Page 1 of 59

A comparative study on various plans and offers provided by VODAFONE and AIRTEL
and consumer response towards these plans. A case study of Allahabad city
MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINIATRATION
SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. Monika Mehrotra
FACULTY GUIDE
SUBMITTED BY:
Kuldeep Singh Enrol no. 8NBAH042 ol
Page 1 of 59
Page 2 of 59
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Mr.Kuldeep Singh assigned the research project on “A compa
rative study on various plans and offers provided by VODAFONE and AIRTEL and con
sumer response towards these plans A case study of Allahabad city”. He has submitt
ed this project report in accordance with the guide lines. To the best of my kno
wledge this is his original work and not submitted else where for reward of any
other degree or any diploma.
DATE……
PROJECT GUIDE MRS. Monika Meharotra
Page 2 of 59
Page 3 of 59 TABLE OF CONTENTS S. NO 12345678910111213141516TOPIC
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OBJECTIVE STATEMENT OF PROBLEM INTRODUCTION 4
5 6 7-10
11-15 16-34 35-37 38-40 41-41
INDUSTRY PROFILE COMPANY PROFILE LITERATURE
REVIEW
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY LIMITATION
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
FINDING DISCUSSION OF THE FINDING SUGGESTION
42-42
43-43 44-
49-51 52-55 56-57
58-59
QUESTIONNAIRE
Page 3 of 59
Page 4 of 59
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
An individual cannot do project of this scale. I take this opportunity to expres
s my acknowledgement and deep sense of gratitude to the individuals for renderin
g valuable assistance and gratitude to me. Their inputs have played a vital role
in success of this project.
I express my sincere thanks to my project guide Mrs. Monika Meharotra her genero
us support, constant direction and mentoring at all stages of training.
I take this opportunity to thank all dealers, customers who spared their preciou
s time to provide me with valuable inputs for project without which it would hav
e not been possible.
I firmly believe that there is always a scope of improvement. I welcome any sugg
estions for further enriching the quality of this report.
Kuldeep Singh Enroll no. 8NBAH042
Page 4 of 59
Page 5 of 59
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
A comparative study on various plans and offers provided by VODAFONE and AIRTEL
and consumer response towards these plans A case study of Allahabad city
OBJECTIVE:
1. How people of different age group respond to ADVERTISEMENT. 2. Positioning st
rategies use by telecom companies and their impact on customer. 3. To find out r
elative customer perception. 4. To find out which telecom company have good plan
s and what type of plans subscriber like. 5. Role of tariff plans on the buying
behavior of the customer.
Page 5 of 59
Page 6 of 59
INTRODUCTION
Customer
A customer is an individual who purchase or has the capacity to purchase goods
and services offered for sale by marketing institutions in order to satisfy pers
onal or
household needs, wants or desires.
According to a statement made by Mahatma Gandhi, ‘customer refers to the following
, “A consumer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent o
n us. We are dependent on him. He is not an outsider to our business. He is part
of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour
by giving us an opportunity to do so”. So customer is like the blood of our busine
ss and also a satisfied customer is a word of mouth advertisement of a product /
services.
Page 6 of 59
Page 7 of 59
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Every human being is a consumer of different produces. If there is no consumer,
there is no business. Therefore, consumer satisfaction is veryimportant to every
business person. According to Philip Kotler consumer satisfaction is defined on
, “personal feeling of pleasure resulting from comparing a product’s pursued perform
ance
in relation to his /her expectations”.
Consumer attitude measurements are taken on either potential buries or existing
client’s buries in order to identify their characteristics. Why should the compete
nt market engineer conduct consumer research? Consumer’s surverys can provide the
researcher with a wealth of information, valuable of the
marketing function. Detailed information regarding the customer in a market will
provide the
basic platform for all marketing decisions. Marketing decision maker needs descr
iptive information about the total potential unit and dollar sales in each segme
nt. Perhaps the most important one is that a seller need to be aware of the rele
vant objective and need of consumer and how their objectives might best be serve
d by the
products
Page 7 of 59
Page 8 of 59
MARKET
The term market is derived from Latin Word ‘Mercatus’, which means ‘to trade’ that is pu
rchasing and selling of goods. It also means merchandise truthic place of
business. According to Pyle, “Market includes both place and region in which buyer
s and sellers or in free competition with one another”. MARKETING
Marketing includes all the impacts involved in the exchange process of transferr
ing the possession and ownership of goods or services from the
producer to the ultimate consumer’s.
MARKETING FORMULA
a. The foremost step is business aims at profit. b. For profit making he can sel
l the products. c. For selling the product he should create customers. d. For cr
eating the customer’s, customer’s needs of preferences to be identified and satisfie
d. e. To satisfy the customer’s new product to be produced.
Page 8 of 59
Page 9 of 59
Marketing is trying to learn, Who buy the products or services? How do they buy?
When do they buy? Where do they buy? Why do they buy? How often they buy?
It is otherwise called understand and predict human actions in their buying role
. A marketer is act as consumers while them purchasing any goods /services, and
try to market that product to an ultimate consumer. So, marketing is starts with
consumer and ends with consumer. So, today’s market is called on consumer market.
It can be defined on, “All the individuals and households who buy goods and servi
ces for personal consumption”.So, the consumer satisfaction is get more importance
in the
marketing functions.
Page 9 of 59
Page 10 of 59
Importance of customer satisfaction
The needs to satisfy customer for success in any commercial enterprise is very o
bvious. The income of all commercial enterprise is derived from the payments rec
eived for the products and services supplied to its customers. If there is no cu
stomer there is no income and there is no business. Then the core activity of an
y company is to attract and retain customers. It is therefore no surprise that P
eter Drucker the renowned management Guru, has said “to satisfy the customers is t
he mission and purpose of every business”. Satisfaction of customer is essential f
or retention of customer’s and for continuous sales of the products and services o
f the company to customers. This establishes the needs for and the importance of
customer satisfaction. The satisfaction of consumers is different from one to a
nother. Became, each consumer has the different behaviour in their life. So, the
marketer satisfy the consumer, he must very well know the behaviour of consumer
.
1.4.Consumer behaviour:
The term consumer behaviour may be defined as the behaviour that consumer displa
ys in searching for purchasing, using, evaluating, producing, services and ideas
which they expect will satisfy their needs. In other words, “It is a study of phy
siological, social, physical, behaviours of all potential customer as they becom
e aware of evaluation, purchase and consumption and tell other about products an
d services”.
Page 10 of 59
Page 11 of 59
INDUSTRY PROFILEToday the Indian telecommunications network with over 375 Millio
n subscribers is second largest network in the world after China. India is also
the fastest growing telecom market in the world with an addition of 9- 10 millio
n monthly subscribers. The Department of Telecommunications has been able to pro
vide state of the art world-class infrastructure at globally competitive tariffs
and reduce the digital divide by extending connectivity to the unconnected area
s. India has emerged as a major base for the telecom industry worldwide. Thus In
dian telecom sector has come a long way in achieving its dream of providing affo
rdable and effective communication facilities to Indian citizens. As a result co
mmon man today has access to this most needed facility. The reform measures coup
led with the proactive policies of the Department of Telecommunications have res
ulted in an unprecedented growth of the telecom sector. According to TRAI, by th
e end of February, the total number of subscribers had reached 413 million. Of t
his, 91% were mobile phone subscribers. The rising number of subscribers has pus
hed the tele-density to 35.62% showing a stupendous annual growth of about 50%,
one of the highest in any sector of the Indian Economy. Also industry estimates
show that telecom industry in India will witness a compound annual growth rate (
CAGR) of 26% to reach 3, 44,921 crore by 2012. It is set to generate employment
opportunities for close to 10 million. India’s telecom sector has shown massive up
surge in the recent years in all respects of industrial growth. From the status
of state monopoly with very limited growth, it has grown in to the level of an i
ndustry. Telephone, whether fixed landline or mobile, is an essential necessity
for the people of India. This changing phase was possible with the economic deve
lopment that followed the process of structuring the economy in the capitalistic
pattern. Removal of restrictions on foreign capital investment and industrial d
e-licensing resulted in fast growth of this sector.
