countries. The 373 GSM networks
worldwide now service over 369.9 million customers. The worlds satellite operators
have also joined the GSM community, which further adds to its strength and also its

impact on world markets. GSM today, the worlds leading digital standard accounts for
68.5% of the global digital wireless markets
An Overview of Cellular Industry in India:
The government of India recognizes that the provision of a world-class
telecommunications infrastructure and information is the key to rapid economic and
social development of country. It is the critical not only for the development of the
information technology, but also has wide spread ramifications on the entire economy
of the country. It is also anticipated that going forward, a major part of GDP of the
country would be contributed by this sector. Accordingly, it is of vital importance to the
country that there be a comprehensive and forward looking telecommunications policy
that creates an enabling frame work for development of this industry.
The Indian government when considered the introduction of cellular services in to
the country made a land mark decision to the Introduce the GSM standard, leapfrogging
obsolete technologies. Although cellular licenses were made technology neutral in
September 1999, all the private operators are offering only GSM services. The first
metro cellular network started operating inn August 1995 in Calcutta. The industry
already has 42 networks, covering more than 600 towns and 7 cities and several
thousand villages and servicing more than 3 million subscribers all over the country.
Cellular telephony is still growing at a rate 50% annually in even the developed
nations, with technology up gradation. Cellular services are mow becoming popular in
India. Telecom density is only 2per 100, which is less than that of china (4.5per 100)
and the world average (10 per 100). Cellular penetration is currently low at 0.1%
compared to china (1.1%) and Malaysia (2%) To improve penetration will simply an
investment of over RS 600 billion in the next 5 years. By the year 2000, the industry
had already

Invested in excess of Rs.150 billion and it is estimated that the

financial commitment of the industry over the next 5years till 2005 will be

approximately Rs. 200billon. As per the growth trends, COAI envisages a subscriber
base of 50 million by 2005.
Contribution of the cellular industry:
Employment generation: it is estimated that the total employment generated by
the cellular industry is to the tune of 50,000 of which the majority will be professionally
quailed people. With the envisaged continuo growth of cellular networks, employment
opportunities will grow in continuo proportions.
Growth in GDP: A World Bank report has drawn a direct relationship, between growth
in tale industry and its impact on economic growth. The report states that for every 1-%
increase in Tele-density, there is a 3% increase in the growth of GDP.
Increased FDI Flow: The telecom sector attracts the largest foreign direct investment in
the country, with FDI inflow of RS.300 billion, accounting for almost one-fifth of FDI
approvals since 1991. Of this the bulk of the investment has flowed into the basic and
cellular sectors with the actual FDI into cellular service equals to 50% of the total
inflows into tee telecom.
Heavy investment in infra structure: This sector is responsible for the single largest
chunk of investment by any individual industry with an actual investment of RS.150
billon till the year 2005 for the revenue generation for the government of India. The
cumulative revenues that have already flowed to the government of India through
license fee and non- license fee sources by year 2000 are already in the region of RS.85
billion.
Latest developments in the Telecom sector:
In India telecom industry has gathered enough momentum in the past 5 years due
to the entrance of the private players in the telecom sector. There are loud noises in the
telecom sector. Obviously each operator shouted loudly when TRAI started unifying the

access licenses. But gradually, they settled down and the transition led to an explosive
growth of the sector. There will be even more growth when total unification takes place.
TRAI is desperately working hard to bring in this transition.
Given this back ground, the citation of the Asia Pacifics Best regulator award
2004 for TRAI is really encouraging. It reads: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) receives the Asia Pacific Regulator of the year award for its unprecedented
decision to allow for unified licenses for telecom services in India ending finally the
uncertain environment in which the telecom operators of India were working. The
Indian telecom industry has been subjected to certain degree of regulatory confusion
from the time [the] industry was liberalized initially led by concerns of independence of
regulatory authority from the incumbent player. The situation was not helped by near
astronomical figures quoted as bids by potential cellular and fixed licensees in the first
round of liberalization of the entry of WLL based players complicated the already
complex issues in the industry.
BY allowing for [an] unified licensing regime under which both basic and cellular
operators are to be allowed to offer either type of service without the formality of
acquiring a separate license has allowed the optimism back in the industry and
favourable to foreign investors. The decision would allow the Indian Industry to grow
appreciably over the next few years and make telecom services available to a wide
spectrum of the population in the country.
Tariffs did come down for consumers. Just a few years ago, mobile tariffs used to
be RS.16 a minute at both ends. Todays regime of calling Party Pays, convergence,
and the falling trends of tariffs have lowered the effective charge to users, to below Re
1.00 per minute; (the effective charge takes into account outgoing as well as incoming
minutes). This declining trend, and the sectors consequential growth, is clearly
demonstrated by the accompanying graph.

