Assessment methods regarding the service level of specialized retailers

• Author: Balasescu S.
• Pages: 15-20

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series V: Economic Sciences • Vol. 10 (59) No. 1 - 2017

Assessment methods regarding the service level of

specialized retailers

Simona BĂLĂȘESCU 1

Abstract: Through this paper, we aim to emphasize the role and importance of the service

level offered by modern retail companies. In an environment of intensely competitive

business, the customer service is a means of differentia tion from competitors and a way of

increasing customer loyalty. For achieving this purpose, we conducted two market research

studies, using the qualitative and quan titative methods, in order to measure the satisfaction

of th e customers from Brasov city regarding the level of service offered by the specialized

retailer Decathlon. This company is always concerned about customer satisfaction in a

timely manner and about brand consolidation at national and international level.

Key-words: service level, specialized retailer, market research.

1. Introduction

To be successful on the domestic and foreign market, enterprises concentrate their

efforts more and more on understanding the implicit and explicit requirements of

customers in order to continuously increase the satisfaction of their needs and

expectations, taking into account both current customers and prospects.

Serving customers is a complex process influenced by several factors:

frequency of delivery, security of supply, stock level and order fulfilling time. This

process is determined by the interaction of all those factors that influence the

process of providing goods or services to buyers. The clients want to have

confidence in the company's ability to provide the required quality and to maintain

this quality (Neacșu, 2015, p.105).

From the specialists’ perspective, customer service is considered a powerful

competitive tool. The competitive advantage offered by improving service levels is

more durable than the general advantage of price reduction. Competitors may

imitate the pricing policy, but they cannot always imitate a service policy.

From another perspective, customer service is defined as a set of interrelated

activities. Therefore, customer service represents the chain of sales activities and

1 Transilvania University of Braşov,simona_balasescu@yahoo.com