NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ENGLISH DOAN THI MINH HANG FACTORS AFFECTING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH EDUCATION CONSULTING SERVICES AT ISC EDUCATION COMPANY NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ENGLISH DOAN THI MINH HANG FACTORS AFFECTING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH EDUCATION CONSULTING SERVICES AT ISC EDUCATION COMPANY Hanoi, April, 2023 Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This thesis would not have been accomplished without the assistance and contributions of respected individuals. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to them. First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to our supervisor, Le Thi Ngoc Diep, M. Her impressive knowledge, extensive experience, and professional expertise in the field of research writing have been invaluable in guiding me towards the successful completion of my study.
Second, I truly appreciate the participants who spend their time filling out my questionnaire. To be more detailed, they are customers of ISC Education company. Their answers lay the foundation for practical findings included in the study. Finally, last but not least, I would like to extend my thanks to my family and friends for their unwavering support throughout this journey.
Their encouragement and support were crucial in keeping me motivated and focused. In summary, I am deeply indebted to all those who contributed to this thesis in one way or another. I would not have been able to come this far without their generous support and encouragement. Thank you all! Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The success of ISC Education company depends heavily on employee behavior, communication, and trustworthiness, which have been identified as the most important factors for customer satisfaction.
Service accessibility, despite being an essential component of the business, has been found to have the least impact on customer contentment. This conclusion is drawn from a survey conducted on 125 clients who have been using the services of ISC Education company for more than a year. Further analysis of the data obtained from the survey reveals some interesting insights: e The majority of customers are male. Female clients use abroad study consulting services at a lower rate than male counterparts, although the difference is not statistically significant.
Additionally, people over the age of 18 were the company's primary target customers, and they were also the largest customer segment that used the firm's service for more than one year. e There are four main factor influencing customer satisfaction: staff conduct, credibility, communication, and service accessibility. e Of the four factors that contribute to customer contentment, it is found that employee conduct has the strongest influence on customer satisfaction. On the other hand, service accessibility had the least impact on customer contentment.
On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that the improvement in employee’s behaviors and attire, communication, credibility and service accessibility shoud be encouraged to increase customer satisfaction with education consulting service at ISC Education company. By focusing on these areas, the firm can increase customer satisfaction and build a strong reputation for providing high- quality education consulting services. Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Research Model 0107. 4 Figure 2: Factors affecting customer satisfaction by Zeithaml and Bitner (2012) ¬.
23 Figure 3: Distribution of survey participants by øender.-- --«-+-s «+2 25 Figure 4: Distribution of customers by age ØðTOUD. 55-555 ++sssssves 26 Figure 5: Service duration Of CUStOMETS .ccceeccesseeesseeeeeeececeeeceaeeesaseneeeenees 26 Figure 6: Customer’s opinions about factors influencing their satisfaction. 27 Figure 7: Customer’s opinions about staff CONdUCt .-- ----- «<< xssxsseesxrs 28 Figure 8: Customer’s opinions about commun1caf1OT.- --s s «<< s++e<++ 29 Figure 9: Customer’s opinions about credIb1ÏIfy.- --‹-s-ssssssssseeeersseresses 29 Figure 10: Customer’s opinions about service accessIbiÌ1ty.------‹<+- 30 Figure 11: Customer’s general opinions about ISC SerVICG.--+-- «+2 30 ii Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .ceccescsesesseeesecesecseeeeeeaeeenecaeeeaeeeaeseeseeeaeeenees i LIST OF FIGURES ou. ec eceecessscesececeeeeeeseeeaecseecseeeaeccecseeeaeceaeeeaeseeeeaeeeaes 1 INTRODUCTION .- -- Ă- SG n1 HH TH HH ng Thun nrệt 1 8c 8 eeeeseesneceseeceseeceeeesaeesseecseessaeeeaecsseecsaeeesaeeesaeseneeeeaees 1 2.
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23 11 Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 3. Characteristics of ISC’s CUStOMETS. Customer’s opinions about factors leading to their satisfaction. 31 CHAPTER 4 : RECOMMENDA TIONS.
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Rational Vietnam is currently industrializing and modernizing as its domestic economy integrates into the global economy. This is a complex process that requires the country to adapt to many changes occurring worldwide, such as the increasingly fierce competition in international markets, the rapid growth of information technology, the development of corporate culture, and the constant pursuit of knowledge. As a result, the development of high-quality human resources has become a critical priority for Vietnam, as it seeks to remain competitive in the global economy. Studying abroad has become a popular trend in Vietnam for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, parents hope to provide their children with access to education in the world's leading nations, which can help them develop new skills and learn about different cultures. In addition, the Vietnamese labor market is unable to meet the growing demand for high-quality human resources, which has led many students to seek opportunities to study abroad in order to improve their career prospects upon graduation. Moreover, studying abroad can also provide students with valuable experiences, such as learning to be independent, improving language skills and gaining new perspectives on the world. Therefore, studying abroad has become an essential pathway for students to achieve their full potential and to help Vietnam achieve its goal of becoming a leading player in the global economy.
