INTRODUCTION CUSTOMER:

A customer is someone who makes use of the paid products of an individual or organization. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services. The word historically derives from custom, meaning habit; a customer was someone who frequented a particular shop, who made it a habit to purchase goods of the sort the shop sold their rather than elsewhere, and with whom the shopkeeper had to maintain a relationship to keep his or her custom, meaning expected purchases in the future.

0BJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

To analyse the preference level of customers towards Airtel & Vodafone services.
To study how the customer choose their respective

service provider. To find the awareness among the customers about Airtel & Vodafone and their new products. To analyze the position of both service providers against their competitors

 To find out the problems faced by the service users. To analyze the loyalty status of the consumers. To identify the customer preferences.

To find out the strength and weakness of services and

their competitors. To make suggestion, if any to improve existing condition.

NEED & SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Today, for any organization or firm to survive in this competitive world depends on its ability to be dynamic and be different from the competition to be unique in the industry. Customer Satisfaction helps every organization to keep the existing customer and to build new customer.
This research is aimed at profiling the standard customer with an aim to increase the network and improve company-customer relations.

 The information gathered through this research can be used by the company to improve its services and became more customers friendly. This can increase the goodwill of the company and its

overall performance. Thus this study is aimed to provide the management with some knowledge about its status in market both in terms of sales and customer awareness. The research also aims to provide some ideas to improve the companys present condition.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The success of the analysis mostly depends on the

methodology on which it is carried out. The appropriate methodology will improve the validity of the findings. Area of the study: The study was mainly concentrated on Amritsar city. Research Design: Descriptive Research: Descriptive research includes survey and fact-findings enquire of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state affairs, as it exists at present.

 Data Collection:

The study is based on the data collected through primary and secondary sources. Primary Data: A questionnaire was designed to collect primary data from various cell phone users. Secondary Data: Secondary data was collected from journals, magazines, web sites and from other relevant publications. Sampling Design: The sampling design mainly consists of the sample taken for the study along with the sample size, sample frame and sampling method.

 Sample Size:

From the universe, sample sizes of 150 customers were selected for the purpose of the study. Sample Frame: The customers were selected on a random basis from which the respondents were selected based on convenience and judgement. Sampling Method: Convenience sampling was used, based on the willingness and availability of the respondents. The study was conducted on consumers with different type of business.

FINDINGS
Talking about the network coverage the Airtel has the best network coverage whereas Vodafone has technologically advanced network. Airtel is best in providing cheap call rates but Vodafone is best in providing services to customers. Bharti Airtel is the top most operators in the country 99% of the customers are pre paid users while in Vodafone 97.3% of the customers are prepaid customers.

 Airtel is using celebrities like Shahrukh, Vidhya,

Kareena, Saif, Madhvan etc to advertise its products while Vodafone is using innovative ZooZoo a funny character for its products. The basic strength of Airtel is Bharti group whereas Vodafone have a good customer support.

CONCLUSION
After analyzing the findings of the research, I can conclude

that Airtel lagged behind Vodafone as far as customer service and availability is concerned. The maximum number of people who use the mobile is in the age group of 20 to 28. Cash cards are the most popular type of mobile connections, as they are consumer friendly and recharging the connection is not a problem. Maximum no. of people spends RS 500 on their connections. As Airtel is the only company having the maximum number of mobile connections so it must seriously look into the loop holes of the existing customer service department.

The public wants to wait and watch their respective performances. As per according to the data collected using questionnaires results in following conclusions: There is great competition between both the companies but Vodafone has more of its customers as compared to Airtel in mobile services. In all of their customers in both companies, more than 60% are students or between age group of 20 to 40. Airtel has more prepaid customers as compared to Vodafone i.e. almost 99.9% customers are using prepaid services.

