1

A

STUDY

ON

CUSTOMER PERCEPTION TOWARDS

Submitted in the partial fulfillment in Bachelor of Business Administration

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Ms. Rasna Pathak

Project Guide Roll no. 94532451177

BBA 6th SEM

GNA Institute of Management & Technology

(Affiliated from PTU)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take an opportunity to thank all the people in collecting the

necessary information and making of the report. I am grateful to all of them for

their time and wisdom.

My project becomes a reality only because of cooperation of many people who had

helped me in completing this project. I sincerely extend my gratitude to Ms Rasna

Pathak who has given me this golden opportunity to have an insight in the

corporate world and who has been a source of guidance and support.

Sameer Thakur

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page 1

Bonafide Certificate 2

Declaration 3

Acknowledgement 4

Chapter 1 Industry and company profile

1.1 Industry profile 5

1.2 Company profile 6

-AIRTEL logo 7

-Bharati’s vision 8

-Bharati’s Mission 9

1.2.1 Network of AIRTEL 9

1.2.2 AIRTEL broadband 11

1.2.3 Organizational structure 14

1.2.4 Promotional strategies 16

1.2.5 AirTel: Appropriating the value of 'expression'  17

1.2.6 Milestone of Company   21

1.2.7 Awards 24

Chapter 2 Review of Literature

2.1 Review of Literature 29

2.1(a) what is customer satisfaction 29

2.1(b) why is it important 30

2.2 Objectives 31

2.3 Limitations 33

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Chapter-3 Research Methodology

3.1 Research Methodology 34

3.1 Research Design 34

3.2 Sampling Design/Techniques 35

3.3 Data collection methods 35

3.4 Statistical tools used 37

Chapter 4 Analysis and Interpretation

4.1 Analysis and Interpretation 39

4.1.1 Table and chart showing the opinion on signaling at their area 39

4.1.2 Table and chart showing the opinion on customer care services 40

4.1.3 Table and chart showing the opinion on customer care

employee’s response to customer’s questions

41

4.1.4 Table and chart showing whether customers use INTERNET

services

43

4.1.5 Table and chart showing opinion on INTERNET services 45

4.1.6 Table and chart showing number of times customers log into

internet per day

45

4.1.7 Table and chart showing rating for internet speed 45

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4.1.8 Table and chart showing Maximum recharge per month 46

4.1.9 Table and chart showing whether offers are used by customers 47

4.1.10 Table and chart showing offers used by customers 48

4.1.11 Table and chart showing opinion on offers used by customers 49

4.1.12 Table and chart showing up to date with current offers 50

4.1.13 Table and chart showing whether they used other network

Connection other than AIRTEL

50

4.1.14 Table and chart showing opinion on AIRTEL compared to

other connection

50

Chapter-5 Findings, Suggestions & Conclusion

5.1 Findings 51

5.2 Suggestions 51

5.3 Conclusion 51

Annexure 52

-Questionnaire 52

Bibliography 53

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CHAPTER-1

INDUSTRY & COMPANY

PROFILE

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1.1 INDUSTRY PROFILE:

Indian mobile telephony market is increasing day by day and there is more To happen with

technological up gradations occurring nearly every day and the ever-increasing demand for

easier and faster connectivity, the mobile telephony market is expected to race ahead…

India has a fast-growing mobile services market with excellent potential for the future.

With almost five million subscribers amassed in less than two years of operation, India's growth

tempo has far exceeded that of numerous other markets, such as China and Thailand, which have

taken more than five years to reach the figures India currently holds. The number of mobile

phone subscribers in the country would exceed 50 million by 2005 and cross 300million by

2010, according to Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). According to recent strategic

research by Frost & Sullivan, Indian Cellular Services Market, such growth rates can be greatly

attributed to the drastically falling price of mobile handsets, with price playing a fundamental

role in Indian subscriber requirements. Subscribers in certain regions can acquire the handset at

almost no cost, thanks to the mass-market stage these technologies have reached internationally.

The Indian consumer can buy a handset for $150 or less. This should lead to increased

subscribership. This market is growing at an extremely fast pace and so is the competition

between the mobile service providers.

With the presence of a number of mobile telephony services providers including market leaders

like Airtel, Reliance, Idea Cellular, Tata Indicom, Spice Communications etc who are providing

either of the two network technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications

(GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). In cellular service there are two main

competing network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code

Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Understanding the difference between GSM and CDMA

will allow the user to choose the preferable network technology for his needs. Global System for

Mobile Communications (GSM) is a new digital technology developed by the European

community to create a common

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mobile standard around the world. It helps you achieve higher sall capacity and better speech

quality and one can enjoy crystal clear reception on ones mobile phone. It automatically solves

the problem of eavesdroping on ones calls.

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) describes a communication channel access principle

that employs spread spectrum technology and a special coding scheme (where each transmitter is

assigned a code). It is a spread spectrum signaling, since the modulated coded signal has a much

higher bandwidth than the data being communicated. CDMA is the current name for mobile

technology and is characterized by high capacity and small cell radius. It has been used in many

communication and navigation systems, including the Global Positioning System and the

omnitracs satellite system for transportation logistics.