Sales promotion:
Sales promotion consists of a diverse collection of incentive tools, mostly short
term, designed to stimulate quicker or greater purchase of particular products or
services by consumers or the trade .Sales promotion is a key ingredient in marketing
campaigns.
Whereas advertising offers a reason to buy, sales promotion offers an incentive to
buy. Sales promotion includes tools for consumer promotion- samples, coupons, cash
refund offers, price offs, premiums, prices, point - of- purchase displays and
demonstration; Trade promotion prices off, advertising and display allowances, and
free goods; and business and sales for promotion trade shows and conventions,
contests for sales reps and specialty advertising.
Factors that contribute to the rapid growth of sales promotion:
Internal Factors:
Promotion is now more accepted by top management as an effective sales tool;
more product managers are under great pressure to increase current sales.
External Factors:
The number of brands as increased; competitors use promotions frequently, many
brands are seen as similar: consumers are more price-oriented; the trade has demanded
more deals from manufactures; and advertising efficiency has declined because of
raising costs, media clutter and legal restraints.
1) Communication: They gain attention and usually provide information that may
lead the consumer to the product.

2) Incentive: They incorporate some concession, inducement or contribution that

gives value to the consumer. Incentive-type promotions are given to attract new tiers, to
reward loyal customers and to increase the repurchase rates of occasional users.
3) Invitation: They include a distinct invitation to engage in the transaction now.
Companies use sales promotion tools to draw a stronger and quicker buyer
response. Sales promotion can be used for short- run effects such as to dramatize
product offers and boost sagging sales.
Major decisions in sales promotion:
In using sales promotion the following decisions are to be taken:

Establish objectives

Select the sales promotion tools

Develop the program

Pre-test the program

Implement and control the program

Evaluate the results

Impact of Brand Endorsement on promotion

Research on image built through endorsement of celebrities show that there are three
aspects that influence a consumers attitude of a brand.
These are:

Attractiveness

Trustworthiness

Expertise

Examples of how some celebrities in India have been use in advertising in India have
been used in advertising to enhance brand image are listed below.
A film actress like Madurai Dixit is a credible source of information for soap. Khaitan,
the owner of the brand himself assures 100% reliability of the brand in the
advertisement thus making the information dependable. The Uprightness of Seshan
makes him credible when he recommends a frozen vegetable brand claiming that if you
are a vegetarian you need not be soft. Nanina Bolsover, well-known beautician can
credibly advertise for sun silk and Tendulkar for Rocker

Aspects of a

Image

Celebrity

Product

Elegant

Renuka Sahni

Whisper

Beautiful

Madurai Dixit

Lux

Classy

Pataudi

Asian

Brand
Attractiveness

Paints
Royale
Trustworthiness

Expertise

Dependable

Khaitan

Khaitan Fan

Honey

Seshan T.N

Frozen Vegetable

Reliable

Kapil Dev

Boost

Knowledge

Sachin

Rockers Shoes

Qualified

Tendulkar

Shampoo

Skilled

Naina Balsavar

Bazooka

Amjad Ali Khan

What is Neff to one person can be cult to someone else. The key is making sure an
advert or endorsement hits the right note with the people you are looking to retain or
convert into customers.

Celebrity endorsements help garner saliency, connectivity, brand differentiation

and brand values. For Nerolac one of the biggest takeaways from the advert
with Amitabh Bachchan was saliency. He cut across all class, caste barriers
because of his cult status and his attention getting value.

