LITERATURE REVIEW

Over 1.6 billion people of the world have no access to electricity due to high capital cost required
for extending the grid and the utility grid is hard pressed to meet the growing demand of urban
areas with lowest priority to rural areas. The rationale behind the development of mini-grid for
SHP and renewable energy based power plants is to supply power in cost effective and
sustainable manner than grid/ diesel based mini grids. Experience of developing countries has
shown that hydropower mini-grids are the cost effective approach to supply electricity to rural
areas rich in renewable resources. In hilly areas, a number of rivers and streams can be harnessed
to produce electricity that can be used to electrify such remote rural areas away from utility grid.
The SHP plants can produce cheaper and reliable power compared to diesel generators or high
voltage grids. Local mini-grid can be designed for such areas to distribute the reliable and quality
power from Small Hydropower Project (SHP) as well as from other renewable resources.

Review Literature Deshmukh and Bilolikar (2006) studied the feasibility of grid extension and
distributed generation considerating biomass and diesel based generation options and BEP
(break even point) based optimization suggested it as a cheaper option than grid extension.
Monteiro et al (2005) have studied the impact of integration of distributed resources on
electricity distribution using a spatial support system.

Geographical information systems (GIS) was used by Zhou Quan et al (2002) to develop
mathametical models of the substation location and capacity optimization and proposed a new
multiperiod optimal selection algorithm of substation that can be determine the reasonable
location, capacity and time of substation operation.

Khator and Leung (1997) reviewed the models related to the planning of substations and/ or
distribution feeders under two major groups : planning under normal conditions and planning for
emergency and found the power distribution planning as difficult to ensure substation capacity
(transformer capacity) and feeder capacity (distribution capacity) to meet the load demands.
A new methodology was developed by Monteiro et al (2005) for automated route selection for
the construction of new power lines based on GIS considering the envioronmental constraint,
operation and maintenance and equipment installation costs associatedwith the slope of the
terrain cro0ssed by the power lines.
Jewell, Grossardt and Bailey (2006) developed a new method to reduce public opposition to new
linews by way of public participation in transmission line routing decisions and hence the time
needed for the approval of new line construction.
A fast algorithm was presented by Tram and Wall (1988) to help select the proper conductors for
feeder expansion plans including selection of optimal conductor type for each feeder segment to
maintain an acceptable Deseign of Mini Grid for SHP Plants.
S.N.Singh, M.P.Sharma and Arijit Singh Abstract :Thesupply of power to remote rural areas in
India from small Hydropower Projects (SHP)/ renewable energy power projects in cost effective
and sustainable manner requires the optimum design of mini-grids. The present paper deals with
the design of mini grids of nine SHP plants presently running in isolated mode only for 8 hrs/day
wasting the energy of 16 hrs/day.Based on system layouts, transmission routing, line length and
selection of conductor, 5 different alternates of mini-grids were developed to connect these
SHP’s together as well as with the nearby 33 KV grid substations located at approximately 15,
17 and 9 km from nearby SHP’s in order to improve the load factor. The optimization of these
alternatives on the basis of the Break Even Point (BEP) has indicated that Alternate-V has been
found as optimum alternative for the study area with shortest line length, low line losses and
minimum capltal investment for the mini-grid implementation. Key words : small Hydropower
Project (SHP) station ,mini-grid, remote rural areas, Break Even Point, India
S.N.SinghM.P.Sharma 38 HYDRO NEPAL ISSUE NO.7 JULY, 2010 SHP sites of Bageshwar
district along with latitudes and longitudes are available and the study area comes on the twelve
topographic maps. The latitudes and longitudes, location of the SHP sites and existing substation
of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited 9UPCL) Grid .The basis of which the topographic
maps were geo-referenced. All the 12 topographic maps were geo-referenced using latitude and
longitude data. Voltage profile along the entire feeder and minimize the capital investment and
the cost of feeder losses.