Page 11 of 59
Page 12 of 59
At present the country’s telecom industry has achieved a growth rate of 14 per cen
t. Till 2000, though cellular phone companies were present, fixed landlines were
popular in most parts of the country, with government of India setting up the T
elecom Regulatory Authority of India, and measures to allow new players country,
the featured products in the segment came in to prominence. Indian Telecom sect
or, like any other industrial sector in the country, has gone through many phase
s of growth and diversification. Starting from telegraphic and telephonic system
s in the 19th century, the field of telephonic communication has now expanded to
make use of advanced technologies like GSM, CDMA and WLL to the great 3G Techno
logy in mobile phones. Day by day, both the Public Players and the Private Playe
rs are putting in their resources and efforts to improve the telecommunication t
echnology so as to give the maximum to their customers. The huge potential offer
ed by the untapped rural market will help push growth for telecom operators in t
he years to come. At present, rural India accounts for just 27% of the country’s c
ellular base, though it constitutes 70% of the population.
Page 12 of 59
Page 13 of 59
Mobile Subscriber Base in India
Mobile Subscriber Growth Rate
GSM Subscriber in India
Page 13 of 59
Page 14 of 59
Page 14 of 59
Page 15 of 59
CDMA Subscriber Base in India
Page 15 of 59
Page 16 of 59
COMPANIES PROFILE AIRTEL AND VODAFONE
Page 16 of 59
Page 17 of 59
BHARTI AIRTEL
Bharti Airtel formerly known as Bharti Tele-Ventures LTD (BTVL) is the largest c
ellular service provider in India, with more than 110 million subscribers as of
2009. With this, Bharti is now the world s third-largest, single-country mobile
operator and sixth-largest integrated telecom operator. It also offers fixed lin
e services and broadband services. It offers its TELECOM services under the Airt
el brand and is headed by Sunil Bharti Mittal. The company also provides telepho
ne services and Internet access over DSL in 14 circles. It also acts as a carrie
r for national and international long distance communication services. The compa
ny has a submarine cable landing station at Chennai, which connects the submarin
e cable connecting Chennai and Singapore. The businesses at Bharti Airtel have a
lways been structured into three individual strategic business units (SBU s) - M
obile Services, Airtel Telemedia Services & Enterprise Services. The mobile busi
ness provides mobile & fixed wireless services using GSM technology across 23 te
lecom circles while the Airtel Telemedia Services business offers broadband & te
lephone services in 95 cities and has recently launched a Direct-to-Home (DTH) s
ervice, Airtel Digital TV. Shahrukh Khan is the brand embassador of the mobile c
ompany and Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan are the brand embassadors of the DTH
company. The company provides end-to-end data and enterprise services to the co
rporate customers through its nationwide fiber optic backbone, last mile connect
ivity in fixed-line and mobile circles, VSATs, ISP and international bandwidth a
ccess through the gateways and landing station. Globally, Bharti Airtel is the 3
rd largest in-country mobile operator by subscriber base, behind China Mobile an
d China Unicom. In India, the company has a 24.6% share of the wireless services
market, followed by 17.7% for Reliance Communications and 17.4% for Vodafone Es
sar. In January 2010, company anonced that Manoj Kohili, joint managing director
and chief executive of Indian and South Asian operations, will become the chief
executive of the international business group from 1st of April 2010. He will b
e overseeing Bharti s overseas business. Deputy Chief Executive Sanjay Kapoor wi
ll replace Mr. Kohli and will be the CEO with effective from April 1 2010
Page 17 of 59
Page 18 of 59
Brands
Airtel
Airtel is a brand of telecommunication services in India, Bangladesh and in Sri
Lanka owned and operated by Bharti Airtel. It is the largest cellular service pr
ovider in India in terms of number of subscribers. Services are offered under th
e brand name Airtel: Mobile Services (using GSM Technology), Broadband & Telepho
ne Services (Fixed line, Internet Connectivity(DSL) and Leased Line), Long Dista
nce Services and Enterprise Services (Telecommunications Consulting for corporat
es). It has presence in all 23 circles of the country and covers 71% of the curr
ent population (as of Financial Year 2007). Airtel has also launched 16Mb/s broa
dband plans in India, making it the first ISP to do so.
Airtel Sri Lanka
In December 2008, Bharti Airtel rolled out third generation services in Sri Lank
a in association with Singapore Telecommunications. SingTel is a major player in
the 3G space in Asia. It operates third generation networks in several markets
across Asia. Airtel s operation in Sri Lanka, known as Airtel Lanka, commenced o
perations on the 12th of January 2009.
Airtel in Bangladesh
In January 2010, it was announced that the Bangladesh Telecommuncations Regulato
ry Commission (BTRC) of The People s Republic of Bangladesh had given Bharti Air
tel the go ahead to acquire a 70% stake in the Bangladesh business of Abu Dhabi
based Warid Telcom. The latter had till date invested a total of $600 million, w
ith plans to bring their Bangladesh investments to the $1 billion mark. Airtel s
70% stake in the company is said to be at a cost of an initial $300 million.
Touchtel
Until September 18, 2004, Bharti provided fixed-line telephony and broadband ser
vices under the Touchtel brand. Bharti now provides all telecom services includi
ng fixed-line services under a common brand "Airtel".
BlackBerry
On 19 October 2004 Airtel announced the launch of a BlackBerry Wireless Solution
in India. The launch is a result of a tie-up between Bharti Tele-Ventures Limit
ed and Research In Motion (RIM).
Digital TV
On 9 October 2008, Airtel joined the DTH bandwagon in India with Airtel Digital
TV, a Direct-to-Home Television service.
Page 18 of 59
Page 19 of 59
iPhone 3G
The Apple iPhone 3G was rolled out in India on 22 August 2008 via Airtel & Vodaf
one. Airtel & Vodafone have launched the newly released iPhone 3GS (16GB & 32GB)
in August 2009 in India.
Merger talks
In May 2008, it emerged that Bharti Airtel was exploring the possibility of buyi
ng the MTN Group, a South Africa-based telecommunications company with coverage
in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The Financial Times reported that
Bharti was considering offering US$45 billion for a 100% stake in MTN, which wo
uld be the largest overseas acquisition ever by an Indian firm. However, both si
des emphasize the tentative nature of the talks, while The Economist magazine no
ted, "If anything, Bharti would be marrying up," as MTN has more subscribers, hi
gher revenues and broader geographic coverage. However, the talks fell apart as
MTN group tried to reverse the negotiations by making Bharti almost a subsidiary
of the new company. In May 2009, Bharti Airtel again confirmed that it is in Ta
lks with MTN and companies have now agreed discuss the potential transaction exc
lusively by July 31, 2009. Bharti Airtel said in a statement “Bharti Airtel Ltd is
pleased to announce that it has renewed its effort for a significant partnershi
p with MTN Group". Talks eventually ended without agreement, some sources statin
g that due to the South African government opposition.