Celebrities can increase consumers awareness of the advertisement, capture

their attention and make adverts more memorable

Heroes, authors, entertainers, and athletes; almost everybody seems to have

been a part of this tradition. In more ways than one, a celebrity is the product of
information age. Celebrities may be manufactured, but they do meet a
psychological need.

Using a celebrity in advertising is therefore likely to positively affect

consumers brand attitudes and purchase intentions.

They help in raising awareness of not only youre your ad campaign but also
help in profiling your organization to larger audiences and get media coverage.

Not only that, but they help in repositioning the organization in the public
perception and bolster a long running campaign.

Celebrities are known to be fine spokespersons and great tools for marketing
because they provide a set of characteristics

That supports consumers in evaluating the presented brand. In contrast to

anonymous endorsers, celebrities add value to the image transfer process by
offering meanings of extra depth and power

Airtel launches 'One Touch Internet' - the

simplest way for first time users to learn the
internet
The Indian telecom market has entered a phase of data led growth. As data
networks expand and internet enabled devices become affordable more
and more Indians are getting online on their mobile devices. However, our
market research has shown that there are millions of customers across the
country who own an internet-ready mobile device and are keen on getting
online,but are apprehensive due to reasons like lack of know-how and fear
of incurring heavy data charges. Airtel's 'One Touch Internet' will address

these very customer challenges and play the crucial role of hand-holding
first-time mobile users as they discover the internet. We believe that this
'One Touch Internet': Key features
Opportunity for first-timedata users in India to learn & experience
the internet
One-stop-shop to see-try-buy internet services
Simple & intuitive user interface specially designed to aid
learning
Free trial packs and video tutorials for popular services like
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc
Intuitive pricing packs for first-time users
Easy subscription to internet packs with 'My Account'
management: Check balance for TalkTime, data, trial usage etc.
Available for 2G & 3G Airtel prepaid mobile customers with
internet-enabled devices
Launched in English & Hindi; 8 vernacular languages to be added
initiative can play a transformational role inbreaking perception barriers
among customers and demystifying the internet not only for the young and
urban, but for people from across generations and social strata thus giving
the Indian masses an opportunity to enjoy their first ever internet
experience".

Telecom Industry trends

Telecom is one of the fastest-growing industries in India. Today India

stands as the second-largest telecommunications market in the world.
The mobile phone industry in India would contribute US$ 400 billion in
terms of gross domestic product (GDP) of the country in 2014. This
sector which is growing exponentially is expected to generate about 4.1
million additional jobs by 2020, as per Groupe Speciale Mobile
Association (GSMA).

In the period April 2000 to January 2014, the telecom industry has got in
foreign direct investments (FDI) of about US$ 59,796 million, which is an
increase of 6 per cent to the total FDI inflows in terms of US$, as per
report published by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP).

Indias global system for mobile (GSM) operators had 4.14 million rural
subscribers as of January 2014, bringing the total to 285.35 million.

Data traffic powered by third generation (3G) services grew at 146 per
cent in India during 2013, higher than the global average that saw usage
double, according to an MBit Index study by Nokia Siemens Networks
(NSN).

India's smartphone market grew by 171 per cent in 2013, to 44 million

devices from 16.2 million in 2012, as per research firm IDC India. The
increasing popularity of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) in the workplace
is further adding momentum to the smartphone market.

Indian telecom industry has grown from a tele-density of 3.58% in March

2001 to 74% in June 2013. This great leap in both number of consumers
as well as revenues from telecom services has not only provided
sufficient contribution in Indian GDP growth but also provided much
needed employment to India youth.

Players in the market

BSNL is the market leader with a 67.7 per cent share followed by MTNL
with 11.5 per cent market share. Next is Bharti Airtle at 10.9% followed
by Tata and Reliance at 5% and 4.1% respectively.

BSNL as a company is growing and showed annual revenues of

approximately $4.5 billion as of 2014. BSNL is serving more than 125
million customers across the country and is catalyst in checking the price
point for telecom services.

Also, with the government intensifying its rural focus, only BSNL can turn
into reality the next wave of rural telecom penetration.