The Company’s wireless network runs on a GSM technology. The mobile telephony services

providers Airtel, Vodafone (Formerly Hutch), have been competing aggressively for their market

share with MTNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance and Idea Cellular entering into the foray, this tussle

has only become more tough. With major market share in the hands of the likes of Reliance,

Airtel, Vodafone (Formerly Hutch), Idea Cellular the others have been finding it difficult to

compete in the market.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India (TRAI) has been playing an important role in

keeping a watch on these existing players and bringing new environment as well as policies and

reforms for these Mobile Telephony Service Providers and permitting them to provide mobile

telephony services including permission to carry its own long distance traffic within their service

area without seeking an additional license. TRAI’s mission is to create and nurture conditions for

the growth of telecommunications including broadcasting and cable services in the country in a

manner and at a pace which will enable India to play a leading role in the emerging global

information society. The service providers are free to provide, in its service area of operation, all

types of mobile services including voice and non-voice messages, data services and PCO’s. The

Operators would be required to pay a one-time entry fee. The basis for determining the entry fee

and the basis for selection of additional operators would be recommended by the TRAI. Apart

from the one time entry fee, operators would also be required to pay license fee based on a

revenue share. It is proposed that the appropriate level of entry fee and percentage of revenue

share arrangement for different service areas would be recommended by TRAI in a time-bound

manner.

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1.2 Company Profile

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises. The businesses at

Bharti Airtel have been structured into three individual strategic business units (SBU’s)

1) mobile services

2) broadband and telephone services (B&T)

3) enterprise services

The Mobile services group provides GSM mobile services across India in 23 telecom circles,

while B&T business group provides broadband & telephone Services in 94 cities. The Enterprise

Services group has two sub-units –carriers (long distance services) and services top corporates.

All these services are provided under the AirTel brand Airtel comes to you from Bharti Tele-

Ventures Limited - a part of the biggest private integrated telecom conglomerate, Bharti

Enterprises. A consortium of giants in the telecommunication business. In it's six years of pursuit

of greater customer satisfaction, AirTel has redefined the business through marketing

innovations, continuous technological up gradation of the network, introduction of new

generation value added services and the highest standard of customer care.

Bharti is the leading cellular service provider, with an all India footprint covering all 23 telecom

circles of the country. It has over 25million satisfied customers.

Cellular telephony was introduced in India during the early 1990s. At that time, there were only

two major private players, Bharti (Airtel) and Essar (Essar) and both these companies offered

only post-paid services. Initially, the cellular services market registered limited growth.

Moreover, these services were mostly restricted to the metros. Other factors such as lack of

awareness among people, lack of infrastructural facilities, low standard of living, and

government regulations were also responsible for the slow growth of cellular phone services in

India.

Although the cellular services market in India grew during the late 1990s (as the number of

players increased and tariffs and handset prices came down significantly) the growth was rather

marginal. This was because the cellular service providers offered only post-paid cellular services,

which were still perceived to be very costly as compared to landline communications.

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Following this realization, the major cellular service providers in India, launched pre-paid

cellular services in the late 1990s. The main purpose of these services was to target customers

from all sections of society (unlike post-paid services, which were targeted only at the premium

segment).

The Airtel Logo

The Airtel logo is a strong, contemporary and confident symbol for a brand that is always ahead

of the rest. It is a specially drawn wordmark.

The Airtel Image style

It incorporates two solid, red rectangular forms whose counterform creates an open doorway.

The Airtel Typographical style

The title case lettering with its capital 'A' was deliberately chosen to reinforce the brand's

leadership position. The red dot on the letterform 'I' cues Airtel's focus on innovation.. The words

'Express Yourself' are very much part of the brand identity.

Board of Directors

The board of directors of the Company has an optimum mix of executive and non-executive

directors, which consists of two executive and thirteen nonexecutive directors. The Chairman

and Managing Director, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, is an Executive Director and the number of

Independent Directors on the Board is 50% of the total board strength. The independence of a

director is determined on the basis that such director does not have any material pecuniary

relationship with the Company, its promoters or its management, which may affect the

independence of the judgment of a Director. The board members possess requisite skills,

experience and expertise required to take decisions, which are in the best interest of the

Company.

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The composition of the Board is as under:

· Sunil Bharti Mitta l

· Rajan Bharti Mitta l

· Akhil Gupta

· Rakesh Bharti Mitta l

· Chua Sock Koong

· N. Kumar

· Kurt Hellstrom

· Donald Cameron

· Paul O'Sullivan

· Pulak Chandan Prasad

· Bashir Abdulla Currimjee

· Ajay La l

· Arun Bharat Ram

· Francis Heng

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Bharti’s Vision

By 2010 Airtel will be the most admired brand in India:

· Loved by more customers

· Targeted by top talent

· Benchmarked by more businesses

We at Airtel always think in fresh and innovative ways about the needs of our customers and

how we want them to feel. We deliver what we promise and go out of our way to delight the

customer with a little bit more

Bharti’s Mission

To be globally admired for telecom services that delight customers.

We will meet global standards for telecom services that delight customers

through:

• Customer Service Focus

• Empowered Employees

• Cost Efficiency

• Unified Messaging Solutions

• Innovative products and services

• Error- free service delivery

Network of Airtel

Cellular Service

Airtel Completes Its 23 Circle All India Footprint Airtel now connects India from the Indus to

the Indian Ocean and from Sabarmati to the Brahmaputra on a network of more than 10,000 base

stations with cumulative investments of more than Rs. 16,000 crores.

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Internet infrastructure

Our Internet backbone involves state of the art high-end routers and switches as maydeployed on

the best networks across the world to offer you reliable service of unmatchedquality. Three years

back we had established satellite based gateway for internet access.

This was the first gateway by a private operator. Now we have established our fibregateway on

Network i2i, first private submarine cable owned by us and SingTel.

