a study on the change in buying behavior & customer perception towards airtel vs vodafone

7/27/2019 A Study on the Change in Buying Behavior & Customer Perception Towards Airtel vs Vodafone

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A PROJECT REPORT ON

A STUDY ON THE CHANGE IN BUYING

BEHAVIOR & CUSTOMER PERCEPTION TOWARDS

AIRTEL VS.VODAFONE

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY

Dr. MEENAL PANDEY ZAKIR

MBA-I SEC-B

Galgotias Institute Of Management And Technology


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DECLARATION

I, ZAKIR, student of M.B.A at GIMT; hereby declare that I have completed my research report

on the topic titled A STUDY ON THE CHANGE IN BUYING BEHAVIOR & CUSTOMER

PERCEPTION TOWARDS AIRTEL VS.VODAFONE

ZAKIR


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It gives me immense pleasure in acknowledging the valuable

assistance and cooperation which we received from the people

around us for the successful completion of this project.

At the very honest I would like to thank all respected faculty

members of our MBA Department.

ZAKIR


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List of contents

1.Company Profile...............2.Introduction. 3.Objective of Study.4.Research Methodology......5.Analysis & Interpretation..6. Conclusion..

7. RECOMMENDATION

8. Questionnaire


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Company Profile

Airtel

&

Vodafone


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Company Prof i le of Ai r tel

3.1 AIRTEL

Airtel comes to you from Bharti Cellular Limited - a part of the biggest private integrated telecom

conglomerate, Bharti Enterprises. Bharti provides a range of telecom services, which include

Cellular, Basic, Internet and recently introduced National Long Distance. Bharti also manufactures

and exports telephone terminals and cordless phones. Apart from being the largest manufacturer of

telephone instruments in India, it is also the first company to export its products to the USA. Bharti

is the leading cellular service provider, with a footprint in 23 states covering all four metros and

more than 8 million satisfied customers.

Airtel & Visual Identity

For a brand to be successful, it must build enduring relationships with its different audiences.

Integral to this relationship is the visual image of the brand the consumer carries in his/her mind.

The Airtel brand image is created through the consistent application of a carefully developed

visual identity, which helps Airtel distinguish itself in a cluttered market. Airtel's visual identity

helps create instant brand recall and strengthens the relationships that its audiences have with it.

The Airtel visual identity has different elements that work together to create a strong and

consistent identity for the brand. The most important of these are:


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The Airtel Logo

The Airtel logo is a strong, contemporary and confident symbol for a brand that is always ahead of

the rest. It is a specially drawn world mark.

The Airtel Image style

It incorporates two solid, red rectangular forms whose counter form creates an open doorway.

The Airtel Typographical style

The title case lettering with its capital 'A' was deliberately chosen to reinforce the brand's

leadership position. The red dot on the letterform 'I' cues Airtel's focus on innovation.. The words

'Express Yourself' are very much part of the brand identity.

The Airtel Colour Palette

The lettering is grey so that the pure black of Airtel is visually unharmed.


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BHARTI TELE-VENTURES

Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited was incorporated on July 7, 1995 for promoting investments in

telecommunications services. Its subsidiaries operate telecom services across India. Bharti Tele-

Ventures is India's leading private sector

provider of telecommunications services based on a strong customer base consisting of

approximately 11.84 million total customers which constitute, approximately 10.98 million mobile

and approximately 857,000 fixed line customers, as of March 31 , 2005

Corporate Structure


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Organisational Structure

Mobile Division

Overview

Bharti Tele-Ventures vision for its mobile business is To make mobile communications a way of

life and be the customers first choice.


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Bharti Tele-Ventures, through its subsidiary has the licenses to provide GSM services in all the

twenty-three telecom circles in India. It proposes to consolidate all its subsidiaries providing

mobile services under Bharti Cellular Limited.

As of March 31, 2008, 100% of India's total mobile subscriber market resided in the Company's

twenty three mobile circles, which collectively 100% of India's land mass.

