A plethora of general and industry-specific websites make it possible for consumers to share their experiences, often in the form of ratings and open-ended comments very similar to those captured via traditional customer service and satisfaction surveys. But, can/will social media replace surveys as a research tool? This presentation shares results of research comparing web-based customer comments with those captured via a traditional survey method. The presentation shows that the two data sources do not tell the same story, and offers recommendations regarding how to get the most from both sources.
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a process for using measures of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction to focus and direct internal service quality improvements. The paper attempts to build upon the conceptual model of service quality and customer satisfaction proposed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985). It also embodies "lessons learned" by the authors from designing and implementing numerous customer satisfaction measurement programs during the past decade.