Fixed line infrastructure

Our high quality fibre-based, fixed line networks in Delhi, Haryana, Tamil Nadu,

Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chahattisgarh ,intensively covers the most

prominentcommercial and business districts in the country. We provide the power of last mile

fixedline network to bring end-to-end voice and data solutions.

Long distance infrastructure

Our 25,000 km advanced fibre-optic cable long distance network covers India's top 200cities.

And it powers the services of India's leading private telecom service providers -cellular, fixed

line and internet through Our Long Distance Services.

Submarine cable

We have partnered with SingTel to create the world's largest submarinecable system- Network

i2i with 8.4 Tbps capacity. This 3200 km undersea cable structure stretches from Chennai to

Singapore and thereon to Tier-1 carriers on SingTel's capacity on 175,000 km of cables. The

huge capacity on network i2i is distributed locally in India through our 25,000 km of advanced

fibre-optic domestic long distance backbone, providing unprecedented capacity, speed &

reliability.

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Technology

In no other service or business technology is such a major factor. Sales and marketing arefutile

without a sound technological base. Hence we analyze AirTel on the basis of thisparameter.

Technological facets in cellular services are explained and the level of expertise of bothplayers

stated.

Call set up time

This is the time that it takes a user to get connected after the completion of the dialingprocess.

Presently 8-30 seconds is considered normal set-up time.

AirTels’ call set up time is generally within this range.

Capacity Call congestion

This is the quality of getting calls through even in high user density areas.

AirTel provides better customer satisfaction.

This will enable them to increase their customer base leading to increased revenues inthe

future.Voice Quality and Coverage

It is the clarity of transmission. In city centers this quality is not difficult to maintain.However it

becomes very important when the transmission is being directed to or fromunder ground

locations, from behind tall building and structures, narrow and congestedcity interiors.

AirTel provides better quality in the above mentioned. The reason for this is the

betterinfrastructure and technology.

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AIRTEL BROADBAND

Bharti Televentures is the fixed line operator business of Airtel. In the recent branding exercise,

all the services have been offered under the Airtel brand. Data is the next driver for growth. This

is clear to the operators who have belatedly realized the implications for having a pie in all the

segments of telecommunications. Hence Bharti ventured in the broadband market.

However, the main contention in the broadband market is the price offering which includes the

bandwidth costs as well as the cost of laying down the copper wire. Typically, in the mentality of

the profit making exercise, Airtel has so far focused only in those areas where it perceives that a

huge market is present. However, I still hold that their thrust should be in smaller towns and

cities where BSNL would ultimately usurp their potential customer base. It seems that their

fancily paid MBAs haven’t really understood the success of BSNL who focused on the B and C

class cities where it has drawn unparalleled support despite the lousy customer experiences. This

is because of the absence of any other operator.

The current offerings by Airtel does not really enthuse a potential customer who is looking at

sustained data transfer. It is the classic case of having something better than nothing. Add to the

lousy customer care that Airtel is slowly perfecting, it is staffed with people who usually land up

in their jobs with little idea of their job profile. The so-called Tech engineers have often been

unable to help a customer who is facing issues with the connectivity.

Airtel Broadband is powered by DSL technology

DSL provides blazing-fast, secure Internet access and can be delivered to both homes and to

businesses. Delivered right through a regular telephone line, data rates can vary from 128Kb to

8Mb per second depending on the type and cost of the service.

Instant Access

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology provides instant Internet and network access at speeds

up to 50 times faster than a 28.8Kbps modem on a standard analogue phone line. There are no

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dial-up delays, no busy signals. What used to take minutes or hours to download, will now take

just seconds or minutes.

Experience Multimedia

With DSL Internet Service you can download graphics-heavy files, large documents, software,

photos, email attachments, and more, instantly. It's perfect for real-time interactive multimedia,

broadcast quality video, distance learning, and video-on-demand. And because DSL Internet

Service sends data and voice over the same line, you can talk on the phone while you are online.

Never Wait!

It's also a service that you don't have to dial into. Just turn on your PC, open a browser, and

you're ready to surf. (No more hearing those annoying beeps and tones, then waiting to be

connected. You're always connected whenever you wish to!). Beyond Internet access, DSL also

has the ability to carry additional phone lines and entertainment services using the same pair of

wires. High-speed Internet access through DSL, changes your Internet experience perceptibly.

Services

Airtel brings you a host of exciting features ranging from facilities like Online tests, In touch and

Video Surveillance Solutions to trouble shooting devices like, Net Expert and Web Jockey.

· Video Surveillance Solutions – Airtel allows you to control your business, 24x7. Observe your

office, warehouse, shop and staff from your PC, from anywhere and all the time.

· In touch – Airtel allows you to create and share your precious moments with your loved ones

with In Touch. It’s a great way to reach out to your loved ones who are far away.

· NetXpert - NetXpert, India’s first ever automated Broadband care

technology which provides immediate solutions for Internet connectivity related problems.

· Online Tests - Airtel Broadband Services and TCY Online offer you online competitive tests

for GRE, GMAT, SAT and MBA, from the comfort of your home.

· WiFi - Wifi is a wireless technology brand by the Wifii Alliance that gives you a host of

fantastic advantages ranging from reliability to security. The simple installation procedure gives

you access to unsurpassed performance instantly.

