Abstract
It is well established that satisfied customers are key to long-term business success. Companies that have a more satisfied customer base also experiences higher economic returns. High consumer satisfaction leads to greater customer loyalty which, in turn, leads to future revenue. Organizations having superior product and service quality have been found to be market leaders in terms of sales and long-term customer loyalty and retention. Because of this, organizations competing in similar market niches are compelled to assess the quality of the products and services they provide in order to attract and retain their customers. Customers expectations are derived from their own accumulation of contacts with products and services provided to them in all walks of life. From such contacts customers develop a generalized set of expectations or standards, based on their day-to-day history as customers. It is from the accumulation of these experiences that customers establish personal standards and use them to gauge service quality. Thus, for an organization to thrive, it must keep pace with its customers changing needs and succeed in satisfying them. Putting customers first will ensure that companies meet and anticipate their clients demands and expectations. Today's customers expect excellent service. If they sense that companies are not putting them first, they will feel disappointed. Thus, thorough consideration must be given to the fact that customers will not only asses a company's performance against that of its competitors, but they will also judge a company against what it promised to deliver, and what they believe to be acceptable standards.