Sponsorship
Bharti Airtel signed a five-year deal with ESPN Star Sports to become the title
sponsor of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament. The tournament itse
lf is named "Airtel Champions League Twenty20."
Airtel 3G
Airtel plans to launch the nationwide 3G services in India in the second quarter
of 2010.
Subscriber base
The Airtel subscriber base according to TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of I
ndia as of February 2009 was: Chennai - 2,133,677
Page 19 of 59
Page 20 of 59
Delhi - 4,671,177 Mumbai - 2,791,963 Kolkata - 2,456,896 Madhya Pradesh - 7,690,
609 Gujarat - 3,981,660 Andhra Pradesh - 8,892,353 Karnataka - 9,820,812 Tamil N
adu - 6,003,040 Kerala - 2,169,633 Punjab - 3,754,405 Maharashtra - 6,248,906 Ut
tar Pradesh (West) - 2,256,862 & (East) - 5,722,386 Rajasthan - 6,704,274 West B
engal & Andaman and Nicobar Islands - 3,501,560 Himachal Pradesh - 951,121 Bihar
- 7,152,245 Orissa - 2,811,453 Assam - 1,448,389 & Other North Eastern States -
890,054 Jammu and Kashmir - 1,590,935 The total is 101,114,971 or 24.2% of the
total 375,742,592 GSM + CDMA mobile connections in India till February 2009; and
presently the Number 1 operator in India. In 2009 Airtel also launched in Sri L
anka. On the 9th of May, 2009 Airtel signed a major deal with Manchester United
Football Club. As a result of the deal, Airtel gets the rights to broadcast the
matches played by the team to its customers.
Prepaid plansPage 20 of 59
Page 21 of 59
Andhra Pradesh Assam* Bihar Chennai Delhi Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu
& Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Kolkata Mumbai Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra North East
* Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Tamilnadu Uttar Pradesh East Uttar Pradesh West West B
engal
66 21 73 64 94 58 64 64 78 64 64 64 64 64 64 21 68 94 70 64 64 64 64
67 23 74 69 99 64 65 66 79 66 67 67 69 69 69 23 69 97 71 69 69 69 67
* Validity is 90 days
Page 21 of 59
Page 22 of 59
Turbo- Roaming Plan 98(Airtel/UE/GSM/19)
• o
ONE TIME CHARGES 60 sec 98 Nill Nill while on home network; roaming IC charges 6
0p/min Pulse Rate Price of Pack (Rs.) Free Airtime on Pack (Rs.) Incoming Calls
(Rs.)
• o
Local Rates
CALL CHARGES Airtel 50p/min 50p/min GSM/CDMA 60p/min 60p/min Landline 60p/min 60
p/min
STD Rates
• o • o
Local
ISD
For revised ISD tariffs ,click here SMS 1 1.50 5
National International
• o
OTHER DETAILS
This Plan offers, Raoming OG Rate @ 60p/min A2A and 80p/min A2M. Roaming IC @ 60
p/min.The main account validity of this plan is one year. For New Customer the P
rice of this plan is Rs 96
o
Page 22 of 59
Page 23 of 59
Call Charges - Local Airtel to Airtel Airtel to Mobile Airtel to Landline Call C
harges - STD Airtel to Airtel Airtel to Mobile Airtel to Landline SMS Local (Per
SMS) National (Per SMS) International (Per SMS) Free Mins Free SMS
Rs.0.01/sec Rs.0.012/sec Rs.0.012/sec
Rs.0.01/sec Rs.0.012/sec Rs.0.012/sec
Rs.0.5 Rs.0.6 Rs.5.00 10500 sec / Month to any Local Network 150 Local / Month
ILD / Roaming charges will continue at current tariffs and 60 sec pulse
Page 23 of 59
Page 24 of 59
VODAFONE ESSAR
Vodafone Essar, previously Hutchison Essar is a cellular operator in India that
covers 16 telecom circles in India Despite the official name being Vodafone Essa
r, its products are simply branded Vodafone. It offers both prepaid and postpaid
GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India and is especially strong in the ma
jor metros. Vodafone Essar provides 2G services based on 900 MHz and 1800 MHz di
gital GSM technology, offering voice and data services in 16 of the country s 23
licence areas. Vodafone Essar, previously Hutchison Essar is a cellular operato
r in India that covers 16 telecom circles in India . Despite the official name b
eing Vodafone Essar, its products are simply branded Vodafone. It offers both pr
epaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India and is especiall
y strong in the major metros. Vodafone Essar provides 2G services based on 900 M
Hz and 1800 MHz digital GSM technology, offering voice and data services in 16 o
f the country s 23 licence areas.
OWNERSHIP: Vodafone Essar is owned by Vodafone 52%, Essar Group 33%, and other I
ndian nationals, 15%. On February 11, 2007, Vodafone agreed to acquire the contr
olling interest of 67% held by Li Ka Shing Holdings in Hutch-Essar for US$11.1 b
illion, pipping Reliance Communications, Hinduja Group, and Essar Group, which i
s the owner of the remaining 33%. The whole company was valued at USD 18.8 billi
on . The transaction closed on May 8, 2007.
PREVIOUS BRANDS:
In December 2006, Hutch Essar re-launched the "Hutch" brand nationwide, consolid
ating its services under a single identity. The Company entered into agreement w
ith NTT DoCoMo to launch i-mode mobile Internet service in India during 2007. Th
e company used to be named Hutchison Essar, reflecting the name of its previous
owner, Hutchison. However, the brand was marketed as Hutch. After getting the ne
cessary government approvals with regards to the acquisition of a majority by th
e Vodafone Group, the company was rebranded as Vodafone Essar. The marketing bra
nd was officially changed to Vodafone on 20 September 2007. Page 24 of 59
Page 25 of 59 On September 20, 2007 Hutch becomes Vodafone in one of the biggest
brand transition exercises in recent times. Vodafone Essar is spending somewher
e in the region of Rs 250 crores on this high-profile transition being unveiled
today. Along with the transition, cheap cell phones have been launched in the In
dian market under the Vodafone brand. There are plans to launch cobranded handse
ts sourced from global vendors as well. A popular daily quoted a Vodafone Essar
director as saying that "the objective is to leverage Vodafone Group s global sc
ale in bringing millions of low-cost handsets from across-theworld into India."
While there is no revealing the prices of the low-cost Vodafone handsets, the in
dustry is abuzz that prices might start at Rs 666, undercutting Reliance Communi
cations much-hyped Rang Barse with cheap handsets beginning at Rs 777. Meanwh
ile, Vodafone Essar sources said there would be no discounts or subsidized hands
et offers -- rather handset-bundled schemes for customers. Incidentally, China s
ZTE, which is looking to set-up a manufacturing unit in the country, is expecte
d to provide several Vodafone handsets in India. Earlier this year, Vodafone pen
ned a global low-cost handset procurement deal with ZTE.
APPLE I PHONE 3G:
Vodafone has successfully launched the Apple iPhone 3G in India. It has been mad
e available to its consumers from the 22nd of August. The phone s launch saw a b
ig celebration at select Vodafone stores and Vodafone sponsored malls across the
country.
