Title: Assessment of service quality and benchmark performance in 3C wholesalers: forecasting satisfaction in computers, communication and consumer electronics industries

Authors: Lisa Y. Chen, Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

Addresses: Department of Information Management, I-Shou University, 1, Sec. 1 Syuecheng Road, Dashu Township, Kaohsiung County 840, Taiwan. ' H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33314-779, USA

Abstract: Customer-driven orientation for continuous improvement is an essential element embedded in the service industry. Sales representatives stress the unique qualities of their products or services to emulate and improve upon existing and potential competitors resulted in making their customers satisfied and enhance the retention of valuable customers. This study employs the five-dimensional structure of SERVQUAL as the decision service criteria by conducting an interview with analysts from consumers| foundation, Chinese Taipei (CFCT) to evaluate the service quality of 3C (computer, communication and consumer electronics) wholesalers in Taiwan. This study intends to select a best practice for service as a benchmark through which firms and their sales representatives can learn to increase workforce productivity and improve sales performance. Fuzzy VIKOR method is utilised as systematic solution to solve the complicated decision problems. The result shows that Fuzzy VIKOR provides an efficient way to obtain a best and compromise solution for decision-making.

Keywords: service quality; customer satisfaction; fuzzy VIKOR; performance evaluation; benchmarking; computer industry; communications industry; consumer electronics industry; wholesalers; Taiwan; continuous improvement; workforce productivity; sales performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBFMI.2009.028454

International Journal of Business Forecasting and Marketing Intelligence, 2009 Vol.1 No.2, pp.153 - 163

Published online: 17 Sep 2009 *

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