-: Conceptual Framework :-

CONSUMER AWARENESS

To satisfy various wants people purchase goods and services by paying price. But what to do if
the goods and services bought are found out to be bad in quality or unreasonably priced or
measured less in quantity etc. In such situations the consumers, instead of getting satisfaction,
feel cheated by the sellers who have sold the goods and services. They also feel that they should
be properly compensated for the loss. So there should be a system to redress such issues. On the
other hand consumers should also realize that they do have responsibilities not just rights.

Who is a consumer?

To begin with, let us know the definition of a consumer. A consumer is the buyer of goods and
services. The user of goods and services with the permission of the buyer is also treated as a
consumer. But a person is not a consumer if he/she purchases goods and services for resale
purpose.

Consumer Awareness

Consumer awareness refers to the combination of the following :

(i) The knowledge of the product purchased by the consumers in terms of its quality. For
example the consumer should know whether the product is good for health or not, whether the
product is free of creating any environmental hazard or not etc. (ii) The education about the
various types of hazards and problems associated with marketing of a product - For example, one
way of marketing a product is advertisement through news papers, television etc. Consumers
should have proper education about the bad effects of advertisement. They must also verify the
contents of the advertisement.
The knowledge about „Consumer Rights‟ - This means that, first, the consumer must know that
he/she has the right to get the right kind of product. Secondly, if the product is found out to be
faulty in some manner, the consumer should have knowledge of claiming compensation as per
the law of the land.
The knowledge about consumer‟s own responsibilities- This implies that consumers should not
indulge in wasteful and unnecessary consumption.

NEED FOR CONSUMER AWARENESS

The market today is flooded with very large number as well as varieties of goods and services.
The number of producers and final sellers of the commodities have also increased many folds.
So it has become very difficult to know as to who is a genuine producer or seller? It is practically
not possible for consumers to personally come in contact with a producer or seller. Moreover in
the age of advanced information technology the physical distance between consumer and
producer/seller has also increased, since consumers can get their commodities at door step by
booking orders over telephone or through internet etc. Similarly from among large varieties of
commodities, it has become very difficult to know as to which one is genuine? People think that
a product which has appeared in some advertisement must be good or the producer whose name
is known through advertisement must be selling the right product.
But this may not be true always. Much information is deliberately hidden in certain
advertisements to mislead the consumers.
In case of packed food products and medicines, there is an expiry date which implies that the
particular product must be consumed before that date and not at all after that date. This
information is very important because it involves the health of the consumer. Sometimes it so
happens that either such information is not provided or the seller deliberately did not give the
information since the consumer did not ask for it or notice the inscription written on the product.
Another major issue is that the consumers are not united. Producers have become stronger and
organized because there are Producers‟ and Traders‟ Associations to protect their interest. But
the buyers are still weak and unorganized. As a result the buyers are duped and deceived quite
often.
Because of the above arguments it is very important for consumers to protect themselves from
the unfair trade practices of the traders and service providers. They need to be aware of their
rights as consumers and use them promptly.
It should be noted that consumer awareness is not just only about consumers‟ rights. It is a well-
known fact that many consumers around the world have been indulging in mindless and wasteful
consumption because of their money power. This has divided the society into rich consumers
and the poor. Similarly many consumers are also not bothered about the safe disposal of wastes
after consumption is over which causes environmental pollution. By agreeing to pay a lower
price for the product without asking for the bill, many consumers indirectly help the sellers to
avoid paying tax to the government. Hence there is also need for consumer awareness to educate
the consumers about their responsibilities.

The Importance of Customer Service Following the Sale:

I‟ve known many sales people who know just what to do to get the sale. They passionately go
after their desired client, doing just the right thing to win him over. It may take weeks or even
months, but they do whatever it takes to get the job done and, ultimately, get that contract
signed. Then, they disappear.
Disappearing after the sale is a huge mistake. As someone who has worked on both sides of the
fence, I know how frustrating it is for the custome r when the salesperson they‟ve built up a trust
with no longer decides they‟re important enough to spend time with once the sale is closed. Or at
least they make it seem that way.

Why after Sales Service?