GROWTH OF HUTCHISON ESSAR (1992-2005): In 1992 Hutchison Whampoa and its Indian
business partner established a company that in 1994 was awarded a licence to pro
vide mobile telecommunications services in Mumbai
Page 25 of 59
Page 26 of 59 (formerly Bombay) and launched commercial service as Hutchison Max
in November 1995. Analjit Singh of Max still holds 12% in company. By the time
of Hutchison Telecom s Initial Public Offering in 2004, Hutchison Whampoa had ac
quired interests in six mobile telecommunications operators providing service in
13 of India s 23 licence areas and following the completion of the acquisition
of BPL that number increased to 16. In 2006, it announced the acquisition of a c
ompany that held licence applications for the seven remaining licence areas. In
a country growing as fast as India, a strategic and well managed business plan i
s critical to success. Initially, the company grew its business in the largest w
ireless markets in India - in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. In these de
nsely populated urban areas it was able to establish a robust network, well know
n brand and large distribution network -all vital to longterm success in India.
Then it also targeted business users and high-end post-paid customers which help
ed Hutchison Essar to consistently generate a higher Average Revenue Per User ("
ARPU") than its competitors. By adopting this focused growth plan, it was able t
o establish leading positions in India s largest markets providing the resources
to expand its footprint nationwide. In February 2007, Hutchison Telecom announc
ed that it had entered into a binding agreement with a subsidiary of Vodafone Gr
oup Plc to sell its 67% direct and indirect equity and loan interests in Hutchis
on Essar Limited for a total cash consideration (before costs, expenses and inte
rests) of approximately US$11.1 billion or HK$87 billion. 1992: Hutchison Whampo
a and Max Group established Hutchison Max 2000: Acquisition of Delhi operations
Entered Calcutta and Gujarat markets through ESSAR acquisition 2001: Won auction
for licences to operate GSM services in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Chennai 2
003: Acquired AirCel Digilink (ADIL - Essar Subsidiary) which operated in Rajast
an, Uttar Pradesh East and Haryana telecom circles and renamed it under Hutch br
and 2004: Launched in three additional telecom circles of India namely Punjab ,
Uttar Pradesh West and West Bengal 2005: Acquired BPL, another mobile servi
ce provider in India 2008: Vodafone acquired Dishnet Wireless, a service provide
r in Orissa and has successfully launched its services in the following circle.
2008: Vodafone launched the Apple iPhone 3G to be used on its 17 circle 2G netwo
rk. Hutch was often praised for its award winning advertisements which all follo
w a clean, minimalist look. A recurrent theme is that its message Hello stands o
ut visibly though it uses only white letters on red background. Another recent s
uccessful ad campaign in 2003 featured a pug named Cheeka following a boy around
in unlikely places, with the tagline,
Page 26 of 59
Page 27 of 59 Wherever you go, our network follows. The simple yet powerful adve
rtisement campaigns won it many admirers.
SUBSCRIBER BASE:
The Vodafone subscriber base according to COAI - Cellular Operator Association o
f India as of March 2008 was:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Delhi - 3,216,769 Mumbai - 3,451,567 Chennai - 1,174,589 Kolkata - 1,974,177 Mah
arashtra & Goa - 2,610,389 Gujarat - 6,010,594 Andhra Pradesh - 2,601,458 Karnat
aka - 2,850,346 Tamil Nadu - 3,180,820 Kerala - 2,001,133 Orissa - 520772 Punjab
- 1,645,501 Haryana - 1,282,208 Uttar Pradesh (West) -2,858,429 Uttar Pradesh (
East) -3,508,355 Rajasthan - 2,934,598 West Bengal & Andaman and Nicobar - 2,825
,310
The total is 44,126,243 or 22.93% of the total 192,355,939 GSM mobile connection
s in India till March 2008.
Page 27 of 59
Page 28 of 59
VODAFONE IN EUROPE
Majority-owned Minority-owned No Ownership
Albania
France
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Poland
Bulgaria
Channel Islands
Germany
Croatia
Cyprus
Greece
Denmark
Estonia
Hungary
Finland
Faroe Islands
Ireland
Iceland
Latvia
Italy
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Macedonia Norway
Netherlands
Serbia
Slovenia
Northern Cyprus
Sweden
Switzerland
Portugal
Romania
Page 28 of 59
Page 29 of 59
History:
In 1982 Racal Electronics plc s subsidiary Racal Strategic Radio Ltd. won one of
two UK cellular telephone network licences. The network, known as Racal Vodafon
e was 80% owned by Racal, with Millicom and the Hambros Technology Trust owning
15% and 5% respectively. Vodafone was launched on 1 January 1985. Racal Strategi
c Radio was renamed Racal Telecommunications Group Limited in 1985.On 29 Decembe
r 1986 Racal Electronics bought out the minority shareholders of Vodafone for GB£1
10 million. In September 1988 the company was again renamed Racal Telecom and on
26 October 1988 Racal Electronics floated 20% of the company. The flotation val
ued Racal Telecom at GB£1.7 billion. On 16 September 1991 Racal Telecom was demerg
ed from Racal Electronics as Vodafone Group. In July 1996 Vodafone acquired the
two thirds of Talkland it did not already own for £30.6 million. On 19 November 19
96, in a defensive move, Vodafone purchased Peoples Phone for £77 million, a 181 s
tore chain whose customers were overwhelmingly using Vodafone s network. In a si
milar move the company acquired the 80% of Astec Communications that it did not
own, a service provider with 21 stores. In 1997 Vodafone introduced its Speechma
rk logo, as it is a quotation mark in a circle; the O s in the Vodafone logotype
are opening and closing quotation marks, suggesting conversation. On 29 June 19
99 Vodafone completed its purchase of AirTouch Communications, Inc. and changed
its name to Vodafone Airtouch plc. Trading of the new company commenced on 30 Ju
ne 1999. To approve the merger, Vodafone sold its 17.2% stake in E-Plus Mobilfun
k. The acquisition gave Vodafone a 35% share of Mannesmann, owner of the largest
German mobile network.
vodafone s original logo used until the introduction of the speechmark logo in 1
998. On 21 September 1999 Vodafone agreed to merge its U.S. wireless assets with
those of Bell Atlantic Corp to form Verizon Wireless. The merger was completed
on 4 April 2000. In November 1999 Vodafone made an unsolicited bid for Mannesman
n, which was rejected. Vodafone s interest in Mannesmann had been increased by t
he latter s purchase of Orange, the UK mobile operator.Chris Gent would later sa
y Mannesmann s move into the UK broke a "gentleman s agreement" not to compete i
n each other s home territory. The hostile takeover provoked strong protest in G
ermany and a "titanic struggle" which saw Mannesmann resist Vodafone s efforts.
However, on 3 February 2000 the Mannesmann board agreed to an increased offer of
£112bn, then the largest corporate merger ever. The EU approved the merger in Apr
il 2000. The conglomerate was subsequently broken up and all manufacturing relat
ed operations sold off.