This customer base was achieved in just over 10 years, making Bharti Airtel one of the youngest

companies in the category, the company claimed. Mr Manoj Kohli, President, Bharti Airtel said,

"It is indeed a remarkable achievement not only for us at Airtel, but also for the country as it

clearly underlines the coming of age of the Indian telecom sector. Bharti Airtel's exponential

growth highlights the undisputed position of India as the telecom hotspot of the world as the

economic development of a country is very clearly linked with telecom penetration."

Strong focus on external as well as internal customers, strategic business alliances and a scalable

business model have together helped Bharti Airtel to achieve leadership position, he added. The

achievement comes shortly after Bharti Airtel was ranked among the top 10 best performing

companies in the world in the globally renowned Business Week IT 100 list.

Strong Signs of growth

The set target of reaching around half a billion customers by 2010 and a teledensity of around 45%

seems achievable. What gives the industry the confidence of achieving these numbers is the

investor-friendly government policies, a consistently strong GDP growth, the exploding young

population and the Indian business model of being profitable despite having the lowest tariff in the

world.


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Services

Airtel Prepaid

Airtel Prepaid, the Ready Cellular Card from Airtel comes to you from Bharti Enterprises, India's

leading integrated telecom service provider. Going mobile with Airtel Prepaid is a new way of life.

With a host of great features, also simple to use, Airtel Prepaid makes everything that you dreamt

and believed, possible.

Airtel Postpaid

Airtel welcomes you to a vibrant world of unlimited opportunities. More exciting, innovative yet

simple new ways to communicate, just when you want to, not just through words but ideas,

emotions and feelings. To give you the unlimited freedom to reach out to your special people in

your special way.

Airtel Roaming

Airtel's Roaming service allows you to use your mobile phone to make or receive calls from

almost anywhere in India and abroad.

Airtel Roaming gives you two great options:

Airtel National - Enjoy roaming in India across 42 partners networks and over 750 cities. Airtel International - Roam across international destinations, in nearly 119 countries

including USA, Canada, UK etc. with 284 partner networks.


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GPRS / MOBILE OFFICE

Mobile Office provides you with access to e-mail and Internet any time and anywhere, even while

on the move. It is an indispensable asset for traveling executives, as it enables you to be in touch

when at airports, hotels etc. So whether you're in Mumbai or not, you'll be never be short of

Internet access. Now you can access official mail, refer to sites for information and do everything

that you would, on the Internet. This new-age product is made possible through Airtel's GPRS

(General Packet Radio Services) technology.

GPRS Mobile Office service has the following features:

a) Access the Internet anytime, anywhere (across all Airtel circles in India)

b) No airtime charges

c) Cheaper than connecting through land line

e) A minimal monthly subscription fee

VOICE MAIL SERVICES

Voice Mail allows you to receive messages even when your handset is switched off or when you

are outside coverage area. You can then retrieve these messages at your own convenience.

CALL CONFERENCING

With Airtel call conferencing, teleconference with 6 people simultaneously. You can also have the

liberty of setting up a conference even when the other five individuals are using a landline.


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Ai rtel Presents... HELLO TUNES

With Hello Tunes when you dial an Airtel Subscribers mobile,

you will hear the song that he/she has selected for you!!

FEATURES

Song of the Day' at the top of the menu to make first time selection easy

Various language options : Select from English to Kannada (over 5 different languages)

Content represents all major languages

Everyone-tune: one song for all callers

Special tune: personalized song for specified caller

Easy Billing

Now enjoy the luxury of viewing details of your last 3 billing cycles and the convenience of

paying your Airtel bill online! Experience complete freedom with Airtel!

Subscription Services

With Airtel's Subscription Services, you can subscribe for cool alerts at the click of a button!

What's better is that you can receive updates automatically on your Airtel phone without

requesting everyday.

Daily News Alerts


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With Airtel News Alerts, be in touch with the latest happenings around the world, all the time. Get

2 news bulletins sent to your Airtel phone, courtesy AajTak, the 24-hour news channel from India

Today Group.

Daily Astrology Alerts

Your future lies in your Airtel phone. Literally! Get daily forecasts of each sun sign from

renowned astrologer Ma Prem Usha.

Daily Joke Alerts

Crack up with laughter with Airtel's daily joke alert. Get the funniest jokes that you can forward to

your friends to brighten up their day too.

