We have investigated how to increase customer satisfaction(CS) through leaders' internal marketing. For the purpose of increasing CS we examined how coaching behaviors affected organization members' competence and willingness. Then we examined how tho...
We have investigated how to increase customer satisfaction(CS) through leaders' internal marketing. For the purpose of increasing CS we examined how coaching behaviors affected organization members' competence and willingness. Then we examined how those affected employee satisfaction(ES) and CS. As part of the internal marketing we introduced the four elements of coaching which are vital for the leaders to increase performance through people in the organizations. The four elements of coaching are direction, development, accountability, and relationship.
The results have been quite astonishing. We have found that relationship is the most powerful coaching element among others in terms of the scope of the influence. Other words, relationship affects both competence and willingness for the members in the organizations.
The relationship as well as development and accountability affect both competence and willingness. The most affecting coaching element was of course relationship. Then we have found that both the competence and willingness affect ES. Then the ES affects CS. Another thing we have noticed is that the willingness affected CS directly without going through ES. The implication of this is that members' emotional side of the ability which are motivation and passion are very important in increasing CS in the organizations. That means competence only affects ES, not CS. The willingness is affected by relationship tremendously.
So far there has not been such studies as how the relationship affects both competence and willingness and then these two affect the ES. These findings are quite innovative in the examining how to increase CS in the organizations. That can be done through leader's coaching behaviors. These coaching behaviors can be considered as part of the internal marketing. Because these increase members' competence and willingness which in turn affect ES and CS.
The author also found that direction in coaching is less effective and probably does not affect ES and CS at all. The direction is task-oriented leadership style in the organization.
The top managements in the organizations need to understand that leaders will be more effective for the increasing CS which is the ultimate performance goal for the organizations. Because without that no organization can survive in the highly competitive market. The customers have the power to make decision on purchasing goods and services. They have the power because they can choose what they need from many products and services. Therefore part of the mission of the organization must be satisfying customers.
It is the author's conclusion that in order to have many satisfied customers the leaders of the organizations need practice more coaching as the internal marketing tools. This will bring about result in better financial and non-financial performance and other ways, such as quality and morale, for the organizations.