BSNL is a 100% Central Government entity and employees with BSNL

are entitled to get salaries and perks as decided by Government of India
and not by BSNL

However both, MTNL and BSNL are plagued by declining revenues

coupled with high costs. BSNL has massive infrastructure, manpower,
systems, and 80 per cent of landlines and 90 per cent of broadband
connections in India are operated by it.

Vodafone is investing nearly US$ 3 billion over the next two years in
India in expanding its network infrastructure and distribution channel in
the country, as per Vittorio Colao, CEO, Vodafone Plc.

BlackBerry plans to set up enterprise solutions centres to educate

corporate customers about various BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES)
10 solutions. "India is one of the fastest growing markets in terms of

smartphone and mobile data adoption, said according to Sunil Lalvani,

Managing Director (MD), BlackBerry India.

Tata Teleservices plans to set up nearly 4,000 wi-fi hotspots in nine cities
across the country in the next two years.

Booming sectors

The tide has turned for the telecom sector in India, as growth and
profitability has accelerated in recent times. Tower companies are
reaping benefits of a turnaround in the sector as operators have started
investing in networks to boost data penetration.

However it is in the countrys booming mobile segment in which the

major battles are being fought. Three major private players Bharti,
Reliance and Vodafone - with a formidable 54% share of the market
between them, lead a large field of mobile operators. State-owned
enterprises BSNL and MTNL have also been making their presence
felt with a combined market share of 12%.

A look ahead

According to Craig Wigginton, vice chairman and U.S.

Telecommunications leader, Deloitte & Touche LLP, the big challenge for
the telecom industry in 2014 which also presents a major growth
opportunity for the sector is that consumers are getting addicted to
connectivity and speed.

The ongoing expansion of the mobile ecosystem, coupled with demand

for high-bandwidth applications and services such as video and gaming,
is keeping pressure on the industry to increase the availability and
quality of broadband connectivity.

Emerging Trends in Telecom Services

Telecom is a boming industry. GSM alone (which is about 85% of world-wide
wireles market)
contributes about $ 3 Bilion revenue every day. While al sectors of economy
are geting badly
impacted by the economic recesion and liquidity crunch, impact on telecom
is a litle les severe, at
least in countries like India & China. Some people even argue that as the
organizations tighten their
belts and reduce their expenditures, it may posibly lead to acelerated
growth in some segments of
telecom industry. Tightening economic conditons are likely to make work
from home prefered
option both for employers as wel as employes. At he same time, video
conferencing is becoming
prefered mode of communication & relation building with customers. Al this
is resulting in ned

for beter & reliable communication leading to acelerated up-gradation to IP

networks, further
penetration of Fibre in the aces network and rapid development &
deployment of other asociated
technologies.
Keping the above discusion as the back-drop, this article loks at he
emerging trends in Telecom
industry in medium term horizon (3-5 years) from the perspective of 3 key
players Customers (end- users) who buy the services,Operators who sel
these services and Equipment vendors who make
these services technicaly feasible and available.
Customers
Customers are always loking for value for money high quality services &
abundant choice at a
minimal cost! Key atributes are:
1. Quality: Crystal clear quality in al modes of communication, at al times
2. Quantity: Variety of services Voice, Data, Video & Mobilty available at
he same time,
from the same device and at high data speds
3. Cost: Customers have got used to the declining rates of telecom services
and expect he trend
to continue in future as wel.
Operators
Some of the key chalenges/oportunites for the operators are
1. Customer care Provide pleasant user experience and abundant choice
in technologies and
product packages

2. Outsourcing: Outsource Network and IT functions to focus on core

aspects of their busines
and strategic initatives
3. Inside building coverage Ensure god coverage inside buildings even if it
means sharing
network resources with competiors as nearly 70% of the voice & data cals
are expected to
originate inside the buildings in the coming years
4. Coverage/Penetration in Rural areas Adapt technology to make
communication in rural
areas profitable
5. Fuel bil reduction Fuel & Power contribute about 25% of operators
OPEX. Operators
have great interest in technologies which reduce this expense as it
improves their botom line
as wel as earns aproval from environmental considerations.
Network Vendors & Technologies
Technology advancements are driven by the aplications which customers
find apealing and solve
the operational isues faced by operators. Some of the key ones are:
Triple Play, Mobilty & Coverage: Customers want to be able to use the triple
play services
(Voice, Data and Video) al the time and everywhere indor or outdor. Multibilion dolars are
being invested in development and enhancement of mobile technologies
like 3G, WiFi, WiMax &
LTE. Enhanced ned for Indor coverage is leading to development of Femto
cels. Fixed Mobile