The demand for studying abroad has risen significantly in recent years, leading to a rapid increase in the number of study-abroad consulting firms. While this growth has created more opportunities for students, it has also posed a challenge for the government to regulate and manage these companies. This lack of control has allowed some businesses to exploit the situation by raising service fees and defrauding students and parents, which has resulted in a loss of trust among consumers. As a result, finding a reliable and high-quality study abroad consulting organization that caters to the needs of students and parents alike has become increasingly difficult.
Despite the challenges, there are still reputable Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A companies in the market, and it is important to conduct thorough research and background checks to ensure that the chosen organization is trustworthy and can provide the desired services. In addition to building customer loyalty, creating customer satisfaction is an important factor in attracting customers to the business. In the field of study abroad consulting, where the product is a service, the role of service users is crucial as it directly affects the operation of the company. Study abroad consulting firms must leverage their strengths to overcome their competitors’ shortcomings and tackle the challenges that lie ahead when facing future opportunities and difficulties.
This requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors that determine consumer satisfaction with the company's services. For instance, businesses may focus on factors such as the quality of service delivery, responsiveness to customer needs, reliability, and trustworthiness. By addressing these factors, companies can enhance their services and gain a competitive edge in the market. Furthermore, it is essential for businesses to continually monitor and improve customer satisfaction levels to ensure long- term success and growth in the industry.
ISC Education company has made remarkable progress over the years, emerging as one of the most prominent study-abroad counseling centers worldwide. The company's professionalism, creativity, and innovation in delivering study abroad consulting services have been instrumental in making it the market leader in Southeast Asia. ISC Education company , the company's joint venture, has been connecting Vietnamese students with top-notch education across the globe for almost 30 years. In recognition of its exceptional services, the company won the "Best Study Abroad Consultant" award from the New Zealand Ministry of Education for three consecutive years from 2003 to 2005.
To achieve these remarkable feats, ISC has taken into account various determinants that influence customer satisfaction. Furthermore, recognizing the factors that impact customer satisfaction is essential for developing long-term strategies and solidifying the company's position in the market. It is worth noting that the company's commitment to quality and excellence has been critical to its success, and ISC remains dedicated to providing world-class study abroad consulting services to its clients. Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A Consequently, with all of the above reasons, I decided to conduct research on the topic “Factors affecting customer satisfaction with education consulting services at ISC Education company” 2.
Research objectives The specific objectives of the study are: e To identify factors affecting customer satisfaction with education consulting services at ISC Education company. e To propose feasible methods in enhancing customer satisfaction with education consulting services at ISC Education company. Research questions In order to fulfill the research aims and objectives, the study is undertaken to answer the following research questions: e What are the factors affecting customer satisfaction with education consulting services at ISC Education company? e What are some recommendations to improve customer satisfaction with education consulting services at ISC Education company? 4. Research Model The proposed research model is based on previous studies by Zeithaml and Bitner (2012) and Avkiran (1994).
According to Zeithaml and Bitner (2012), customer satisfaction is influenced by their perception of service quality, product quality, price, as well as situational and personal factors. Among these factors, service quality is a key contributor to customer satisfaction. This idea is also supported by Kuo et al. (2013), who suggest that companies should prioritize improving service quality as a means of enhancing customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, Avkiran (1994) proposed the BANKSERV model to measure service quality, which includes four main factors: staff conduct, communication, credibility, and service accessibility. Therefore, when measuring the level of customer satisfaction for study abroad consulting services, it is essential to take into account these four factors: staff conduct, communication, credibility, and service accessibility. By focusing on these areas, companies can better understand Đoàn Thị Minh Hang - 11191667- Business English 61A the needs and expectations of their customers, and ultimately improve their overall satisfaction and loyalty. Satff conduct Demographic characteristics - Gender - Age Communication Credibility Customer satisfaction Service Accessibility Figure 1: Research Model In order to attain the research objectives, a qualitative method was used for collecting the data that show the customers’ opinions about their satisfaction with education consulting services at ISC Education company via questionnaires.
Based on this, I can analyze the figures and examine the ideas to deduce the necessary results for the research. Data collection method The qualitative method was used in this study to study specifically from the data and give the most accurate results.