Paper Business

Wall-Mart Sampling Survey research is an important technique to measure consumer characteristics and opinions. The survey sample is defined as the survey demographic was any "customers" of Wall-Mart that shopped within stores. The type of survey administered chosen was a non-probability sampling survey, which is convenient for the customer to fill out on his or her terms.

The collection process was identical to the distribution; through hand-to-hand transactions, mail-in, or while shopping online. The sample was a group of shoppers that totaled 10 stores in different regions, 50 per store. Once the surveys were collected, they were provided to the strategy department by way of the staff. In this research and data analysis Wall-Mart will provide an explanation of the findings and how they affect the company.

It was imperative to gather accurate results when they administered their survey to the customers. Therefore, a basis of analysis was determined in which the retailer could gauge the survey results. Until this survey was developed, there was no standardized method for collecting

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Information about the Wall-Mart customer experience. When looking at the responses, Wall-Mart received the lowest average rating for question 9. In question 9 customers are asked how they rate the assistance on the sales floor.

Poorly rated sales floor assistance may affect customer satisfaction ratings, and It Is Important to Improve this area to Increase customer satisfaction (Enclave, Benson, ; Squelch, 2011). The ratings Indicated that Wall-Mart received the highest rating for question number 5 in which customers were asked to rate the convenience of a 24-hour super center. The high rated response to this question may indicate that customers are pleased with Wall- Mart because they offer a 24-hour shopping experience. Out of the 15 survey questions 10 questions average a response within 0. 0 above and below the neutral point of a score of 3. The survey rating results not only indicate a wide range for customer satisfaction improvement but also an overall customer satisfaction rating of only 56% satisfied with the Wall-Mart shopping experience

Answers to the Research Questions

Wall-Mart focused the survey questions on the customer experience at the store. The data was analyzed to establish a baseline of quantitative numerical value to trend throughout the year. The analysis of the data is to enable Wall-Mart to develop and define customer satisfaction strategies and vision.

Out of the 15 survey questions 10 of the questions average a response within 0. 50 above and below the neutral point of a score of 3. The answers from the customer survey indicate a need for a strategic Lana to improve the overall customer experience at the Wall-Mart stores. The answers to the survey questions were beneficial to obtain the perception, view, and voice of the customers' experience during their Wall-Mart visit. Customer satisfaction promotes an increase in brand loyalty to Wall-Mart; therefore benefits business literacy and return on investment.

The main focus is to keep the customer happy and coming back to the store (Wall-Mart Stores, Inc. , 2010). Research Challenges There are many challenges that can be faced when conducting survey research. Such as, dealing with primary research, determining the purpose and whether or not initiative or qualitative data is needed can present challenges in research. It sets the basis for the type and the direction the research should take. This includes proper place or method to distribute the survey, providing clear and concise questions or properly addressing cultural differences in order to effectively reach all consumers.

These are some of the challenges our team faced when conducting and gathering research. Wall-Mart consumers come from all walks of life, yet, want to be provided the best customer service. Developing a line of questions that is understandable to all ages and cultures can come with barriers as well. Another challenge faced was getting accurate responses from customers due to the patience level and finding clear, concise questions that link the main research question.

Steps to Minimize Challenges in Future Research

There are various steps that can be used to minimize the research challenges in the future in order to be effective.

The first step is determining the purpose for the research in order to decipher if qualitative or quantitative data is needed. Secondly, establish any language or cultural barriers in the beginning of the research that may cause communication issues in the line of questioning. This is appropriate because that way it provides accurate information in the responses.

Another way to minimize challenges in the future will be to thoroughly set a return or time limit so customers don't feel rushed in responding. This goes along with possibly condensing the number of questions so customers do not feel overwhelmed, thus providing truthful answers.

Lastly, although survey research is very cost effective, it can be very vague. The data helps determine the probability of popularity in the overall answers. However, sometimes further explanation is needed and in order to minimize the gray area. In the future, adding an additional incentive based discussion in the future can assist with the research. Rationale for the Survey Items Wall-Mart's focus is on their business problem, customer satisfaction to increase brand loyalty to benefit the business literacy and bottom-line.

The organization's solution includes the use of customer surveys not only to gain quantitative analysis but also qualitative analysis to use to develop a strategic plan to increase customer and stakeholder satisfaction. The purpose of the survey is to use measurement questions to determine and obtain the customers' voice and perception. The survey is geared to improve the services and obtain customer feedback from the ratings provided. The questions used in the survey are specific to determine and obtain the customers' voice and perception of their Wall-Mart experience.

The questions use a numerical rating scale to obtain quantitative data and a comment section to obtain qualitative information. Both are important to Wall-Mart to understand the wants and needs of the customer. The customer survey design is an attitude scaling survey. "Attitude scaling is the process of assessing an attitudinal disposition using a umber that represents a customer's score on an attitudinal continuum ranging from an extremely favorable disposition to an extremely unfavorable one" (Cooper ; Schneider, 2006, p. 24). The question design is modeled from a combination of the Liker Summated Rating and basic numerical scales.

These scales are used to gather ordinal and interval data from participants. The rating results may be summed to measure the customer's overall attitude toward the Wall-Mart customer experience (Cooper & Schneider, 2006). The numerical ratings are broken down into five different areas of measurement for the customer to review. A rating scale of one to five is useful in the quantitative research to obtain a rating to measure customer satisfaction to establish a useful continuous performance improvement program not only to increase customer satisfaction but also increase brand loyalty.

The qualitative data is useful to obtain information along with the quantitative data to develop goals and strategies not only to retain the current customer but also to create a customer loyalty to increase business literacy (Enclave, Benson, & Cinch, 2011). "An increase of 5% in customer retention can increase profits by 25% to 95% (Market Tools, Inc. 2006, p. 3). Recommendation for Future Research There are many avenues Wall-Mart can take in the future in regard to the way the company performs research, one avenue are telephone surveys.

In the future telephone surveys can be beneficial a toll-free number can be provided on the customer's receipt for them to call to leave feedback. When a phone interview is conducted by a person and not an automated system, the interviewer can ask more in-depth questions to determine the root of the score. A company can determine why a question scored so high or so little. This aspect is helpful to the company cause it allows them to know what needs to change to make a score better.

For example if the parking has a poor rating, more in-depth questions may find that parking has a poor rating because there are always carts in the lot blocking spaces. This response allows the company to act on making that score better. Phone interviews could also be useful year round, providing information for continual improvements to customer service. The company's survey that was recently conducted only allowed feedback at the end for an overall survey, adding a comment section at each question may also be helping to the company, if they choose to stay tit the current survey method.

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