After sales service plays an important role in customer satisfaction and customer retention. It
generates loyal customers.
Customers start believing in the brand and get associated with the organization for a longer
duration. They speak good about the organization and its products.
A satisfied and happy customer brings more individuals and eventually more revenues for the
organization.
After sales service plays a pivotal role in strengthening the bond between the organization and
customers.

After Sales Service Techniques

Sales Professionals need to stay in touch with the customers even after the deal. Never ignore
their calls.
Call them once in a while to exchange pleasantries.
Give them the necessary support. Help them install, maintain or operate a particular product.
Sales professionals selling laptops must ensure windows are configured in the system and
customers are able to use net without any difficulty. Similarly organizations selling mobile sim
cards must ensure the number is activated immediately once the customer submits his necessary
documents.
Any product found broken or in a damaged condition must be exchanged immediately by the
sales professional. Don‟t harass the customers. Listen to their grievances and make them feel
comfortable.
Create a section in your organization‟s website where the customers can register their
complaints. Every organization should have a toll free number where the customers

can call and discuss their queries. The customer service officers should take a prompt action on
the customer‟s queries. The problems must be resolved immediately.
Take feedback of the products and services from the customers. Feedback helps the organization
to know the customers better and incorporate the necessary changes for better customer
satisfaction.
Ask the customers to sign Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) with your organization. AMC is
an agreement signed between the organization and the customer where the organization promises
to provide after sales services to the second party for a certain duration at nominal costs.
The exchange policies must be transparent and in favour of the customer. The customer who
comes for an exchange should be given the same treatment as was given to him when he came
for the first time. Speak to him properly and suggest him the best alternative

PROCEDURE
To fulfill the above objectives, our project was carried out through the following steps:
In the first step, I was given information regarding DG sets and their features:
Greaves Power manufactures diesel generating sets in a wide range from 2.5 KVA to 500 KVA.
The products are manufactured at its Chakan plant, an ISO 9001-2000 certified facility and are
compliant to the emission norm CPOCB-II and are eco-friendly.
The generating sets are designed for reliability, durability and economical operating cost and are
well supported with genuine parts availability and service capability through 100+ strong dealer
networks.
In the second step, I strived to understand why existing customers of DG sets use or do not use
DG sets produced by Greaves Cotton. For this we adopted the following steps-
Existing users of generators were screened whether they use DG Set of Greaves Cotton.
Those who were using were enquired whether they were aware and had knowledge regarding our
products.
In the third step, Those who were found to use our product were enquired what are the
suitable factors for which they have chosen our product.
-: Objective of Studies :-

To find out the satisfaction level of the customers, towards the Dee Power Corporation.

To make appropriate recommendation to enhance the customer satisfaction based on findings.

To find out the awareness level of the customers with regard to Dee Power Corporation.

To identify those factors which are considered most while purchasing a DG Set.

Limitation of Study :-

The study is time bounded.

Lack of proper training.

Kolkata based study.

Limited information about data base & market.

Lack of field experience.

Research Methodology

Type of Research: Among all the types of research, this research falls under Descriptive
Research. As Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and
Characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied.

Data Collection Method: The data collection methods used in this study was unstructured
interviews with customers. Questionnaire played an important role in my study .There are two
kinds of data used in this study. These are:
i) Primary data. ii) Secondary data.

Primary Data: It refers to the data gathered for a specific purpose or for a specific research
project. These data gives latest information. Primary data is basically collected by getting
questionnaire filled by the respondents.

Secondary Data: - It refers to that which is compiled by some other than the other researcher for
purpose not directly related to the research. These are readily available for processing. This type
of data relate to past period. In this study, secondary data is collected through;

• Magazines • Journals • Website

However, I also have used the secondary data gathered from information provided by the
company, Internet etc.

Sample

Sampling technique

Convenient sampling (type of non probability smapling that involves the sample being drawn
fromthe part of the population that is close to hand.
Sampling Unit : Potential customers(site engineer , purchase maneger , production maneger , site
maneger) & staff of Dee Power Corporation.

Sample Size : For the observation of the customer and interaction with them, 118 was taken.