Fly Dubai airline’s QMS and customers satisfaction with service quality

Fly Dubai airline is controlled by the government of Dubai and it is a subsidized airline as it is low cost. It functions at the second terminal of the Dubai International Airport. There is a link between customer service and quality management systems with the value offered at Fly Dubai airline. This report aims at determining that connection.
This report also focuses on identifying the kinds of relationships that exist between service perception, quality of service and customer satisfaction. All these parameters will be studies and related to individual and collective behaviors of customers after they purchase a product. For this study, post purchase behavior will also be studied in line with these parameters. By developing an integrative model and testing it utilizing data gathered from the airline industry, it can be proven that customer satisfaction and the perception of value influence or play an important role in post-purchase behavior. (Kobylanski 2011)

Quality Management System

Quality Management System is a set of business policies, processes, and procedures designed to meet customer requirements consistently and enhance their satisfaction. The perception of value during consumption influences the satisfaction level of clients after consumption of service and determines their behavior afterwards. Research has shown that some of the merits of high quality service include cost reduction, the enhancement of corporate brand as well as the differentiation as service from that of rivals. Ultimately, this is the source of competitive power and sustained profitability. So, why do I think a Quality Management System is required at flydubai airlines?
Flydubai has long been criticized for its poor customer service but has remained profitable for four consecutive years up to 2016. Fly Dubai’s 2017, however, has been off to a rough start as shown by a loss of Dh142 in the first-half of the year. For this project I intend to research on the need for a Quality Management System at flydubai airlines. The research objectives will be to show the relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction, and perceived value. In the airline industry these variables have proven to be a source of competitive advantage.
Quality management involves customer focus and continuous improvement (Agus 2000). The objective of setting up a quality management system is to provide the customer with the best value for money service and increase his or her level of satisfaction. Both product and service-based firms derive benefit such as the improvement of the level of customer satisfaction from a quality management system. The successful implementation of a quality management system depends on the customers’ perception and measurement of service. There are varied and diverse dimensions that are used to measure the satisfaction derived by consumers from a service.
There are several critical factors for the success of quality management system. These are management commitment, customer focus as well as continuous improvement. First and foremost, the management of the company need to be onboard for a quality management system to work. Management is very important in the development of a good quality management strategy, allocation and mobilization of resources. In other words, management needs to commit to the implementation of quality management system because its success depends on it. The success of a quality management system can be evaluated by measuring customer satisfaction (Mehra 2008).
The second pillar in implementing quality management at fly Dubai customer focus. The close relationship between a business and its consumer base as a result of quality management allows the entity to keep a close eye on customer trends in taste and preferences. Customer focus is very effective in improving the level of customer satisfaction. And rightly so, since the success of the quality management system will be measured from the customer’s perspective. The last critical factor in quality management is continuous improvement.

Service Quality

Service quality is a reference to the overall impression a customer has about an organization efficiency and effectiveness of service. In the context of the airline industry, it is about more than meeting a customer’s requirements and needs; it also involves meeting his or her expectation of service. Each interaction with a customer should be treated as an opportunity to impact or influence his or her perception of the value and quality offered by flydubai. Pricing is the primary method of attracting customers for low cost airlines. However, competitors are very efficient in countering price changes. Therefore, the source of competitive advantage is the perception a customer gets of a service because it determines the occurrence of a repeat purchase (Merlino 2015). The airline industry is a very competitive industry and the importance of customer satisfaction with the quality of service cannot be overlooked. The quality or level of customer experience when using an airline has a great impact on aerodrome security as well as customer retention. Thanks to technology customers are looking for fast, convenient and affordable services. Information technology has made it easy to book flights online via personal computers or handheld devices such as mobile phones. Most companies have an online presence that allows its customers to book flights in real time and from the comfort of their homes.
Flydubai is a low cost that serves economy travelers. Quality management has been used by other airlines as a business strategy with great results. Several factors are responsible with quality improvement. Such factors include but are not limited to customer satisfaction, common vision, corporate culture and the commitment of top management. Flydubai requires a quality program not only for strategic reasons but also cost control, loyalty of customers as well to gain competitive edge of other players in the industry. (Dongmo 2013) The airline industry is still much regulated despite the effects of globalization. As a result, competitive pressure means that airlines having a uncompromising high quality service is a marketing requirement. Service quality is not limited to in-flight services but rather the entire experience. From when the customer engages the staff of the airline for the first time until he or she has arrived at their final destination, the customer evaluates the actual quality of service based on expectations.
The frequency of bad experiences will often than not leave a bad taste in the mouth of clients. Service that falls far beyond expectation causes disappointed an increases the frequency of switching brands. The customers who gave bad reviews about flydubai were clearly disappointed by the quality of service. The difference between the expected service and the actual service determines the customer’s post-purchase behavior. Flydubai’s customer service falls below par and this presents a problem that can only be solved by introducing quality management to match expected and actual service. (Nabavi 2014) Dissatisfied customers take business elsewhere after all, they are spoilt for choice when it comes to options.
Services on a plane can be categorized into three types each with its own purpose. Pre-flight services such as the user friendliness of the website, availability of discount offers, baggage allowance and responsiveness to emergency situations such as cancelled or delayed flights are very important in determining perception of service. Responsive and reliable websites as well proper customer responsiveness on the part of the airline play an important in the satisfaction and loyalty of customers. In-flight services such as the food quality, level of comfort, safety percussions, on board entertainment and the human factor such attendant’s skills also contribute to the overall level of satisfaction a customer derives from a flight. In order to create a strong organizational perception, flydubai should ensure its inflight crew is well trained and require more emphasis on tangible cue. Last but least is the post-flight services that include ease of baggage delivery and follow up responses on customer questions

