Introduction
The Southwest Airlines has a successful situation since the company employees are friendly and go extra miles to ensure the satisfaction of the passengers. Most people are loyal to the Southwest Airlines due to the exemplary treatment of the customers. The airline has been in operation for 43 years. The good treatment of the customers has led to 40 consecutive years of massive profits in the airline. In addition to that, the executives and the employees of the Southwest Airlines work hard to improve their service, culture, and loyalty to their clients. In the year 2013, the Southwest Airlines unveiled a new vision and purpose of the company to motivate the employees hence raising their game. The company wants its set vision and purpose to ensure that the staff members pursue it. Therefore, this paper focuses on the successful situation described in the Southwest Airlines by giving a detailed literature review regarding the situation.
Literature Review
According to Saleem & Saleem, (2014), the term service differs in meaning depending on the situation, as well as, the context within which it is used. The term service is the cluster of intangible activities between the provider of the services and the intended users. The quality of service provided to a user by a service provider has a significant influence on customer satisfaction. Sharma & Nambudiri, (2015) argue that a direct relationship between the quality of the services provided and the appreciation of the customers that are helpful in driving a company towards the achievement of the goals of a company. In companies such as the Southwest Airlines where an employee interacts with the customer directly is critical for the success of the company. According to Sharma & Nambudiri, (2015), in the service sector, the frontline staff members play a substantial role in painting the image of an organization to a customer. As a result, this helps n the building of a customer's loyalty with an organization. Therefore, the provision of high-quality services to a customer is a continuing process.
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Besides that, Saleem & Saleem, (2014) argues that employee satisfaction is a potent element towards the provision of high-quality services to the customers. Employee satisfaction is the emotions of the staff members that arises from the back up provided by a company and their appraisal as well. In most cases, when the employees of a firm are satisfied in their allocated duties, they are likely to deliver services of high quality to the customers. In addition to that, employee satisfaction reduces the rate of turnover intentions in workplaces. Therefore, the satisfaction of the employees in workplaces leads to the formulation of a staff-based loyalty since a reverse relationship exists between high turnover rates, employee's absence from the workplaces and their level of satisfaction.
According to Mikolon, Quaiser & Wieseke, (2015), the empowerment of the employees promotes high productivity nature of the employees since it acts as a problem solver. The empowerment feelings help the employees solve the problems experienced in the workplaces in a way that favors a company. Further, Mikolon, Quaiser & Wieseke, (2015) argue that the empowerment of staff members helps in the reduction of a communication gap existing between the management of an organization and its employees that eventually leads to an increase in the employee's output levels. The Southwest Airlines works towards ensuring that they boost the empowerment standards of the workers since the staff members interact directly with the customers.
Mikolon, Quaiser & Wieseke, (2015) indicate the quality of services offered to the customers by an organization is determined by the difference existing between the values of service quality and the expected values of the customer services. The tool used to measure the quality of services that an organization offers is the expected value of services of the customers. The quality of services often lies in the perceptions and beliefs of a client rather than the exact performance of a company in delivering high-quality services to its customers.
On the contrary, Saleem & Saleem, (2014) claim that a substantial connection exists between the satisfaction of a customer and the profitability of an organization. The loyalty of a client to an organization influences the financial performance of a company. The quality of services offered in a corporation is based on the level of employee motivation. Motivated staff members continuously work towards improving the services they offer to the clients. Thus, this shows the reasons behind the Southwest Airline's employee's motivations strategies to boost the services provided to the customers.
Theories and Concepts of Customer Satisfaction
Various theories and concepts of customer satisfaction are taught in BSBA courses. The first theory is the assimilation theory that claims that consumers make different comparisons between the expectations of a product and its perceived performance. Consumers avoid absorption by adjusting their various perceptions of a product and align it with their expectations. The other theory is the contrast theory, which is the tendency of magnifying the different discrepancies between one's attitudes and their opinion statements. The contrast theory holds various positions leading to the magnification and the exaggeration of a service. The other theory is the assimilation-contrast theory that suggests that if a performance of an organization lies in the range of acceptance despite the fact that it may fall short of the expectations of a customer. In such a case, the discrepancy is disregarded leading to the incorporation of assimilation that deems the performance of an organization as acceptable to a customer.