Daily Business Alerts

For the latest buzz on the business scenario, now you never have to look very much further than

the palm of your hand. Airtel brings you the daily business news and stock alerts, courtesy

Business Today, the leading publication on business news & stories.

Daily Filmi Gossip

Want the latest khabar on Lara, Salman, Cameron and Toby? Tune into Airtel's Filmi Gossip, with

the latest buzz about your favourite Hollywood and Bollywood stars.


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3.2 Company Profile Of VodafoneToday, in India, becomes Vodafone. Now, the pink color logo of will be replaced by

Vodafone Essars corporate red colored one.

In 2005-06, the Orange brand in Mumbai was phased out to introduce (now Vodafone). The

company also changed the colors of its logo from orange to pink last year.

After acquiring 67 per cent of stake (around Rs. 250 crores) in ison Essar from Hong Kong-based

ison Whampoa, Vodafone Essar is expecting to touch over 35 million customers across 400,000

shops and thousands of s own employees along with employees of its business associates.

Asim Ghosh, MD, Vodafone Essar, said Weve had a good innings as in India and today marks

a new beginning for us, not as a departure from the fundamentals that created , but an acceleration

into the future with Vodafones global expertise.

Vodafone CEO and Vice-Chairman Arun Sarin of the joint venture Vodafone Essar will be

landing in India for the meeting that would discuss branding exercise, expansion plans, spectrum

requirements for its expanding subscriber base and future plans.

Vodafone offers a host of premier value added services (VAS) including national and international

roaming in over 70 countries in over 160 networks, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), short

message service, voice mail service, auto roam, fax and data, cricket updates, M-banking, general

information, tarot line, etc. The company launched WAP in Delhi in October 2000, much before

its rival Bharti. It has 5000 WAP customers, as in December 2000. The company has been a prime

mover in introducing these value-added services in the Delhi circle.
http://www.techgadgets.in/networking/2007/20/hutch-renamed-to-vodafone-in-india/http://www.techgadgets.in/networking/2007/20/hutch-renamed-to-vodafone-in-india/http://www.techgadgets.in/networking/2007/20/hutch-renamed-to-vodafone-in-india/


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The values are stated simply. To be fair and transparent in what they do and how they do it. To

provide the quality services with more customer friendly practices. To make ones

communications experience simple, pleasurable and fun. Where he doesn't simply get technology -

but technology that is relevant. Where solutions are not just promised in the future - but delivered

in the present.

CORE VALUES

We shall uphold the dignity of the individual We shall honor all commitments We shall be committed to Quality, Innovation and Growth in every endeavor We shall be responsible corporate citizens

Vodafone Logo


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Services

Staying connected becomes a lot easier with Vodafone. We have a wide range of services you can

access right from your Vodafone phone. From cell banking to flight updates to call management

services, get all that you want, instantly.

Dial 600 to activate

To activate these values added services on your Vodafone phone simply dial 600 and access our

Interactive Voice Response system.

SMS

Message your family and friends through Vodafone SMS Services. It's convenient and affordable.

Communicate with cell phone users in over 100 countries and anywhere in India - by sending and

receiving text messages.

Pay just Rs. 1.50 per message for sending SMS anywhere across the country.

SMS Chat

Now, you can chat on your Vodafone phone with as many people as you want. Its fun and as

simple as sending an SMS. Your identity will remain anonymous as your phone number is never

displayed during the chat. You can have your own profile and chat name.

You can also create your own chat rooms or chat in the different rooms that already exist

including: Teens, 20s, 30s, Office, Bollywood, Delhi.

All you have to do is type in your messages and send them to 2428. You will be charged Rs. 2 per

outgoing message. Incoming messages are free.


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Vodafone Onl ine

Get all the useful information you need directly on your Vodafone phone - with Vodafone Online.

Including cricket, finance, entertainment, weather, astrology and more.

If you do not see the

Vodafone Online menu on your phone, send HELP to 123. We will send you the list of keywords.

You will be charged Rs. 2 per outgoing message. Incoming messages are free.

MTNL Directoy

With this facility you can get to know the address and telephone no. of MTNL users.you will be

charged Rs.2 per outgoing message.

