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Applying social network analysis on customer complaint handling

Agnieszka Sitko‐Lutek (Department of Management, Marie Curie‐Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland)
Supakij Chuancharoen (Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand)
Arkhom Sukpitikul (Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand)
Kongkiti Phusavat (Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand)

Industrial Management & Data Systems

ISSN: 0263-5577

Article publication date: 28 September 2010

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to examine existing information flows formally and informally within a customer complaint handling process, and to identify possible improvement areas to strengthen the effectiveness of this process in the workplace. These objectives are derived from the fact more than 80 percent of complaints have taken longer than the targeted timeframe during the past two years at the plant under study. The study is part of the plant's overall efforts in improving quality and customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involves document reviews (i.e. a customer complaint handling procedure), discussion groups and interviews, and the use of the UCInet software for the social network analysis or SNA formulation. Key features such as connection strength, point connectivity, and degree centrality are examined.

Findings

The SNA shows that everybody associated with this process is connected. For a potential downside, customer service and quality assurance engineers appear to be critical. Their roles and responsibilities imply that, in addition to becoming technical experts, they have to be responsive and active in disseminating information to other staffs. Furthermore, if an engineer in charge of process engineering is absent or does not pass along information, at least four staffs will be disconnected from the network. Process engineering leader is also viewed as critical. He should actively participate and constantly engage in resolving a customer complaint.

Research limitations/implications

The SNA can compliment process improvement by focusing on the roles and the importance of key persons within a process. The reason is that an improvement should focus on both a procedure (i.e. step‐by‐step activities and tasks) and persons (e.g. connectivity, interaction, and information bottleneck position). In other words, the paper underlines potential applications of the SNA on strengthening a quality management system (i.e. ISO 9001:2008). Therefore, the SNA, given its flexible applications, can emerge as an important management tool in the areas of quality management.

Practical implications

All top executives from the quality and reliability, and manufacturing functions view the SNA positively. The findings help them visualize the current practices at all levels when dealing with a customer complaint and identify the areas in which more attentions have to be made for a more effective process on complaint handling. For example, customer service engineer should be in the contact with all persons dealing with the complaint handling process. Process engineer leader needs to become more proactive in sharing a complaint and in checking its status more constantly.

Originality/value

The case study highlights the importance of the SNA when attempting to improve an operational process that requires two or more functions working together.

Keywords

Citation

Sitko‐Lutek, A., Chuancharoen, S., Sukpitikul, A. and Phusavat, K. (2010), "Applying social network analysis on customer complaint handling", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 110 No. 9, pp. 1402-1419. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571011087455

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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