On the contrary, the negativity theory is another theory explaining the client's satisfaction in the services offered by a company. The negativity theory suggests that any discrepancy in performance from the expectations of a client could lead to the production of negative energy is a client. The disconfirmation process forms the foundation of the negativity theory. When a client holds the expectations of a company firmly, the consumers are likely to respond in a negative manner to the disconfirmations. In most cases, disconfirmations occur when the perceived expectations of a customer are less than the actual performance of an organization. Lastly, the disconfirmation theory suggests that the rate of customer satisfaction is dependent on the direction and size of the experience of disconfirmation that occurs from the comparisons of the service performance and the expectations of a customer. The disconfirmation experience is the best predictor of the satisfaction of a client in an organization.
Secondary research indicating the way in which the problem of customer satisfaction has been solved
The issue of customer satisfaction affects the overall performance of a company. In most cases, the lack of customer satisfaction results in low profits in an organization. Some of the ways in which the issue of customer satisfaction can be addressed are the empowering of the employees that would help them get dedicated to conducting their duties as required. In addition to that, employee motivation is a good method of empowering the employees since it helps build the gap existing between the staff members and the management of a company. Besides that, employee satisfaction is the emotions of the staff members that arises from the backup provided by a corporation and their appraisal as well. In most cases, when the employees of a firm are satisfied in their allocated duties, they are likely to deliver services of high quality to the customers. In addition to that, employee satisfaction reduces the rate of turnover intentions in workplaces.
How does the issue of customer satisfaction relate to the project?
For a business to grow and expand both in the local and the international market, it requires finding means that will help in boosting customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is relevant since it increases the loyalty of a customer to a company. As a result, this affects the amounts of profits accrued in a company significantly. The first step towards boosting customer satisfaction is by motivating the staff members in a firm. The staff members interact directly with the customers. Therefore, motivated employees are likely to offer services of high quality to the consumers leading to the expansion of small companies. Thus, this shows the importance of customer satisfaction and employee motivation in this project of the development of small businesses.
Does it support your premise or disagree with your position
Customer satisfaction and employee motivation agree with my opinion on the fact that customer satisfaction is critical to the expansion of a company. The issue of customer satisfaction affects the overall performance of a company. In most cases, the lack of customer satisfaction results in low profits in an organization. Some of the ways in which the issue of customer satisfaction can be addressed are the empowering of the employees that would help them get dedicated to conducting their duties as required. In addition to that, employee motivation is a good method of empowering the employees since it helps build the gap existing between the staff members and the management of a company. By boosting employee motivation in an organization, customers are likely to remain loyal to a company leading to high profits in an organization.
Conclusion
In this paper, the literature review regarding the levels of customer satisfaction and its connection with employee motivation is discussed. The Southwest Airlines is the primary focus of this section of the project since it has a successful situation. The favorable conditions of the company are the fact that it motivates its employees leading to the provision of exemplary services to the customers. The empowerment of the employees promotes high productivity nature of the employees since it acts as a problem solver. The empowerment feelings help the employees solve the problems experienced in the workplaces in a way that favors a company, which a significant factor for the growth of small businesses.
References
Mikolon, S., Quaiser, B., & Wieseke, J. (2015). Don't try harder: using customer inoculation to build resistance against service failures. Journal Of The Academy Of Marketing Science , 43 (4), 512-527. doi:10.1007/s11747-014-0398-1
Saleem, I., & Saleem, N. (2014). Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction: New Evidence to Reconcile an Old Debate. Journal Of Behavioural Sciences , 24 (1), 130-149.
Sharma, A., & Nambudiri, R. (2015). Job-Leisure Conflict, Turnover Intention and the Role of Job Satisfaction as a Mediator: An Empirical Study of Indian IT Professionals. South Asian Journal Of Management , 22 (1), 7-27.