Convergence (FMC) is also gaining increased importance as it makes sense

to switch from Mobile
aces to wire line aces as son as wire line aces becomes available
IP Technology: Development of MPLS technology which provides
diferentiated and asured
Quality of Service (QoS) has overcome the best efort nature of IP telephony.
Advancements in IP
technology have also opened up new modes of communications like webcolaboration, inteligent
cal-centre aplications etc. High quality video conferencing which provides
almost a real interaction
experience is likely to become kiler aplication. DWDM enables very high
bandwidth over fibre.
Since high bandwidth neds to be available at the customer premises as wel,
Fibre is going to
penetrate deper in the aces network as wel.
Machine to Machine Communications: There are physical limits to the
number of telephone
conections that can be sold to human beings! Machine to machine
communication can potentialy
increase it in the order of bilions! For this to be commercialy sucesful, it
requires standardization
of protocols & simplicity of operation.

Review
Of
Literature

Customer Satisfaction

Some of the important related studies were reviewed for the support of the
present study.
Customer satisfaction, as a construct, has been fundamental to
marketing for over three decades. As early as 1960, Keith (1960) defined
marketing as satisfying the needs and desires of the consumer. Hunt
(1982) reported that by the 1970s, interest in customer satisfaction had
increase to such an extent that over 500 studies were published. This trend
continued and by 1992, Peterson and Wilson estimated the amount of
academic and trade articles on customer satisfaction to be over 15,000.
Several studies have shown that it costs about five times to gain a new
customer as it does to keep an existing customer (Naumann, 1995) and this
results into more interest in customer relationships. Thus, several
companies are adopting customer satisfaction as their operational goal with
a carefully designed framework. Hill and Alexander (2000) wrote in their
book that companies now have big investment in database marketing,
relationship management and customer planning to move closer to their
customers. Jones and Sasser (1995) wrote that achieving customer
satisfaction is the main goal for most service firms today. Increasing
customer satisfaction has been shown to directly affect companies market
share, which leads to improved profits, positive recommendation, lower
marketing expenditures (Reichheld, 1996; Heskett et al., 1997), and greatly
impact the corporate image and survival (Pizam and Ellis, 1999).
The studies are Robins (2008) this paper is about marketing the next
generation of mobile Telephones. The study is about third generation of cell
phone technology, what is usually known as 3G for short. There are
various issues about that new innovative. One is how to price 3G handsets
and services at a level which will enable telephone operating companies to
recoup the high prices they have already paid to governments for operating
licenses. Second the technology is not yet complete, there are no agreed
international standards and companies do not yet know what new services
the technology will prove capable of delivering effectively. All variants of 3G
remain dependent on largely unproven technology. Marketing 3G is going to
be about services which are new and in many cases, yet to be designed. At
the same time, it will involve services which can also be obtained by
computer and other means. It follows that the marketing task will be high