Customer Satisfaction

This is basically the feeling a customer gets after consuming a service. It may be that of contentment or that of disappointment depending on the perception of level of service and the expectations the customer had. Customer attitude towards a service and how they perceive the difference between the actual and expected service are determinants of post-purchase behavior as well as customer loyalty in the long-run. The current consumer is very well informed and therefore demands more from service providers. This means that if flydubai can introduce a proper quality management system, then their ability to retain customers will improve. Consumer loyalty can be defined as an ingrained tendency to making repeat purchase, consistently despite changing situations and exposure to all manner of promotional activities. (Schneider 2014) This deeply held commitment to a service provider that makes customers less likely to switch brands is very important to all businesses. A quality management system has the objective of turning a business entity into a customer focused business entity.
In this century, customer adoption is the real driver of disruptive innovation. This means that if a company can convince a consumer to adopt their product or service, the company can become a disruptive force in their respective industry (Terziovski 2006). The dawn of the internet age has shifted the power from retailers to consumers. The internet has revolutionized how we access and share information or ideas or content. The availability of this information as well as a wide variety from which to have increased the customers bargaining power in the marketing. The airline industry is very customer focused and indeed, the customer comes first. Reviews from the users of flydubai have been scathing to say the least. From the front end services, the comfort of the means of travel to after-sales services it seems that something is seriously wrong. However, in flydubai’s defense, a low cost airline cannot compete favorably with the likes of emirate airline which serve deep pocketed clientele. Regardless, flydubai needs to revisit its customer service and consider investing in a quality management system.
There exists a directly relationship between a customer perception of the quality of service and his or her level of satisfaction. Research has shown that a happy customer is bound to do a repeat purchase. This is usually of long and mutually beneficial relationship between a business and a customer. In essence quality of service is responsible for the level of satisfaction of a consumer and consequently a source of customer loyalty (Westgard 1999). Airlines that offer an acceptable quality service to their clientele are able to effectively able to ‘buy’ customer loyalty making them dominant players in the industry.

Strategic Management

The business world is changing very fast thanks to innovations. The internet has taken business online or digital. Strategy dictates that an organization responds effectively to change in its environment or be doomed. An airlines company like flydubai is very dependent on logistics to run smoothly. This is because the flow of goods and information along the supply chain determine the efficiency of flydubai’s operations. Strategic management of the supply chain focuses on two elements, costs and the consumer. Flydubai serves a unique customer segment in the airlines industry. Strategic management involves reducing the costs and improving customer responsiveness. Flydubai can reduce its overheads by adopting lean logistics that focuses on reducing waste. Agile logistics on the other hand are customer focused and are flexible to meet dynamic needs. (Yaacob 2011) A combination of these two means that flydubai would be able to meet the needs of its customers at a low cost. Low cost translates to low prices. Flydubai is a price leader in the industry and that means customer responsiveness is all that flydubai needs to care of. The airline is in a unique position that allows it to make flexible decisions compared to larger legacy airlines.
There are several ways through which the service quality and consequently the customer satisfaction with the service at flydubai can be improved. Incentives such as frequent flyer programs and factors such as ease of booking or the attitude of the crew make all the difference in service quality. Service quality is a vital dimension in such a competitive industry because it is the extent to which a service is able to meet the expectations of the consumer. The customers who made negative reviews about flydubai had a reason for doing so. With such information, the management of flydubai can improve the service quality and effectively make the airline more competitive.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no denying that in the long run the quality of service is of critical importance to the performance of a business entity. It results in the reduction of costs of operation, increased customer satisfaction and customer retention as well as higher profit margins. Satisfaction is fulfillment response that comes from expectations being met or exceeded (Yaacob 2014). A satisfied customer is a loyal customer. Therefore, if flydubai can satisfy their customer segment with the quality of service of their airlines, then they can be in pole position to be the market leaders in a few years.
The airlines industry is a service industry and that means the perception of the customer is very important. Flydubai’s pocket friendly prices attract a large number of customer. Therefore, the next best step at flydubai would be to keep these customers loyal as they gain more. Dissatisfied customers are hard to retain, thus the airline has to satisfy its clientele if it hopes to stay in business. Service quality is an antecedent to customer satisfaction. Better quality of service leads to a higher level of satisfaction hence the need for quality management system at flydubai.

References

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