Page 29 of 59
Page 30 of 59 In 2001 the Company took over Eircell, then part of eircom in Irel
and, and rebranded it as Vodafone Ireland. It then went on to acquire Japan s th
ird-largest mobile operator J-Phone, which had introduced camera phones first in
Japan. On 17 December 2001 Vodafone introduced the concept of "Partner Networks
" by signing TDC Mobil of Denmark. The new concept involved the introduction of
Vodafone international services to the local market, without the need of investm
ent by Vodafone. The concept would be used to extend the Vodafone brand and serv
ices into markets where it does not have stakes in local operators. Vodafone ser
vices would be marketed under the dualbrand scheme, where the Vodafone brand is
added at the end of the local brand. (i.e., TDC Mobil-Vodafone etc.) In February
2002 Finland was added into the mobile community, as Radiolinja is signed as a
Partner Network. Radiolinja later changed its named to Elisa. Later that year th
e Company rebranded Japan s J-sky mobile internet service as Vodafone live! and
on 3 December 2002 the Vodafone brand was introduced in the Estonian market with
signing of a Partner Network Agreement with Radiolinja (Eesti). Radiolinja (Ees
ti) later changed its name to Elisa. On 7 January 2003 the Company signed a grou
p-wide Partner agreement with mobilkom Austria. As a result, Austria, Croatia, a
nd Slovenia were added to the community. In April 2003 Og Vodafone was introduce
d in the Icelandic market and in May 2003 Vodafone Italy (Omnitel Pronto-Italia)
was rebranded Vodafone Italy. On 21 July 2003 Lithuania was added to the commun
ity, with the signing of a Partner Network agreement with Bit÷. In February 2004 V
odafone signed a Partner Network Agreement with Luxembourg s LuxGSM and a Partne
r Network Agreement with Cyta of Cyprus. Cyta agreed to rename its mobile phone
operations to Cytamobile-Vodafone. In April 2004 the Company purchased Singlepoi
nt airtime provider from John Caudwell (Caudwell Group) and approx 1.5million cu
stomers onto its base for £405million, adding sites in Stoke on Trent (England) to
existing sites in Newbury (HQ), Birmingham, Warrington and Banbury. In November
2004 Vodafone introduced 3G services into Europe. In June 2005 the Company incr
eased its participation in Romania s Connex to 99% and also bought the Czech mob
ile operator Oskar. On 1 July 2005 Oskar of the Czech Republic was rebranded as
Oskar-Vodafone. Later that year on 17 October 2005 Vodafone Portugal launched a
revised logo, using new text designed by Dalton Maag, and a 3D version of the Sp
eechmark logo, but still retaining a red background and white writing (or vice v
ersa). Also, various operating companies started to drop the use of the SIM card
pattern in the company logo. (The rebranding of Oskar-Vodafone and Connex-Vodaf
one also does not use the SIM card pattern.) A custom typeface by Dalton Maag (b
ased on their font family InterFace) formed part of the new identity. On 28 Octo
ber 2005 Connex in Romania was rebranded as Connex-Vodafone and on 31 October 20
05 the Company reached an agreement to sell Vodafone Sweden to Telenor for appro
ximately €1 billion. After the sale, Vodafone Sweden became a Partner Network. In
December 2005 Vodafone won an auction to buy Turkey s second-largest mobile phon
e company, Telsim, for $4.5 billion. In December 2005 Vodafone Spain became the
second member of the group to adopt the revised logo: it was phased in over the
following six months in other countries.
Page 30 of 59
Page 31 of 59 In 2006 the Company rebranded its Stoke-on-Trent site as Stoke Pre
mier Centre, a centre of expertise for the company dealing with Customer Care fo
r its higher value customers, technical support, sales and credit control. All c
ancellations and upgrades started to be dealt with by this call centre. On 5 Jan
uary 2006 Vodafone announced the completion of the sale of Vodafone Sweden to Te
lenor. On February 2006 the Company closed its Birmingham Call Centre. In 1 Febr
uary 2006 Oskar Vodafone became Vodafone Czech Republic, adopting the revised lo
go and on 22 February 2006 the Company announced that it was extending its footp
rint to Bulgaria with the signing of Partner Network Agreement with Mobiltel, wh
ich is part of mobilkom Austria group. On 12 March 2006 former chief, Sir Christ
opher Gent, who was appointed the honorary post Chairman for Life in 2003, quits
following rumours of boardroom rifts. In April 2006 the Company announced that
it has signed an extension to its Partner Network Agreement with BITE Group, ena
bling its Latvian subsidiary "BITE Latvija" to become the latest member of Vodaf
one s global partner community. Also in April 2006 Vodafone Sweden changed its n
ame to Telenor Sverige AB and Connex-Vodafone became Vodafone Romania, also adop
ting the new logo. On 30 May 2006 Vodafone announced the biggest loss in British
corporate history (£14.9 billion) and plans to cut 400 jobs; it reported one-off
costs of £23.5 billion due to the revaluation of its Mannesmann subsidiary. On 24
July 2006 the respected head of Vodafone Europe, Bill Morrow, quit unexpectedl a
nd on 25 August 2006 the Company announced the sale of its 25% stake in Belgium
s Proximus for €2 billion. After the deal, Proximus was still part of the communit
y as a Partner Network. On 5 October 2006 Vodafone announced the first single br
and partnership with Og Vodafone which would operate under the name Vodafone Ice
land and on 19 December 2006 the Company announced the sale of its 25% stake in
Switzerland s Swisscom for CHF4.25 billion (£1.8 billion). After the deal, Swissco
m would still be part of the community as a Partner Network. Finally in December
2006 the Company completed the acquisition of Aspective, an enterprise applicat
ions systems integrator in the UK, signaling Vodafone s intent to grow a signifi
cant presence and revenues in the ICT marketplace. Early in January 2007 Telsim
in Turkey adopted Vodafone dual branding as Telsim Vodafone and on 1 April 2007
Telsim Vodafone Turkey dropped its original brand and became Vodafone Turkey. On
1 May 2007 Vodafone added Jersey and Guernsey to the community, as Airtel was s
igned as Partner Network in both crown dependencies. In June 2007 the Vodafone l
ive! mobile Internet portal in the UK was relaunched. Front page was now charged
for and previously "bundled" data allowance was removed from existing contract
terms. All users were given access to the "full" web rather than a Walled Garden
and Vodafone became the first mobile network to focus an entire media campaign
on its newly launched mobile Internet portal in the UK. On 1 August 2007 Vodafon
e Portugal launched Vodafone Messenger, a service with Windows Live Messenger an
d Yahoo! Messenger. On 17 April 2008 Vodafone extended its footprint to Serbia a
s Vip mobile was added to the community as a Partner Network and on 20 May 2008
the Company added VIP Operator as a Partner Network thereby extending the global
footprint to Macedonia. In May 2008 Kall of the Faroe Islands rebranded as Voda
fone Faroe Islands.
Page 31 of 59
Page 32 of 59
PREPAID PLAN PLANParticulars Initial one time charges MRP Net Talk value Validit
y Grace Period Monthly Rental (Rs) Details of the recharge coupons Denomination
value (Rs) (inclusive of all taxes) Net Talk value (Rs) Validity (days) Pulse ra
te for local calls (sec) Airtime charges per minute Outgoing composite rate Loca
l calls (Rs / min) Vodafone to Vodafone To all mobiles in Uttar Pradesh / Uttara
khand** To all landlines in UP East To all landlines in UP West STD calls (Rs /
min) To any GSM / WLL / Fixed ISD calls (Rs / min) US, Canada, South East Asia,
Fixed landline to Australia, New Zealand & UK SAARC, Africa, Mobile phones to Eu
rope, Australia, New Zealand Page 32 of 59 1 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1
Rs199 10 Lifetime NA NA Rs.25 0 Lifetime NA NA Rs 99 0 Lifetime NA NA Rs 49 0 L
ifetime NA NA Prepaid
199 10 Lifetime 60
25 0 Lifetime 60
99 0 Lifetime 60
49 0 Lifetime 60
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.4
10
10
10
10
Page 33 of 59 Gulf, Middle East, UAE Rest of Africa, Rest of Europe Rest of Worl
d (excluding special countries & iridium/inmarsat calls) Inmarsat/ Iridium Calls
Incoming calls SMS Rates (Rs / SMS) To any local number in UP East circle To an
y national number outside UP East circle International All information service (
like 56789, Yahoo, Indiatimes etc) Whether carry forward of unused amount allowe
d Other benefit 11 15 11 15 11 15 11 15
45 550 Free
45 550 Free
45 550 Free
45 550 Free
99p 1.5 5 3
99p 1.5 5 3
99p 1.5 5 3
99p 1.5 5 3
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
The ISD rates are applicable from 1st June 2009 * Premium countries: Sao Tome an
d Principe (Democratic Republic of), Guinea Guinea-Bissau (Republic of), Diego G
arcia, Cuba, Australian External Territories, Nauru (Republic of), Solomon Islan
ds, Vanuatu (Republic of), Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Tokelau.