Wireless Internet

Wireless Internet includes :

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1. Data Card

2. Usb Modem

Data Card

Airtel Data Card is the superior PC Data Card solution which delivers wireless internet

capabilities to laptops and notebooks, by providing EDGE and GPRS technologies in a single PC

Card package. On an EDGE network, Airtel Data Card enables connection to the Internet using

EGPRS. In areas where EDGE services are not available, the Airtel Data Card still enables

reliable and secure data connections over GPRS. Airtel Data Card opens up the true world of

wireless internet and is an ideal companion for a mobile professional, enabling Internet, Email,

and Office applications with real-time secure VPN access to corporate applications whilst on the

move. Anytime, Anywhere Connectivity!

Features

· Quad-band radio card suitable for use on EGRPS/GPRS/GSM networks worldwide PTCRB

compliant.

· Compatible with most notebooks providing a Type II PC-Card slot and utilizing Microsoft

Windows Operating Systems.

· Supports IPSec client software for end-to-end secure corporate data exchange and

synchronization over VP.

· NDIS compatible.

Usb Modem

Airtel USB Modem is the superior PC solution delivering wireless internet capability to laptops

and notebooks by providing EDGE and GPRS technologies in a single PC Card Package.

On an EDGE network. Airtel USB Modem enables connection to the Internet using EGPRS. In

areas where EDGE services are not available , the Airtel USB Modem enable reliable secure data

connections over GPRS. Airtel USB Modem opens up the true world of mobile wireless internet

and is the ideal companion for the mobile professional, enabling Internet and Email whilst on the

move. Anytime- Anywhere Connectivity!

Features

· Suitable for use on EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks.

· EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 10

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· External Antennae

· ETSIAT Command Interface

· Compatible with Windows 2000, XP

· Data Interface : USB 2.0

· Data, Voice, SMS Phonebook

Benefits

This Remarkable service virtually converts the whole of India in Wireless

hot spot.

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ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

Partners

The company has a strategic alliance with SingTel. The investment made by SingTel is one of

the largest investments made in the world outside Singapore, in the company. The company’s

mobile network equipment partners include Ericsson and Nokia. In the case of the broadband

and telephone services and enterprise services (carriers), equipment suppliers include Siemens,

Nortel, Corning, among others. The Company also has an information technology alliance

with IBM for its group-wide information technology requirements and with Nortel for call center

technology requirements. The call center operations for the mobile services have been

outsourced to IBM Daksh, Hinduja TMT, Teletech & Mphasis.

Corporate Governance

Bharti Airtel Limited firmly believes in the principles of Corporate Governance and is

committed to conduct its business in a manner, which will ensure sustainable, capital-efficient

and long-term growth thereby maximising value for its shareholders, customers, employees and

society at large. Company’s policies are in line with Corporate Governance guidelines prescribed

under Listing Agreement/s with Stock Exchanges and the Company ensures that various

disclosures requirements are complied in ‘letter and spirit’ for effective Corporate Governance.

During the financial year 2003-04, your Company was assigned highest Governance and Value

Creation (GVC) rating viz. ‘Level 1’ rating by CRISIL, which indicates that the company’s

capability with respect to creating wealth for all its stakeholders is the highest, while adopting

sound Corporate Governance practices.This rating was re-affirmed by CRISIL on April 20,2006

PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY

After the liberalization of the Indian Telecom Sector in 1994, the Indian cellular market

witnessed a surge in cellular services. By 2005, there were a total of 12 players in the market

with the five major players being Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited (Bharti), Bharat Sanchar Nigam

Limited (BSNL), Hutchinson-Essar limited (Hutch), Idea Cellular limited (Idea) and Reliance India

Mobile (RIM) (Refer Exhibit I).

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All the players except RIM offered services based on the Global System for Mobile (GSM)

technology. RIM provided services based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

technology as well as GSM.  .

As competition in the telecom arena intensified, service providers took new initiatives to woo

customers. Prominent among these were - celebrity endorsements, loyalty rewards, discount

coupons, business solutions and talk time schemes. The most important consumer segments in

the cellular industry were the youth segment and the business class segment. The youth segment

was the largest and fastest growing segment and was therefore targeted most heavily by cellular

service providers.  

Bharti Tele-Ventures adopted celebrity endorsement as its chief promotional strategy. By 2004 it

emerged the unprecedented leader commanding the largest market share in the cellular service

market. (Refer Exhibit II). Hutch implemented the celebrity endorsement strategy partially,

relying primarily on its creative advertising for the promotion of its brand. BSNL, on the other

hand, attracted the consumer through its low cost schemes. Being a state owned player, BSNL

could cover rural areas, and this helped it increase its subscriber base. Reliance was another

player that cashed on its innovative promotional strategies, which included celebrity

endorsements and attractive talk time schemes. Idea, relied heavily on its creative media

advertising sans celebrities.

AirTel: Appropriating the value of 'expression' 

Over the last couple of years, the market has grown considerably, with deeper penetration and

wider usage of voice and data services, accompanied by much higher competitive intensity,"

Atul Bindal, chief marketing officer, Bharti TeleVentures, expands on this. "In this context,

differentiating merely on network, coverage and SMS is just not enough. You need to go beyond

all the rational identifiers - which are prerequisites in any case - and connect at a deeper level.

We needed a strong differentiator in an increasingly commoditized and crowded market. We

found this differentiator in a core human truth that defines our category - which is that there are

moments when you need to make your point, when you need to be heard. Expressing and

communicating are perhaps two of the most basic emotions. AirTel enables you to make your

point in the most expressive way, anytime, anywhere. The campaign is towards owning this

through 'Express yourself.' We believe 'Express yourself' allows us to connect at a deeper

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level and create a long-term platform for the brand." For AirTel, the challenge also lay in

presenting a unified 'face' to the consumer. This assumes significance when viewed in the light

of the company's pre- and post-paid communication, which, in the past, had been treated very

differently. Brand image, as a result, was being driven in two different dimensions. "Brand

AirTel is a category leader straddling completely different market segments such as consumer,

business and corporate, as well as different voice, data and payment platforms," says Bindal.