STD / ISD Codes

You don't need to look up your diary or a phone directory to find out STD and ISD codes. You can

find it directly through your Vodafone phone.


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Ringtones & Logos

Now you can change the ringtone on your Vodafone phone according to your moods. You can

download logos as well. With the Vodafone and Yahoo! tieup you have hundreds of tunes and

logos to choose from.

For every ringtone downloaded, you will charged Rs. 7.00 (including the cost of SMS sent). For

every logo/picture message downloaded, you will charged Rs. 3.00 (including the cost of SMS

sent).

Flash & Blink

Vodafone now offers you two exciting ways to send messages. You can make your message flash

directly on your recipients screen instead of the inbox. You can also highlight the important parts

of your message through blinks. So your text messages become not only more visible, but more

effective too.

You will be charged Rs. 2 per outgoing message. Incoming messages are free.

Dial-in Services

Vodafone brings you more conveniences at your fingertips. Use our Dial-in-Services to check

cricket scores, horoscope, up-to-the minute news and other relevant information on services that

touch your everyday life.


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INTRODUCTION


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INTRODUCTION

1. INTRODUCTION

"Telecommunications is the backbone of our future economy. International competitiveness

increasingly depends on the development of a telecommunications infrastructure that is

compatible with internationalstandards"

The cellular industry all over the world has been witnessing very high growth rates in subscriber

base in recent years. For developing countries in particular, cellular services are becoming a very

significant proportion of the overall telecom infrastructure. The mechanics of competition within

this market involve complex feedback effects between individual service providers and with their

operating environment, and these forces play an important role in governing the growth of this

industry.

In a country like India which is not yet telephone-saturated and the ongoing changes in related

areas are resulting in a rapidly changing profile of users, providers and their respective needs,

continuous revision of the telecom policy is imperative. Given the emerging new technologies and

the integrating economies there must be fairness among competitors.

1.1 History of Cellular Telephony in India:

The technology that gives a person the power to communicate anytime, anywhere - has spawned

an entire industry in mobile telecommunication. Mobile telephones have become an integral part


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of the growth, success and efficiency of any business / economy. The most prevalent wireless

standard in the world today, is GSM. The GSM Association (Global System for Mobile

Communications) was instituted in 1987 to promote and expedite the adoption, development and

deployment and evolution of the GSM standard for digital wireless communications.

1.2 Cell ular I ndustry in I ndia

The Government of India recognizes that the provision of a world-class telecommunications

infrastructure and information is the key to rapid economic and social development of the country.

It is critical not only for the development of the Information Technology industry, but also has

widespread ramifications on the entire economy of the country. It is also anticipated that going

forward, a major part of the GDP of the country would be contributed by this sector. Accordingly,

it is of vital importance to the country that there be a comprehensive and forward looking

telecommunications policy which creates an enabling framework for development of this industry.

The entry and license fees varied according to the service area, highest for metros and lowest for

Category-C circles. Some of the CMSPs could not fulfill their licensing obligations and their

licenses were revoked leading to a monopoly situation in certain areas. Apart from these charges,

each CMSP has to share the revenue with the long distance operators for carrying inter-service

area calls.


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CONSUMER BUYING

BEHAVIOR


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CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR

2. Consumer Buying Behaviour

Buying Behavior is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using

products.

Need to understand:

Why consumers make the purchases that they make? What factors influence consumer purchases? The changing factors in our society.

Consumer Buying Behavior refers to the buying behavior of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs

to analyze buying behavior for:

Buyers reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firms success. The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create aMarketing Mix (MM) that

satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to analyze the what, where, when and

how consumers buy.

Marketers can better predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies.

2.1 STAGES OF THE CONSUMER BUYING PROCESS

Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Actual purchasing

is only one stage of the process. Not all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consumer

decisions do not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of complexity...discussed

next.


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THE 6 STAGES ARE:

1. Problem Recognition (awareness of need)--difference between the desired state and theactual condition. Deficit in assortment of products. Hunger--Food. Hunger stimulates your

need to eat.

Can be stimulated by the marketer through product information--did not know you were

deficient? I.E., see a commercial for a new pair of shoes, stimulates your recognition that

you need a new pair of shoes.