Page 33 of 59
Page 34 of 59
All National Networks Except Airtel Rs / min All Incoming calls Outgoing calls L
ocal calls STD calls ISD calls USA & Canada ;Landline numbers in Australia & New
Zealand, UK, Germany &France; South East Asia SAARC; China; Russia; Egypt, Sout
h Africa, Kenya & Nigeria; Japan; South Korea; Mobile numbers in Australia, UK,
Germany & France; Middle East including UAE & Saudi Arabia Afghanistan; Mobile n
umbers in New Zealand, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland; Rest Of Europe; Rest Of
Africa; Bulgaria ; Pacific Rim Countries; North Korea Premium Destinations Satel
lite Calls SMS 6.40 10.00 11.00 15.00 45.00 100 550 Rs / SMS 1.50 on Vodafone ne
tworks 3.45 on all other networks 3.45 Free 1.00 1.5 1.00
All Airtel Networks Rs / min 1.75
1.4 2.4
6.40 10.00 11.00 15.00 45.00 100 550 Rs / SMS
Outgoing(Local / National)
3.45
Outgoing(International) Incoming
3.45 Free
Page 34 of 59
Page 35 of 59
LITERATURE REVIEW
Customer Satisfaction
The Value of Customer Satisfaction By “Andrew Mennie”, General Manager eGain Communi
cations EMEA A brief literature would be of immense help to the researcher in ga
ining insight into selected problem. The researcher would gain good background k
nowledge of the problem by reviewing certain studies. A reference to these entir
e studies will be related in the contest of the shaping the present study.
Samuval, in his study found that most of the respondents consider, size, quality
, price, instrument servicing are an important factors for selecting the handset
of majority of the respondents are satisfied over the payment system, quality o
f services, coverage area, and attending the complaints.
Jha (2008), in his study analyzed that it is the youth which is the real growth
driver of the telecom industry in India. Considering this fact, the paper is an
attempt to give a snapshot of how frequently young people use their mobile phone
s for several embodied functions of the cell phones. Data was collected from a s
ample of 208 mobile phone owners, aged between 20 and 29. The study sheds light
on how gender, monthly voucher amount and years of owning mobile phones influenc
e the usage pattern of this device. Findings of the study would be helpful for t
he telecom service providers and handset manufacturers to formulate a marketing
strategy for different market segments.
Kalavani (2006) in their study analyzed that majority of the respondents have gi
ven favourable opinion towards the services but some problems exist that deserve
the attention of the service providers. They need to
Page 35 of 59
Page 36 of 59
bridge the gap between the services promised and services offered. The overall c
ustomers’ attitude towards cell phone services is that they are satisfied with the
existing services but still they want more services to be provided.
Kumar
(2008),
in
their
study
titled
“Customer
Satisfaction
and
Discontentment vis-a-vis BSNL Landline Service: A Study” analyzed that at present,
services marketing plays a major role in the national economy. In the service s
ector, telecom industry is the most active and attractive. Though the telecom in
dustry is growing rapidly, India s telecom density is less than the world s aver
age telecom density as most of India s market is yet to be covered.
Seth et al (2008), in their study titled “Managing the Customer Perceived Service
Quality for Cellular Mobile Telephone: an Empirical Investigation” analyzed that t
here is relative importance of service quality attributes and showed that respon
siveness is the most importance dimension followed by reliability, customer perc
eived network quality, assurance, convenience, empathy and tangibles. This would
enable the service providers to focus their resources in the areas of importanc
e. The research resulted in the development of a reliable and valid instrument f
or assessing customer perceived service quality for cellular mobile services.
Kalpana and Chinnadurai (2006) in their study titled “Promotional Strategies of Ce
llular Services: A Customer Perspective” analyzed that the increasing competition
and changing taste and preferences of the customer’s all over the world are forcin
g companies to change their targeting strategies. The
Page 36 of 59
Page 37 of 59
study revealed the customer attitude and their satisfaction towards the cellular
services in Coimbatore city. It was found that advertisement play a dominant ro
le in influencing the customers but most of the customers are of opinion that pr
omotional strategies of cellular companies are more sale oriented rather than cu
stomer oriented.
Page 37 of 59
Page 38 of 59
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY
MARKETING RESEARCH
Definition of marketing research is approved by the board of the American
Marketing Association (AMA) is:
“Marketing research is the functions which links the customer and public To market
er through information used to identity and define marketing Opportunities and p
roblems; generate define and evaluate, marketing Actions, monitor marketing perf
ormance, and improve understanding of
Marketing as a process”.
Simply, marketing research is the systematic design, collection, analysis and Re
porting of the data findings relevant to a specific marketing situation facing t
he company. Careful planning through all stages of the research is a necessity.
A research may undertake any of three types of research investigations depending
upon the problem. These three types of research included. • • • Basic research
Applied research
Designated fact gathering
Page 38 of 59
Page 39 of 59 COLLECTION OF INFORMATION
Data collection phase is generally the most expensive and the most phase to erro
r. Carry out the field work, collect data using the instruments, adjust the Prob
lem of not at homes, replaced, refusal to co-operate, biased or dishonest answer
s.
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
The next to last step is to extract pertinent findings from the collected data.
The researcher edits, code, tabulate the collected data.
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
As the last step in marketing research the researchers present the findings. The
researchers have to arrange the researched result according to an approved repo
rting format, get the report typed and bound, present the copies of the report t
o the concerned authorities.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/ DESIGN
The methodology adopted for eliciting the data required for the study was survey
method. It is the overall pattern or framework of the project that will dictate
as to what information is to be collected, from which sources and by what proce
dures.
RESEARCH METHOD
Research methodology must be classified on the basis of the major purpose of the
investigation. In this problem, description studies have been undertaken, as th
e objective of the project is to conduct the market share study to determine the
share of the market received by both the company and it’s competitors. Page 39 of
59
Page 40 of 59 DATA COLLECTION The information needed to further proceed in the p
roject had been collected through primary data and secondary data
PRIMARY DATA Primary data consists of information collected for the specific pur
pose at hand for the purpose of collecting primary data, survey research was use
d and all the retail outlets sellers using different brands and their competitor
s were contacted. Survey research is the approach best suited gathering descript
ion.
SECONDARY DATA The secondary data consists of information that already exist som
ewhere, Having been collected for another purpose. Any researcher begins the res
earch work by first going through the secondary data. Secondary data includes th
e information available with the company. It may be the findings of research pre
viously done in the field. Secondary data can also be collected from magazines,
newspapers, other surveys conducted by known research agencies etc.
Page 40 of 59
Page 41 of 59
Limitations of the Study
Carrying the survey was a general learning experience for us but we also faced s
ome problems, which are listed here:
The market of Telecommunication is too vast and it is not possible to cover each
and every dealer, manufacturer and seller in the available short span of time.
Generally the respondents were busy in their work and were not interested in res
ponding rightly.
Respondents were reluctant to discover complete and correct information about th
emselves and their organization.
Most respondents were not maintaining proper knowledge of various services provi
ded by their company, so they were unable to provide exact information.