"'Express yourself' enables the brand to unify and connect across the entire base of our existing

and prospective customers."One of the most obvious benefits of owning a property such as

'candid expression' (and 'Express yourself') is the expansive nature of the thought. "The moment

you have as broad a canvas as 'Express yourself', it becomes easy for anyone working on the

brand to come up with new ideas and executions. That's what makes a good campaign idea,"

observes Rediff's Prashant Godbole, who, along with creative partner Zarvan Patel, conceived

the campaign. This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg, Patel adds. "We will be taking the

idea forward in many different ways in the forthcoming work," he informs. Patel also credits his

creative team for "fleshing out the idea"

In October 2002, Magic led the market, with 30% of the market share. Bharti claimed that its

strategies were one of the most ambitious experiments ever in the Indian pre-paid cellular

telephony market. However, given the increasing competitive pressure, doubts were being

expressed regarding the ability of Bharti's marketing initiatives to help Magic retain its 'Magic' in

the future

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AirTel launches VQE (Voice Quality Enhancer) for the first time in Kolkata

Introducing VQE (Voice Quality Enhancer) for the first time in Kolkata. VQE is a revolutionary

new system that spectrally reduces background noise. It eliminates acoustic echo, adjusts speech

levels in both directions and does away with low or distorted speech so that every word of your's

can be heard clearly, wherever you may be speaking from. 

The VQE technology has been sourced from Tellabs of USA, world leaders in Voice Quality

technology. Some of the prominent GSM operators using Tellabs solution in the world are

SingTel, Bell South, Telstra, BT Cell etc. The Tellabs noise reduction technology removes high

background noise from the wireless side of the call thus delivering near wireline clear call

quality on mobile phones. The Tellabs 3000 series of voice-quality enhancement echo

technology also eliminates the complexity of acoustic echo generated by digital mobiles and

hands free kits. 

 

So go ahead. Express yourself and feel the difference on Kolkata's only Non-Stop 2.5G Network 

AIRTEL NEWS                  

Bharti Airtel inks USD 400 million network expansion contract with NOKIA

Bharti Airtel limited: Q2 cash profit exceeds Rs. 1,600 crores, PBT crosses Rs. 1,000

crores.

Bharti Airtel is amongst India’s Most Admired Knowledge enterprises in 2006.

Sunil Bharti Mittal receives ‘The Honorary Fellowship’ from IETE.

Notice of postal ballot for seeking consent of the shareholders on scheme of

amalgamation of Satcom Broadband Equipments Limited and Bharti Broadband Limited

with Bharti Airtel Limited.  

Bharti Airtel to Observe Silent period from October 1, 2006.

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 RAHMAN TUNE CROSSES AIRTEL’S EXCLUSIVITY BARRIER  

Cellular service provider AirTel seems to have hit the right note with its new commercial

starring musician A R Rahman. The commercial which is currently on air has a beat which also

doubles up as a ringtone which is ostensibly available only to AirTel users. But the interesting

part is that the ringtone is being flaunted not just by AirTel customers but by customers of rival

service providers like BPL, Orange and Dolphin as well!

“We did expect the tune to catch up but this has really exceeded our expectations,” admits Bharti

Cellular’s chief marketing officer (western region) Pratik Pota. Overall, he explains, it is a great

advertising product for AirTel and works like a “walking, talking brand ambassador.”  

The ringtone which is also the jingle for AirTel’s TV commercial, is proving to be a potent

advertising tool for the company. It is not very clear what this means for the other cellular

operators. Cellular users have been “forwarding” the tune to one another, which according to Mr

Pota, has given AirTel a chance to enter the “mind of the user” irrespective of which service he

opts for.

“It gives the user a chance to go back to the AirTel product and acts as a strong reminder

medium,” he explains. Marketing professionals like Samsika Marketing Consultants’ managing

director Jagdeep Kapoor point to the usage of an “audio celebrity” as something that is

significant.

“The normal practice is to opt for film stars and sportsmen rather than an audio personality” he

says.

Rivals, though seemingly unfazed by the phenomenon, seem to be doing their own homework on

this brand of advertising. While none of them commented on AirTel’s strategy and its impact on

their own subscriber base, one advertising professional working with a rival service provider

opines that the tune is “transient” and not likely to have any long term impact as a brand building

tool.

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Being the latest entrant in the Mumbai circle, AirTel has had to find ways of cutting through the

clutter. Says Mr Kapoor,” AirTel will have try to find ways to attract new customers and convert

the existing ones.” Explaining that the usage of an audio celebrity was more “strategic than

tactical”, he adds that non-AirTel users will have the AirTel “brand experience” inspite of not

using the service.

While Mr Pota highlights the fact that the usage of the tune by other operators means “free

advertising” for AirTel and the users having a positive disposition towards the product, the

nature of reaction from competition remains unclear.

“Competition will not do well to adopt a knee jerk reaction and will have to come out with

advertising that is well thought out” explains Mr Kapoor. He anticipates a situation where the

new entrant (AirTel) will continue to be more aggressive.

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MILESTONE OF COMPANY  

1 Mobile phone operator, Bharti Airtel, became the first Indian telecom company to serve 50

million customers last month, and is now the world’s tenth largest wireless carrier.

