A STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN INDIA

Mohammed Roshan¹, Boda Sagar Kantilal^1*, S. Gopinath² and S. Sreelakshmi¹

¹Graduate student, M.Tech CEM, SRM University, Kattankulathur Campus, India

²Assistant Professor (O.G), Department of Civil Engineering, SRM University, Kattankulathur Campus, India

*Corresponding Author:

Boda Sagar Kantilal
E-mail: skboda123@gmail.com; gopinath.gusto@gmail.com

Received 17 June, 2017; Accepted 24 November, 2017

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Abstract

Customer satisfaction has received considerable attention in recent years in residential projects. The research work was carried out to examine customer behavior towards residential projects. A survey has undertaken with close ended questions. An opinion are taken on Likert scale and mail survey with face to face interview was held with 104 sample customers about the home variables provided in home by the developers. Statistical analysis was conducted by statistical package for social science (SPSS) to explore customer satisfaction in residential projects. Mean value indicates that most of customers were not properly satisfied with house service and maintenance of home from developers. The main benefit of this work is to gain high customer satisfaction with remain a customer’s potential partner in the future.

Keywords

Customer satisfaction, Close ended question, Residential projects

Introduction

Customer satisfaction is a core part of the construction management department and customer satisfaction is most important challenge facing process in the construction industry (Zeljko and Robert, 2001) because customer has dynamic requirement in the market (Bhola, 2015). Due to increases in urbanization and rapid growing business in developing country, customer satisfaction is provides healthy opportunity for the home building industry. Major task for construction industry is to satisfy customer by meeting their needs and wants. The home buyers chooses product from various offering on the basis of which developers deliver most value of the product (Kotler, 2000). This satisfied customers are backbone of the home building industry (Zeljko and Robert, 2001). Satisfaction of home buyer is affected by the home quality, home design and planning, and home service and maintenance (Rahmani-nejad, et al., 2014) and high market share has been created by proper product quality, and new product introduction in the market (Namiki, 2011). The objective of the customer satisfaction is gaining market share, customer loyalty towards company, improving house work reputation, and increase margins (Mbachu and Nkado, 2006). This home unit high quality and services provides more profit through customer satisfaction (Anderson and Fornell, 1994). By customer satisfaction the developers should be gaining customer input from the total market share of residential projects and loyalty of customer provides profitability in the home building construction industry. The home building industry needs to knowwhat are the key variables which play a major role while buying home unit by customer (Zeljko and Robert, 2001). Using this variables construction industry maximizes relation between the customer satisfaction and market share (Anderson and Fornell, 1994). This variables also provides help in current projects and future projects to match customer satisfaction. All home buyers wants their homes to become safe, proper functional, comfortable, and cost effective (Hui and Zheng, 2010). If firm achieve proper customer satisfaction then it can be produce proper economic returns (Kärnä, et al., 2004). This research work was designed to understanding customer satisfaction by adopting complain behavior of the home buyers (Bearden and Teel, 1983). Customer satisfaction is a goal or measurement tool in the development of home building (Piyush, et al., 2016).

Methodology

The primary purpose of developing the attributes to use it in a research work aimed to exploring the influences of various factors (Design and planning, quality, and service) on residential customer satisfaction. Hence this work wished to include a variety of residential customer responses from various geographic area. In this article will show various problems faced by home buyers.

Research design

A home buyer satisfaction survey was designed to collect information from various home buyers via a self-complete questionnaire. An invitation letter with an information sheet and overview of the proposed research were mailed to all home buyers of the selected geographic area.

Sample and procedure

Selection of the home buyer: To qualify for selection, a respondent had to understand question properly and have lived in the home for more than 1 month. The customers determined the eligibility of each respondent based on location of site and geographic area. All resident satisfying the criteria were invited to participate in the survey. Questionnaire distributed to male and female of demographic area. If respondents understand question properly then respondents complete the question themselves. If respondent want assistance from surveyor, then surveyor will give help by explaining question without affecting answer. Most of the female respondents want assistance from the surveyor.

Questionnaire survey

Questionnaire for customer satisfaction were based on the Home design and planning, quality of work, and service and maintenance by the developers. The questionnaire designed with 6point Likert scale with 1 expressing never and 6 expressing Very frequently. The Likert scale minimized the confusion and provide proper guideline for choosing appropriate statistical method (Subedi, 2016).

Analysis and Discussion

Reliability test of data

Cronbach alpha is used for evaluate the reliability or internal consistency of the data. Cronbach alpha coefficient value ranges from 0 to 1. Alpha value between 0.7 to 0.9 is acceptable for the analysis.

In this research work Design and planning section, quality of home, and service and maintenance sections alpha values 0.701, 0.817, and 0.739 respectively. Overall Cronbach alpha value of the data was 0.892. This Cronbach alpha value indicates that research data is valid for the further analysis.

Mean rank

Above Table 1 indicates that customers have frequently problem from Non-availability of maintenance employees, Poor energy efficient features in home, not proper communication between customer and builder’s employee, Builder’s attitude after move in home and poor ventilation in the home. These all factors are related to home service and maintenance, which expressing that Builder’s require to more concentration on the management of service and maintenance department.

Table 1: Mean rank analysis for customer satisfaction

Pareto chart of customer complacency factors

Above (Figure 1) provides information about the percentage of relative importance of each OSF the 15 factors. In above figure higher value indicates that this problem more effect create on customer satisfaction. Service and maintenance related questions affect more on customer satisfaction because this questions response rate more from the customer.

Figure 1: Pareto chart.

Conclusion

This research work presented in the article has concentrated on the analysis of the factor affecting the customer satisfaction of residential projects in India. Mean analysis is used to carry out the ranking most critical factors of customer satisfaction. Most critical factors were non-availability of maintenance employees, Poor energy efficient features in home, not proper communication between customer and builder’s employee, Builder’s attitude after move in home and poor ventilation in the home. Mean value of the all factor is between the 2 and 3, this value expressing that all respondent give answer between the scale 2 and 3. In this research work 2 indicates very rarely and 3 indicated rarely.

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