Most of the respondents don’t want to disclose the information about the various o
ther companies’ which they have experienced before.
Some of the respondents were using the service first time of their company and t
hey were not able to properly differentiate among their product.
Due to human behavior information may be biased. Mainly in Tata case.
Page 41 of 59
Page 42 of 59
CONCLUSION
After doing that all study we can conclude that yes the Gap exist there in telec
ommunication industry. Consumers have a lot of expectations from their service p
rovider that are not performed or deliver by their companies. As we know that co
nsumer expect from Vodafone to improve its customer care service that can be fou
nd busy most of the times. Now users of Airtel have rated it as a best company f
or value of money but still they are not satisfied with some of company’s strategi
es. So this is the Gap between Airtel users and company performance. Then we hav
e example of Vodafone. Users of Vodafone are not satisfied with company customer
care service as it is a difficult process because one has to wait a lot or call
again and again to talk with a customer care representative. Airtel performance
is good but Gap exists not just with Airtel, but with all the companies in the
industry. Various VAS (Value Added Services) provided by company does not seems
to be satisfying their users. Customers are not satisfied with SMS pack that is
perceived costlier as compare to others companies SMS packs by Airtel users. Air
tel is to be found the best service provider of network service and customer car
e service as well. This is one company in the industry that can be found deliver
ing as per their customer expectations. That’s why customers have rated it not as
satisfactory but excellent. But one has to pay more for superior service and Air
tel is one example of such service. Users of Airtel paying more for value added
services. And they expect from company to offer some of the VAS at some of the c
ompetitive prices. Price is the only Gap exists in Airtel between company and us
ers.
Page 42 of 59
Page 43 of 59
REFRENCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
• Indian Telecom Industry by Mr. NasreenTaher Marketing Research – G. C. Beri Resear
ch Methodology – C.R Kothari Principles of Marketing – Philip Kotler • Business India • •
Magazines:
Web Resources: • • • • • www.trai.gov.in http://www.vodafone.co.in/t-aboutus-ttsl-organiza
tion.aspx http://www.airtel.co.in/webapp/Communications/rcom/Aboutus/aboutus_hom
e.jsp www.wikipedia.org www.scibad.com
• www.sheartearmpaper.com
Page 43 of 59
Page 44 of 59
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION INTERPRETATIONQ1:- Overall, how satisfied are you, w
ith network service of your company?
Brands Very high satisfaction level High satisfaction level Medium satisfaction
level Low satisfaction level Very low satisfaction level
Vodafone 5 Airtel 12
7 8
6 6
8 4
4 0
15 10 5
Vodafone
0
Airtel
Interpretation: - Above table data analysis shows that the satisfaction rate of
network service is leaded by Airtel. And Vodafone and others network service sat
isfaction rate is also good but in the rural area customer face the problem.
Page 44 of 59
Page 45 of 59
Q2:- In thinking about your most recent experience with that company, how much s
atisfied are you with the customer care service?
Brands Very high satisfaction level High satisfaction level Medium satisfaction
level Low satisfaction level Very low satisfaction level
Tata Indicom Reliance
4
4
11
7
4
8
12
6
4
0
12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Vodafone Airtel
Interpretation:- From the above data interpretation we can conclude that Airtel
is the best service provider of customer care service. But the Vodafone is not u
p to the mark. Some of the users said that they have not talk to their customer
care service provider even for a single time.
Page 45 of 59
Page 46 of 59
Q3:- Overall, how satisfied are you with tariff plan offered by the company?
Brands
Very high satisfaction level
High satisfaction level
Medium satisfaction level
Low satisfaction level
Very low satisfaction level
Vodafone 5 Airtel 11
12 10 8 6 4 2 0
5 8
6 6
9 4
5 1
Vodafone Airtel
Interpretation: - Above data and chart analysis depicts that Airtel has the high
est rating of Value for money and excellent and good service provider but Vodafo
ne is not up to the mark.
Page 46 of 59
Page 47 of 59
Q4- Rank the following VAS which attracted you the most to buy or retain the mob
ile service: a) SMS pack 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent --1 2 3 4 5 -- Poor 1 1 2 3 1 3 3 1
2 3
6 10
b) Concession Call Rates c) Internet Service d) Full Talk Time
Brand Vodafone 8 Airtel 6
4 5 4 5
4 5
7 6 9 8
Sms Pack Concession call rates Internet service Full talktime
10 8 6 4 2 0
vodafone Airtel
Interpretation:- From the graphs it depict that call rates and full talktime of
Airtel attract most of the customers whereas sms pack full talktime and internet
services attract most of the Vodafone customer.
Page 47 of 59
Page 48 of 59
OVERALL GRADING OF VODAFONE AS PER LIKERT ISD RATES SCALE STD RATES
LOCAL RATES MSG SERVICE NETWORK 1 1 3 3 3 1 1 QUICK SMS FOR BAL 4 2 3 3 CALL PER
FORMANCE & RELIABILITY VAS TALK TIME & VALIDITY BRAND IMAGE & ADS 3 INTERNET VOI
CE CLARITY 3 BILLING
Page 48 of 59
Page 49 of 59
(9) OVERALL GRADING OF AIRTEL AS PER LIKERTISD RATES SCLAE
STD RATES
LOCAL RATES
MSG SERVICE
1 3 5 2 3 3 4 2 2 5 5 1
NETWORK
BILLING
3
VOICE CLARITY
QUICK SMS FOR BAL INTERNET
CALL PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY VAS
TALK TIME & VALIDITY
Page 49 of 59
Page 50 of 59
Analysis on the basis of these factors
S.No.
Factors
Very High
High
Medium
Low
Very Low Satisfactio n Level
Satisfaction Satisfactio Level n Level
Satisfaction Satisfacti Level on Level
A
1
Services
Price
( price of the card which Has validity period of 30 days)
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
2
Tariff
( Which provides free calls and reduces the call rate )
5 5 5
4 4 4
3 3 3
2 2 2
1 1 1
3
Network Connectivity
( Conjunction free network)
4
Coverage
(Quality of Network coverage in rural and urban areas)
5
Value Added Service
(which provides the function like GPRS, MMS, Caller Tune)
5
4
3
2
1
6
Roaming facility
(provides the good connectivity in other states)
5
4
3
2
1
S.No.
Factors
Very High
High
Medium
Low
Very Low Satisfactio n Level
Satisfaction Satisfactio Level n Level
Satisfaction Satisfacti Level on Level
B
CONVENIENC E
Page 50 of 59
5
4
3
2
1
Page 51 of 59
1
Availability of Company Outlets for payments of Bills
( E.g.- Reliance Web world)
5
4
3
2
1
2
Availability of Recharge Coupons
5
4
3
2
1
C
Customer Care Services
5
4
3
2
1
1
Grievance Handling
( Handling product related queries)
5
4
3
2
1
2
Inter-personal skills of the Executive
(Humble and Soft Spoken)
5
4
3
2
1
Important: -
To know the view of customer about its satisfaction level for Vodafone
and Airtel. Please tick the attributes according to your knowledge and belief. D
ifferent attributes regarding their preference number are:-
Attributes
Very high satisfaction level High satisfaction level Medium satisfaction level L
ow satisfaction level Very low satisfaction level
Number
5 4 3 2 1
Page 51 of 59
Page 52 of 59
FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION:
This chapter is allocated to express the findings and conclusions in this study.
Statistical tools are applied to analyze the data. It includes the result of ea
ch and every tables, charts and tests. FINDINGS FROM PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS:
→ On the basis of consumer preference, majority of the peoples
are preferred AIRTEL.