2 Bharti has doubled its user base in the past 14 months alone, and hopes to reach 100 million

subscribers by 2010, according to company executives.

3 “Our next 50 million will largely come from rural India as our plan is to reach 5,200 census

towns and over five lakh villages, covering 96 per cent of the Indian population,” said

Bharti Airtel president and CEO, Manoj Kohli, at a news conference this week.

4 Bharti Airtel, India’s leading telecommunication services provider, today announced that it

had crossed the 50 million customer mark. With this, Bharti Airtel has achieved the

distinction of becoming the fastest private telecom company in world to achieve this

landmark in a single country - within 143 months of start of operations. The 50 million

customer base covers mobile as well as broadband & telephone customers.

5 Commenting on this major global landmark, Mr. Akhil Gupta, Joint Managing Director,

Bharti Airtel said, “We are delighted to have achieved this major landmark, which puts

Bharti Airtel amongst the top telecom companies in the world. It underlines the strength of

our unique business model and our vision to provide affordable services like lifetime

prepaid to customers across the length and breadth of the country.  I would like to thank our

partners for having shared our vision. This milestone highlights the emergence of India as

one of the top telecom markets in the world and we are proud to have been at the forefront

of this growth. Going forward, we believe this growth momentum will remain intact and we

are gearing towards the 100 million customers mark.” 

6 Bharti Airtel crossed the 10 million customer mark in November 2004. In July last year, it

crossed the 25 million customer mark.

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7 The company added the next 25 million customers in just 14 months. This is amongst the

fastest rate of customer additions by any telecom company in the world.

8 Mr. Manoj Kohli, President & CEO, Bharti Airtel added, “This is a very proud moment for

us and I would like to thank our 50 million customers for believing in Airtel. It is a tribute

to our commitment to provide best-in-class services to our customers and lead the market

with exciting innovations. We are committed to create a world-class organization and

benchmark it with the best in the world. As the market gets ready for the next wave of

growth, we are committed to expanding our telecom networks wider and deeper across the

country and partner India’s growth story.”

9 In the mobile business, Bharti Airtel plans to make considerable investments in Network

expansion to establish presence in all census towns and over 500,000 villages across India

by 2010, thereby covering 95% of the country’s total population. The company’s strategic

focus will be on further strengthening the Airtel brand through best-in-class customer

service, which is backed by wide national distribution.

10 In the Enterprise business, Bharti Airtel will invest substantially in the long distance

business to achieve the scale of a global carrier within next 2-3 years. It is also

strengthening the corporate business towards becoming a preferred managed services

partner for the top 2000 corporations. In Broadband & Telephone SBU, Bharti Airtel will

initiate large-scale deployments of broadband network infrastructure in 94 towns, with a

sharp focus on the home and SME segments. It is readying to offer triple play to its

customers with the launch of its IPTV service.

AirTel has taken the lead on many occasions. It has been the first

To launch Cellular service in Delhi on November, 1995.

Operator to revolutionalize the concept of retailing with the

inauguration of AirTel Connect (exclusive showrooms)in 1995.

To expand it's network with the installation for second mobile

switching center in April, 1997 and the first in Delhi to introduce the

Intelligent Network Platform First to provide Roaming to its

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subscribers by forming an association called World 1 Network.

First to provide roaming facility in USA. AirTel has the largest

automatic roaming service "SMART ROAM"- National in 400 cities

in India and "SMART ROAM" - International in over 60 countries

and 95 networks all over the world.

It is also the first company to export its products to the USA.

AWARDS

Bharti airtel draws top honors at the mis asia It excellence awards 2006

Bharti airtel among the top 10 best performing Companies in the world according to

Businessweek it 100 list.

Sunil bharti mittal is the “ceo of the year” at The frost and sullivan asia pacific awards

2006 And bharti airtel bags “wireless service Provider of the year” and “competitve

service Provider of the year”.

Bharti tele-ventures is the “best Indian Carrier” at the telecom asia awards 2006 

 

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CHAPTER-2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

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Review of Literature

what is customer satisfaction?

Customer satisfaction refers to how satisfied customers are with the products or services they

receive from a particular agency. The level of satisfaction is determined not only by the quality

and type of customer experience but also by the customer’s expectations.

Customer satisfaction is one of the main objectives of any organization. Every organization tries

to know the customer satisfaction about their products. So a study on customer satisfaction helps

the organization as well as me to gain a vast knowledge over the real world tastes and

preferences of customer

Whether the buyer is satisfied after purchase depends on the offers performance in relation to the

buyer’s expectations. In general satisfaction is a person’s feelings of pleasure or disappointment

resulting from comparing a products perceived performance in relation to his or her expectations.

As this definition makes clear, satisfaction is a function of perceived performance and

expectations. If the performance falls short of expectations, the customer is dissatisfied. If the

performance matches the expectations, the customer is satisfied. If the performance exceeds

expectations, the customer is highly satisfied or delighted.

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      Many companies are aiming for high satisfaction because customers who are just satisfied

still find it easy to switch when a better offer comes along. Those who are highly satisfied are

much less ready to switch. High satisfaction or delight creates an emotional bond with the brand,

not just a rational preference. The result is high customer loyalty.

Why is it important?

There are a number of reasons why customer satisfaction is important in

AIRTEL:

Meeting the needs of the customer is the underlying rationale for the

existence of community service organizations. Customers have a right

to quality services that deliver outcomes.

Organizations that strive beyond minimum standards and exceed the

expectations of their customers are likely to be leaders in their sector.