risk. First, 3G has no obviously unique selling proposition to build on except,

perhaps, the combination of live video and easy portability. Second, the
potential customers have not yet had adequate opportunity to signal their
service likes and dislikes. Third, the cost and complexity of service provision
leave doubt about the markets reaction to price.
Debnath (2008) this study explains that the prime focus of the service
providers is to create a loyal customer base by benchmarking their
performances and retaining existing customers in order to benefit from their
loyalty. With the commencement of the economic liberalization in 1991, and
with a view to expand and improve telecom infrastructure through the
participation of the private sector, the Government of India permitted
foreign companies holding 51 percent equity stake in joint ventures to
manufacture telecom equipment in India. The Indian Government has
announced a new policy, which allows private firms to provide basic
telephone services. There had been a monopoly of the state-owned
department of telecommunications. However, several companies are
expected to benefit from the policy change.
Kalavani (2006) in their study analyzed that majority of the respondents
have given favorable opinion towards the services but some problems exist
that deserve the attention of the service providers. They need to bridge the
gap between the services promised and services offered. The overall
customers attitude towards cell phone services is that they are satisfied
with the existing services but still they want more services to be provided
Kumar (2008), in their study titled Customer Satisfaction and
Discontentment of BSNL Landline Service: A Study analyzed that at
present, services marketing plays a major role in the national economy. In
the service sector, telecom industry is the most active and attractive.
Though the telecom industry is growing rapidly, Indias telecom density is
less than the worlds average telecom density as most of Indias market is
yet to be covered. This attracts private operators to enter into the Indian
telecom industry, which makes the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
more alert to run its business and survive in the market.
Kalpana and Chinnadurai (2006) in their study titled Promotional Strategies
of Cellular Services: A Customer Perspective analyzed that the increasing
competition and changing taste and preferences of the customers all over
the world are forcing companies to change their targeting strategies. The
study revealed the customer attitude and their satisfaction towards the
cellular services in Coimbatore city. It was found that advertisement play a

dominant role in influencing the customers but most of the customers are of
opinion that promotional strategies of cellular companies are more sale
oriented rather than customer oriented Chris (2003) has analyzed Telecom
advertising in print media. This research attempted to investigate why
Telecom theme are used in advertisement, and the motives that lead
companies and advertisers to use sport celebrities and sport concept in
advertisements. From study it has been revealed that the appearance of
sport celebrities in advertising endorsement occurred more often in Telecom
magazines than in other magazines, because their target group is more
acquainted with athletes. The sport celebrities that dominated each printed
media are related with their target group characteristics.

Research
Methodology

Objectives of the study

METHOD OF RESEARCH
Survey method:
A Survey is a complete operation, which requires some technical knowledge
Survey methods are mostly personal in character. Surveys are best suited for getting
primary data. the research obtains information from the respondents by interviewing
them.

Sampling: It is not always necessary to collect data from whole universe4. A small
representative sample may serve the purpose. A sample means a small group taken in a
large lot. This small group taken in a large lot .This small group should be emanative
cross section and really representative in character. This selection process in calls
sampling.
Sample size: Samples are devices for learning about large masses by observing a few
individuals. The selected sample is 100.
Methods of Sampling
Random sample method:
The method adop0ted here is random sampling method. A Random sample is
one where each item in th3e universe has as an equal chance of known opportunity of
being selected.
Research Instrument
Questionnaire:
A questionnaire is a carefully complied logical sequence of questr5ions
directed to a define objective. It is the outline of what information is required and the
framework on which the data is built upon. Questionnaire is commonly used in securing
marker information that its preparation deserves utmost skill and care.

Collection of data:

One of the important tools for conduction market research is that availability of
necessary and useful data. Date collection is more of an art than a science. The methods
of marketing research are in a way the methods of data collection. The sources of
information fall under two categories.
Internal sources:
Every company has to keep certain records such as accounts, reports etc. these
records provide sample information which an organization usually keeps collection in
its working.
External sources:
When internal records are insufficient and required information is not available,
the organization will have to depend on external sources. Of data are.
a) Primary data:
The data collected for a purpose in original and for the first time is known as
primary data. The researches collect this data to study a particular problem.
Here the primary data is data collected through questionnaire by directly meeting the
customers
b) Secondary Data:
The data, which is collected from the published sources i.e., not originally
collected of the first rime is called secondary data.
Here the secondary data is data collected from the companys brochures,
pamphlets, catalogues and the website.

NEED FOR THESTUDY

Customer satisfaction survey is a systematic process for collecting consumer
data, analyzing this data to make it into actionable information, driving the results
throughout an organization and implementing satisfaction survey is a management
information system that continuously captures the voice of the customer through the
assessment of performance from the customers point of view.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The setting of objective is the corer stone of a systematic study. The study will
be fruitful one when the basis laid down is a concrete one they represent the desired
solution to the problem and help in proper utilization of opportunities.
Objectives:
The objectives of the research are
1. To find out Customer satisfaction of Airtel customers.
2. To find out which sales promotion tools will increase the sales.
3. To find out how brand ambassador can influence sales promotion.
4. To find out the market share of Bharti Aitel
5. To know the features that attracts the customer to subscribe to Bharti Airtel.