→ On the bases of age group, most of the respondents (60%), are
using AIRTEL, who are in the category of up to 20 years.
→ On the basis of educational qualification, most of the graduates are using
cell phones.
→ Majority of the peoples buy the cell phones by influencing their family
member → 3.8% of respondents are only influenced by advertisements. → Majority of th
e peoples are using cell phones for personal usage. → Majority of the peoples are
using prepaid scheme.
→ Majority of the peoples are using cell phones for both incoming
and outgoing.
→ Less than 20% of the peoples are only less aware about
Page 52 of 59
Page 53 of 59
services provided by the services provider.
→ Majority of the respondents are highly satisfied about the price of
AIRTEL.
→ On the bases of after sales service, the majority of the respondents are highly
satisfied in AIRTEL.
→ No peoples are highly satisfied about the after sales Service in VODAFONE.
→ Minority (5%) people are only dissatisfied about the after sales services of
AIRTEL.
→ On the basis of schemes at the time of the service, 55% of peoples are
highly satisfied in AIRTEL.
→ On the basis of periodical offers, majority of the peoples highly
satisfied in AIRTEL.
→ On the basis of outgoing call charges, majority of people are highly
satisfied in AIRTEL.
→ No people are highly satisfied about the outgoing call charges of
VODAFONE.
→ On the basis of consumer’s attitude, majority of the people are states that
cell phones are necessity to all.
→ 8% of the respondents are only states that cell phones are
luxury
Page 53 of 59
Page 54 of 59 DISCUSSIONS OF THE FINDINGS Some discussions on the key antecedent
s and consequences are presented below: • To reach out to new consumers in rural a
nd remote areas, the sharing of infrastructure must be encouraged by the governm
ent. It would, indeed, be wasteful for every operator to duplicate costly infras
tructure. Infrastructure sharing on fair, transparent and commercial terms will
ensure that consumers in rural areas get choice of service, quality as well as a
ffordability. While the nation achieves aggressive rollout and improved tele-den
sity, the operators get an attractive commercial proposition and an opportunity
to expand the coverage and reach of their services.
•
In essence only 34.5 million mobile customers are active in the mobile industry.
The challenges for the industry to make the balance 10 million customers also a
ctively use their mobile, connection, which is not easy, considering that severa
l of these customers have shifted to another mobile connection during the grace
period, due to better scenes/tariffs. However, thorough concerted efforts, at le
ast a third of the 10 million customers can be brought back to the active and pa
ying customers list. In the post-paid category, “Zero” usage billing customers (only
rental paid) exist to the extent of 5% of the total base, thus adding limited r
evenue to operators.
•
The new mobile companies, especially the GSM operators, have learnt a bitter les
son from this experience and tightened the controls from January 2004. Tighter c
ontrol over documentation, customer profile
Page 54 of 59
Page 55 of 59
verification, payment capacity and transferring most of the customers to the pre
-paid segment have reduced the possibility of “junk” customers coming in to the netw
ork. • All the activities are focused on tariff charges, launch of value added ser
vices to enhance usage and revenue, increase or decrease of various charges/tari
ff, instead of working towards market expansion. The next revolution in the mobi
le industry can happen only when the telecom companies work towards market expan
sion rather than price/tariff changes. However, in the pursuit to beat each othe
r, the focus of each operator is only on price/tariff changes instead of working
collectively to acquire more new customers, who are confused due to the constan
t changes and delay in entry.
•
Opportunistic behaviour is measured by attributes like distortion of information
and violation of rules and regulations influence users’ trust. It plays most sign
ificant role because of intense competition. Coherence is required in formulatin
g their strategic intentions so as to minimize their perceived opportunistic beh
aviour, and to get a share of the mind of the customers.
Page 55 of 59
Page 56 of 59
SUGGESTIONS:
To ensure that every youth has a mobile, service providers have to offer service
s like SMS/MMS at low cost/free and ensure that the total mobile bill for the yo
uth does not cross Rs.300-400 per month, which is the maximum this segment of cu
stomers can afford from their pocket money; To ensure that every household has a
mobile connection, it is essential that the utility of mobile phones is increas
ed through better STD and ISD rates vis-à-vis landline, friends and family offers,
special rates to landlines etc., with easy/low deposit schemes to acquire these
facilities. To ensure that the penetration targeted in towns and villages is ac
hieved, service providers have to invest in network expansion and reach out on p
riority; to exploit the untapped potential in these markets. The construct of tr
ust is important for cellular users of telecom industry. As such, it has implica
tions for value added services, market segmentation, and customer retention stra
tegies. Theoretically, conceptualising and modelling trust in telecom sector hel
p to expand scholars’ knowledge of interactive consumer behaviour in this emerging
discipline. This study also shows that technology orientation is a significant
factor of mobile users’ trust. Therefore, telecom service provider needs to ensure
that it provides the best network quality and value added services
Airtel, Vodafone should try to expand their customer’s network. Vodafone should tr
y to attract the young peoples. (upto 20 years)
Airtel should try to attract old peoples also. All the service providers are mad
e good advertisements for their service.
Because, advertisements are take little part for influencing the consumers.
All the service providers are try to increase post paid users.
Page 56 of 59
Page 57 of 59
75% of the peoples are unaware about the various services rendered by their serv
ice provider. So the service providers try to make awareness of their customers
services to their customers. Airtel, Vodafone should attract the customers by re
ducing their price. Vodafone are highly dissatisfied about the performance of th
e service provider. So they should try to add some advanced features towards the
ir services.
Vodafone should decreased their dissatisfied customers by providing
good after sales services. Vodafone should give periodical offers to their custo
mers. Vodafone should decrease their outgoing call charges
Page 57 of 59
Page 58 of 59
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Sir/Madam I am the student of MBA-4rd Semester at INC, Allahabad doing a pr
oject “A comparative study on various plans and offers provided by VODAFONE and AI
RTEL and consumer response towards these plans” Please co-operate to fill this que
stionnaire. 1. Name _________________________________________
2. Sex:
(a) Male
(b) Female
3. Age:
(a) 15-25
(b) 25-35
(c) 35-45
(d) Above 45
4. Education:
(a) Matriculate
(b) Intermediate
(C) Graduation
(d) Postgraduate
5. Who is your current service provider? a) Airtel b) Vodafone c) Any other
6) For how long you are using this mobile connection? a) less than 6 months. b)
6 to 12 months. c) Above 12 months. 7. What were the reasons for choosing this m
obile connection? a) b) c) d) Recommended by friends or relatives. Recommended b
y retailers. Brand image Tariff plans
58
Page 59 of 59 8. While purchasing a connection tariff plans plays any role? a) Y
es b) No
9. From where you watch the advertisement most? a) Television b) Radio c) Newspa
per d) Magazines 10. Which telecommunication have good advertising? a) Air Tel b
) Vodafone c) Any other 11. How well did advertisement of the Air Tel catch your
attention? a) Very well b) Somewhat well c) Undecided d) Not at all. 12.How wel
l did the advertisement of the Vodafone catch your attention? a) Very well b) so
mewhat well c) undecided d) Not at all 13. Do you think that advertisement made
by company informs you about there products? .a) Yes b) No c) Undecided 14) Base
d on advertisements made by company , would you like to go for more connection f
or you or your family in future? a) Yes. b) No. c) Not decided. Address ________
__________________________________ __________________________________________ __
________________________________________ Phone no. _____________________________
____“Thanks for your valuable time and cooperation”
59