An assessment of the impact of customer care on business performance. A case of LabourSave investments

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of customer care on business performance (sales and profit) and to identify the reasons for poor internal marketing. LabourSave Investments was used as a case study against the background of rises in poor internal marketing which had seen the sales and profits of the organisation declining for the past two financial years. The researcher needed to determine whether customer care has an impact on sales and profit. A descriptive research design was used to conduct the study; primary data was collected using a five likert scale questionnaire and interviews. A sample size of 46 was used which comprised of LabourSave Investments corporate customers and management. Secondary data was also used in the form of financial statements to ascertain the performance of LabourSave Investments as well as LabourSave Investments clientele data base. The research was carried out in Harare; convenience and judgmental sampling techniques were used to select respondents. Findings of the research were analysed through SPSS version 20 and data was presented in tables and charts and the results of the study showed that LabourSave Investments has poor internal marketing and it does not implement customer care as a long term business strategy. The researcher concluded that there was a strong positive impact of customer care on company sales and profits. The study recommended that employees should not make promises unless they will keep them; it also recommended management training so that they would consider employees as internal customers and work as a product, a product that should satisfy the needs and wants of an internal customer. The researcher recommended further research to be done in other branches of LabourSave Investments as well as parastatals in order to appreciate the view concerning customer care.