2. Information search--o Internal search, memory.o External search if you need more information. Friends and relatives (word of

mouth). Marketer dominated sources; comparison shopping; public sources etc.

A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set.

Hungry, want to go out and eat, evoked set is

o chinese foodo indian foodo burger kingo klondike kates etc

3. Evaluation of Alternatives--need to establish criteria for evaluation, features the buyerwants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you

want to eat something spicy, Indian gets highest rank etc.

If not satisfied with your choice then return to the search phase. Can you think of another


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restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated

differently. Marketers try to influence by "framing" alternatives.

4. Purchase decision--Choose buying alternative, includes product, package, store, method ofpurchase etc.

5. Purchase--May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5, product availability.6. Post-Purchase Evaluation--outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction.

Cognitive Di ssonance, have you made the right decision. This can be reduced by warranties,

after sales communication etc.

After eating an Indian meal, may think that really you wanted a Chinese meal instead.


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OBJECTIVE

The research is a cross sectional analysis between two cellular service of Delhi namely AIRTEL

and VODAFONE. This research is done to find the following objectives:

1) What is the consumer satisfaction level by the services offered from the serviceprovider (Airtel and Vodafone)

2) What are the expectations of the consumers from the service providers. (Airteland Vodafone)

The given project is to analyze the overall satisfaction of subscribers with their mobile service

provider. The scope for the research is not very big. The area of study of the researcher was Delhi

region. Marketing is innovative field. Here nothing can be assumed. Whatever ideas we generate,

we have to test them and they must be supported by proved results. For this, marketing research is

very important. Comparative study is one such aspect that is very difficult to measure by

guesswork. Anything you say about it, it must be based on reliable research. I am going to do a

ASSESSMENT AND COMPARISON OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

LEVEL BETWEEN AIRTEL and Vodafone.

To justify the customer satisfaction level by services from service providers I have undertaken

small survey. This survey throws light on many things like what are the various services with

which they are satisfied and dissatisfied, what are the expectations of customers from service

provider. To facilitate our purpose, I have formed a questionnaire and asked 200 respondents (100

Airtel and 100 Vodafone users) to fill it.


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Research Methodology


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5.1.INTRODUCTION

This chapter aims to understand the research methodology establishing a framework of evaluation

and revaluation of primary and secondary research. The techniques and concepts used during

primary research in order to arrive at findings; which are also dealt with and lead to a logical

deduction towards the analysis and results.

5.2.RESEARCH DESIGN

The researchers propose to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the full

impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry norms and reports, on

which certain issues shall be selected, which the researchers feel remain unanswered or liable to

change , this shall be further taken up in the next stage of exploratory research. This stage shall

help the researchers to restrict and select only the important question and issue, which inhabit

growth and segmentation in the industry. These set of questions are then proposed to be studied

under a descriptive research setting finally leading to formation of hypotheses and testing under

causal research.A research design is purely and simply the framework or plan for a study that

guides the collection and analysis of data. The survey researchwas used in this project, because

consumers feedback was necessary for obtaining the data.

5.3. Data Sources

New data gathered to help solve the problem at hand. As compared to secondary data which is

previously gathered data. An example is information gathered by a questionnaire. Qualitative or

quantitative data that are newly collected in the course of research. Consists of original

information that comes from people and includes information gathered from surveys, independent

observations and test results.. Data gathered by the researcher in the act of conducting research.


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This is contrasted to secondary data which entails the use of data gathered by someone other than

the researcher information that is obtained directly from first-hand sources by means of surveys,

observation.

Primary datawas collected by the questionnaire based market survey. In this survey 100 AIRTEL

and 100 VODAFONE mobile users were surveyed.

Secondary datawas obtained from journals, magazines, newspapers, books and of course the

Internet. Information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose.

Sources include magazines, various web sites, and subscription services. Data that have already

been collected and published for another research project (other than the one at hand). There are

two types of secondary data: internal and external secondary data. Information compiled inside or

outside the organisation for some purpose other than the current investigation. Data that have

already been collected for some purpose other than the current study. Researching information

which has already been published. Market information compiled for purposes other than the

current research effort; it can be internal data, such as existing sales-tracking information, or it can

be research conducted by someone else, such as a market research company.