 Most of the customers are quit loyal customers and are stay connected with the service provider for more than 1 year but both companies have maximum customers with expenditure of Rs. 500

to Rs. 1000 per month. With respect to network Airtel has more network coverage but Vodafone has more technologically advanced network. Talking about the call tariff, STD & ISD rates and SMS rates, both companies have similar strategies, i.e. lower local and STD call rates but higher ISD rates. But SMS rates of both the companies are found to be very economical.

 Almost all the customers of both the companies are

satisfied with the services provided by their respective companies with respect to recharge options, their personal customer experience or value and pricing. Depending on the data collected, most of the customers are loyal customers and still shows a positive response of the loyalty in future also.

RECOMMENDATIONS
To Airtel:
It should give more emphasis on providing services to

customers to compete with Vodafone. It should give more focus on technological development. Airtel must try some more innovative ideas in making advertisement. It should provide better customer service.

To Vodafone:
It should provide good network coverage. Vodafone must lower the rates of its various services. Try to lower the international call tariffs and SMS rates.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:

Malhotra K. Naresh- Marketing Research, Pretice Hall of India private limited fourth edition.

Schiffman, Leon G. and Kanuk Leslie Lazar Consumer Behaviour, Pearson Pretice Hall, 9th edition.
Jha S.M, Services Marketing, Himalaya Publishing House, 6th revised edition.

 (http://www.techneau.org/fileadmin/files/Publications/Pub lications/Deliverables/D6.2.1.pdf ) (http://www.vodafone.com/etc/medialib/business_refresh/p df.Par.69894.File.dat/Getting-closer-red-paper.pdf) (http://www.justdoiteasy.com/unitedkingdom/questionnaire/customer-satisfaction.html) (http://www.karmayog.org/education/upload/28069/Teleco m%20Sector%20thesis.pdf ) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharti_Airtel) (http://toostep.com/debate/vodafone-zoozoo-ads-versusairtel-lovebirds-ads)

QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Which mobile services do you use? Vodafone . Airtel ......... 2. Your gender? Male ....... Female ........ 3. What is your occupation? Professional . Academic ........ Computers/engineering ........ Student Others ........

4. What is your age? 10 20 . 20 30 ...... 30 40 ....... >40 ....... 5. Which type of services do you use? Postpaid . Prepaid ...... 6. For how long have you been using these services? Less than 6 months ......... 6 months - 1 year ......... More than a year ..........

7. What is your monthly expenditure in terms of your mobile usage? Less than Rs. 200 ........ Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 ........ Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 ....... More than Rs. 1000 ....... 8. How do you rate your services provider in terms of connectivity and area of network coverage? Good ....... Bad ....... Neither good nor bad ......

9. What do you feel about the call tariff linked with the connection you are currently using? Very Economical ...... Cheap ...... Normal ...... Expensive ....... 10. How appropriate are the STD and ISD rates related with your plan being used right now? Very Economical ......... Cheap ......... Normal ........ Expensive ........

11. How appropriate are the SMS rates related with the plan you are using currently? Very Economical ........ Cheap ............ Normal ......... Expensive ...... 12. Do you receive unwanted calls and SMS Advertisements? If Yes, do you mind it? No .......... Yes, I dont mind ......... Yes, I hate them .........

13. Are you satisfied with the recharge options? i.e rates / availability etc. Yes ......... No ........ Neither Yes nor no ....... 14. Evaluate your most recent customer services experience Very Bad ........ Bad .......... Neither Good nor Bad ............ Good ............ very Good ................

15. How would you rate your level of satisfaction with the service provider in regards to value? Very Bad ......... Bad ........ Neither Good nor Bad ....... Good ........ Very Good ........ 16. How would you rate your level of satisfaction with the service provider in regards to pricing? Very Bad ....... Bad ....... Neither Good nor Bad ....... Good ......... Very Good ......

17.How likely are you to recommend the services of this company to a friend or relative? Would you say your chances are? Very Bad ............. Bad .......... Neither Good nor Bad ........ Good ........... Very Good ........ 18. Over the next 12 months, how likely are you to change your service provider? No plans at all ........ Yes will change to something better ........... I am happy with what I am having ...........

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THANK YOU.