Limitations of the study

1) Time factor was the main limitation for the study as the project was restricted
to small period.
2) The research was limited only to the Hyderabad city so the result cant be
generalized to the whole market.
3) The sample taken for research was concerned only for 100 customers rather
than millions of customers scattered around the world.
4) Since the project has to be completed within a short period of time the
information collected could be biased.
5) Some of the premium segments could not be met due to time lack and by not
obtaining prior appointment due to tight schedule of the respondents.

Data analysis
&
Discussion

1. Do you have a mobile phone?

Purpose: to know how many respondents use mobile phone.
Suggestions
No. of respondent

Yes
93

No
7

Mobile User

Yes

No

93

Interpretation:
93% of the respondent are have a mobile phone while 7? Of the
respondent do not have a mobile phone

Q2) Are you aware about telecommunications services?

Purpose:
The main purpose behind this question is to know about the awareness of re
spondents regarding different telecommunications services and also to
know about which telecommunication(operators) service they use.
Suggestions
No.of respondent

Yes
95

No
5

Interpretation:

Aware of Telecommunication

Yes
No

3) Which operators service do you use?

Operators serice name

No. of respondents

Airtel
Idea
Reliance
Bsnl
Vodafone
Tata docomo

87
29
17
21
5
3

Sales

Airtel Idea Reliance Bsnl Vodafone Tata docomo

Interpretation: Major respondents using Airtel services.

From which source you came to know about Vodafone?

Purpose:

The purpose behind this question is to know from which source the
respondentscame to know about Vodafone.

Sources
Advertisement
Hoardings
Newpapers
Mouth publicity

No.of respondent
63
52
35
26

.
Interpretation:

36% of the respondents are aware about Vodafone through

Advertisements, 29%are aware because of Hoardings while 20% and
15% of the respondents are aware because of Newspapers and
Mouth Publicity respectively

Since how long you are using Vodafone Services?

Purpose:

The purpose behind this question is to know about the usage time of
Vodafonecustomers i.e. since how long they are using Vodafone
services.
Time period
Less than 1 month
2-6
6-12
More than 1 year

No. of respondent
12
19
22
34
Interpretation:

Major Respondents using Vodafone are old customers. 39% of the

respondentsuse Vodafone services from past more than 1 year while
the lowest is 14% respondentsusing Vodafone services less than 1
month.

questionaire
1. Do you have a mobile phone
o Yes
o No
2. Which operator service do you use?
o Airtel
o Vodafone
o Idea
o BSNL
o Reliance
3. Are you aware of Airtel?
o Yes
o No
4. from which sources you came to know about Airtel?
o Advertisement
o Hoarding
o Newspapers
o Mouth publicity
5. Since how long you using Airtel services?
o Less than 1 month
o 2-6 months
o 6-12 months
o More than 1 year
6. Which of the following services do you use of Airtel?
o Pre-paid
o Post paid
7. Which services are more helpful to you while using Airtel Services?
o Call rates
o SMS service
o Network
o Value Added services
8. Do you call at customer care?
o Yes
o No

If Yes, how often you call at customer care?

o
o
o
o

Daily
Once in a week
Once in a month
Occasionally

9. For what reason you call at customer care?

o Value added services
o Information regarding new schemes
o Other queries
o Complaining
10.Rate the following services on the basis of your satisfaction.
Servicess

Excellen
t

Very good

Fairly good

Network
SMS rates
New schemes
and offers
Customer care
Recharge outlets
Call rates
Value added
services
11.What makes you unaware about Airtel?
o Less advertisement
o Less publicity
o Others
(if others then mention,--)
12.Why you are not using Airtel services?
o Lack of awareness
o High prices
o Poor services
o Poor network

13.Would you liked to recommend Airtel to others?

o Yes
o No

Average

Poor

14.Gives your suggestions to help in serve you better.

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