Customers are recognized as key partners in shaping service

development and assessing quality of service delivery.

The process for measuring customer satisfaction and obtaining feedback on organizational

performance are valuable tools for quality and continuous service improvement.

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Objectives

The main purpose and objective for this study is

To know whether the signal is good in their area

To find out if they are satisfied and aware of the services and offers provided

To recommend measures for improving the product

Limitations

The study is restricted only to AIRTEL, Chennai respondents. The view of their other

areas is not taken.

Few respondents answer was collected.

Respondents concentrated where the customers of AIRTEL only.

Since the researcher selected 50 sample size it is not sufficient to cover opinion of

entire population.

Time duration in conducting the research is very low.

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CHAPTER-3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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3.1 Research Methodology:

Methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be

understand as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. Research Methodology

is a step by step study of a problem. Physical activities involved in the study are:

Developing the questionnaire regarding the customer satisfaction of the product

Optimum respondents as a sample size are chosen for the activity to resemble the entire

population.

Get the questionnaire filled by the customers in the place through interview or personal

interaction.

Analysis of data on computer with special market research statistical package called

SPSS.

In this research questionnaire is framed in such a way management wants to know how

the customers are taking things that they had done to them and to find out the expectation of the

customers thus it will impact in policy making of the firm in the current fiscal year.

The questionnaire designed had closed question to find the respondents actual feeling as

well as their opinion rating about the satisfaction regarding the product.

The methodology followed for conducting the study includes the specification of research

design, sample design, questionnaire design, data collection and statistical tools used for

analyzing the collected data.

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RESEARCH DESIGN:

The research design is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted. It constitutes

the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data.

Descriptive research

This study is descriptive in nature where the data is collected through well structured

questionnaire and from the information taken from the customers.

Sampling Design/Techniques:

Sampling is the process of selecting a sufficient number of elements from the population,

so that a study of the sample and an understanding of its properties or characteristics would make

it possible for us to generalize such properties or characteristics to the population elements.

Sampling design is to clearly define set of objects, technically called the universe to be

studied. The sampling design used in this study is probability sampling. Sampling technique used

is Simple Random sampling.

Population:

Population for this research is set as costumers who are using AIRTEL

Sample size:

The research was conducted in Chennai with 50 respondents.

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Data Collection Methods:

Collection of data includes both primary and secondary data. The researcher has collected

both of the above data. The data collected constitutes both primary and secondary data.

Primary data:

Primary datum are collected through observation, direct communication with respondent,

and finally by distributing questionnaire to the employees using Random sampling technique the

employees are selected to fill the questionnaire.

Secondary Data

Secondary datum is collected from the official record to obtain information’s regarding

the rate of absenteeism and the various reasons for absenteeism.

Statistical Tools Used

The main statistical tools used for the collection and analyses of data in this

Project are:

Questionnaire

Bar Diagrams

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CHAPTER-4

ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

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Analysis & Interpretation:

The responses of the customers are valued in this analysis to find the satistaction of the

product. The percentage analysis gives the percentage of the respondent’s satisfaction with

regards to the various components which drives them to buy the product

1. Table showing the opinion on signaling at their area

Frequency Percentage (%)

Good signal 41 84

Bad signal 9 16

Total 50 100

Chart showing the opinion on signal at their area

Interpretation:

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The table shows that 84% consumers feel that signal of AIRTEL at their area is good, remaining

16% of them feel that signal is not good

2. Table showing the opinion on customer care services

Frequency Percentage (%)

Satisfied 34 68

Not satisfied 10 20

Never used 6 12

Total 50 100

Chart showing the opinion on customer care services

Interpretation:

The table shows that 68% of the customers are satisfied with the customer care services, where

as 20% are not satisfied and the remaining 12% doesn’t use customer care services .

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3. Table showing the opinion on customer care employee’s response to customers

questions

Frequency Percentage (%)

Good response 35 70

Bad response 15 30

Total 50 100

Chart showing the opinion on customer care employee’s response to customer’s

questions

Interpretation:

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The table shows that 70% of the customers say that customer care employees response is good,

remaining 30% say that the employees response was bad and they were not satisfied

4. Table showing whether customers use INTERNET services

Frequency Percentage (%)

Using 26 65

Not using 14 35

Total 50 100

Chart showing whether they are using INTERNET services

Interpretation:

The table shows that 65% of the customers use internet remaining 35% don’t use internet

services

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5. Table showing opinion on INTERNET services

Frequency Percentage (%)

Satisfied 24 60

Not satisfied 16 40

Total 50 100

Chart showing opinion on INTERNET services

Interpretation:

The table shows that 60% of the customers are satisfied with internet services remaining 40% are

not satisfied with internet services

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Frequency Percentage (%)

Once 5 12

Twice 7 18

More 14 35

Not even once 14 35

Total 50 100

6. Table showing number of times customers log into internet Per day

Chart showing number of times customers log into internet per day

Interpretation:

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The table shows that 35% of the customers are log into internet more than once per day,18%

twice per day, 12% once per day and the remaining 35% do not use internet services

7. Table showing rating for internet speed

Frequency Percentage (%)

5 12

13 32

9 23

3 8

10 25

Total

Chart showing rating for internet speed

Interpretation:

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The table shows that 12% rated 5-star, 32% rated 4-star, 23%rated 3-star,8% using 2-star and the

remaining 25%rated 1-star

8. Table showing Maximum recharge per month

Frequency Percentage

10-100 6 12

100-200 17 34

200-300 8 16

300-400 9 18

400-500 5 10

Above 500 5 10

Total 50 100

Chart showing Maximum recharge per month

Interpretation:

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The table shows that 34% use 10-100, 16%use 100-200, 16% use 200-300, 18% use 300-400,

10% use 400-500 and 10% use above 500

9. Table showing whether offers are used by customers

Frequency Percentage (%)

Used 38 78

Not used 11 22

Total 50 100

Chart showing whether offers are used by customers

Interpretation:

The table shows that 78% of the respondent use offers where as the remaining 22% doesn’t use

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10. Table showing offers used by customers

Frequency Percentage

STD call cutter 10 20

Local call cutter 11 22

ISD call cutter 2 4

Message offer 20 40

Songs 5 10

Others 2 4

Total 50 100

Chart showing offers used by customers

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Interpretation:The table shows that 20 %are using STD call cutter, 22% is using local call

cutter, 4% is using ISD call cutter, 40% are using message offer, 10% are using songs and the

remaining 4% are using other offers

Table showing opinion on offers used by customers

Frequency Percentage (%)

Satisfied 35 70

Not satisfied 7 12

Neutral 8 16

Total 50 100

Chart showing opinion on offers used by customers

Interpretation:

The table shows that 70% are satisfied with offers, 12% are not satisfied and the remaining 16%

is neutral

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11. Table showing up to date with current offers

Frequency Percentage (%)

Up to date 27 54

Not up to date 23 46

Total 50 100

Chart showing up to date with current offers

Interpretation:

The table shows that 54 % are up to date with offers and the remaining 46% are not up to date

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12. Table showing whether they used other network Connection other than AIRTEL

Frequency Percentage (%)

Used 29 58

Not used 21 42

Total 50 100

Chart showing whether they used other network Connection other than AIRTEL

Interpretation:

The table shows that 58% used other network connections and the remaining 48% did not use

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13. Table showing opinion on AIRTEL compared to other connection

Frequency Percentage (%)

Better 27 54

Not better 23 46

Total 50 100

Chart showing opinion on AIRTEL compared to other connection

Interpretation:

The table shows that 54% feel that AIRTEL is better compared to other network connection

where as the other 46% feel the opposite

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CHAPTER-5

FINDINGS, SUGGESSTIONS & CONCLUSION

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FINDINGS:

This chapter deals with the major findings of the study which are as follow

Most people fell that AIRTEL signal is good

Only half of the people are satisfied with the customer care services

30% of the people are not satisfied with the customer care employees response

More than half of the people are satisfied with the Internet services

Only very few people say that Internet speed is high

A very large number of people get 100-200 recharge per month

Most people were aware of the offers provided and many of them are using more

than one offer, and most of them are satisfied with the offers.

In the offers provided, most of them are using message offer in combination with

other offer

Up to half of the people had used connections other than AIRTEL

But most of the people find that AIRTEL is better than other network

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SUGGESTIONS

The main objective of every analysis is to find whether the customers are satisfied with

the services provided. Following are some of the suggestions given for the improvement of the

product and services

Most the people are satisfied with the offers provided but still some of them

suggested the following for betterment

- Local and STD rates should be slashed down further

- 1 paisa per min offer should be introduced

- Customers feel that compared to other network services offers provided are less

- More slash in ISD rates

Regarding the internet connection customers feel that the wireless modem

provided should be of more speed i.e., they want it to be as speed as the landline

modem

Even though many people are satisfied with the Network range but people from

remote areas of Chennai want improvement in the network connection

Customers suggested to improve the customer care services and the response

given by the customer care employees should be improved

Some suggested that the dialer tune services should be increased

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CONCLUSION:

In the conclude note of my research I am confident to say that the study gave an

opportunity to analyze various factors regarding customer satisfaction.

The sample size is very low so it is very difficult concluding it by saying that it is the

view of whole population.

The time provided for the research is less.

I have understood how a research study is to be conducted and prepare a comprehensive

report. So on and so forth the study has given me a lot of exposure like meeting and talking with

different people.

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ANNEXURE

Questionnaire

AIRTEL -- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

1. Name:

2. Sex : Female Male

3. Age : 15-25 25-35 35-45 45-55 55-65 Above 65

4. Address: _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

5. Profession: Student Business Pvt.employee Gvt.employee

others

6. Is AIRTEL’s signal at your area is good?

Yes No

7. Are you satisfied with our customer care services?

Satisfied Not satisfied Never used

8. Does our customer care employees respond well for your questions

Good response Bad response Never used

9. Do you use Internet services

Yes No don’t know that internet connection was there

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If yes, are you satisfied with internet services: Yes No

10. How many times do you login to internet per day

Once twice more not even once

11. Rate the internet speed

12. Maximum recharge per month

10-100 100-200 200-300 300-400 400-500 Above 500

13. Are you using any offers

Yes No

If yes, mark the offers you are using now

STD call cutter Local call cutter ISD call cutter

Message offer Songs others

14. Are you satisfied with the offers

Satisfied Not satisfied Never used

15. Are you update with current offers

Yes No

16. Did you use any other network connection other than AIRTEL

Yes No

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17. Do you feel AIRTEL is better than any other connections

Better Not better

18. Any suggestions:_______________________________________________

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Bibliography

Web sites:

www.wikipedia.com

http://managementhelp.org/customer/satisfy.htm

http://airtelbroadband.in/wps/wcm/connect/airtel.in/airtel.in/Home

http://www.customersatisfaction.com/

http://www.markosweb.com/www/airtel.in/

http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/customer_satisfaction.html