Secondary source of data used consists of books and websites

5.4.Research InstrumentFor doing the survey research, structured questionnairewith both open-ended and closed-

ended questions was used.


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Mode of Survey

The mode of survey was personal in terviewwith the respondents during the filling up of

the questionnaires.

Sample Size

A sample size of 200 respondents is used for the study.100 AIRTEL and 100 VODAFONE

customers were contacted and interviewed.

Sample Unit

This study was basically an opinion survey of the residents of Delhi who are cell-phone

usersregarding their views on the cellular service providers.

Place of Study

Delhi region.


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Analysis and Interpretation


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Analysis andI nterpretation

A sample size of 200 respondents (100 Air Tel and 100 Vodafone Users) was used for obtaining

the information for this study.

5.5.The Break Up:The break up of the respondents is shown as follows on the basis of Age, Sex, Education Level &

Occupation:

Age

Upto 25 Yrs. 66 33%

26-35 82 41%

36-45 40 20%

46 and above 12 6%

33%

41%

20%

6%

AGE

Upto 25 Yrs.

26-35

36-45

46 and above


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Interpretation

Out of the total respondents 66(33%) are of the age of below 25 years

Out of the total respondents 82(41%) are of the age of below 2 6-35 years

Out of the total respondents 40(20%) are of the age of below 36-45 years

Out of the total respondents 12(6%) are of the age of below 46 & above years

SEX

MALE 136 68%

FEMALE 64 32%

68%

32%

SEX

MALE

FEMALE


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The breakup of the respondents on the basis of Sex is Males 136(68 %) and Females 64( 32 %).

Education Level

High School 56 28%

Under Graduate 24 12%

Graduate and above 116 58%

Others 04 2%

8.23.2

1.4

1.2

EDUCATION

1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

4th Qtr


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Interpretation

Out of the total respondents 56(28%) are have passed high school, 24(12%) are under graduate,

116(58%) are graduates and above qualified and 04(2%) belong to other categories

Occupation

Student 84 42%

Service Man 70 35%

Businessman 28 14%

Others 18 9%

Interpretation

Out of the total respondents 60(30%) are students

Out of the total respondents 58(29%) are Service Man

Out of the total respondents 42(21%) are Professionals

OCCUPATION

STUDENT

SERVICE MAN

BUSINESS MAN

OTHER


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Out of the total respondents 22(11%) are businessman

Out of the total respondents 18(9%) belong to other catogories

5.6.Cell phone Service subscribed by usersAirtel 100

Vodafone 100

Category of service subscribed

Overall the results show:

Prepaid: 62% subscribers

Postpaid: 38% subscribers

100100

users

airtel

vodafone


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5.7.Break up in terms of Airtel and VodafoneAir Tel

Post paid 30%

Pre paid 70%

62%

38%PREPAID

POSTPAID


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Interpretation

70% of Airtel users prefer the prepaid segment while 30% prefer the postpaid segment.

Vodafone

30%

70%

AIRTEL

POSTPAID

PREPAID

Post paid 46%

Pre paid 54%


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Interpretation

54%of Vodafone users prefer the prepaid segment while46%prefer the postpaid segment.The

results clearly show that there is a larger subscriber base in the pre-paid segment, which is in

consonance with the industry figures.

46%

54%

VODAFONE

POST PAID

PRE PAID


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Conclusion

With the steep fall in the cost of providing cellular services, and increasing deregulation and

competition, developing countries are witnessing rapid growth in cellular subscriber base. Indian

cellular industry has been witnessing a Compounded Annual Growth Rate of about 105.2%. It is a

$5 billion industry today, and the cellular subscriber base in the country has increased to 6.4

million from a mere 28,550 in 2004. According to reports, Indian mobile subscriber base is

expected to grow to 19.48 million in the current year, i.e.; 2008. However, the penetration rate of

cellular services is very poor in developing countries. In India, the cellular density is 0.56 per 100

population compared to 77.84 in Finland.

Economic conditions, market structure, policies regarding tariffs and interconnect agreements, and

customer characteristics are some of the significant forces affecting the growth of cellular services.

Since it takes about 3-4 years for cellular operators to attain financial payback on their projects,

estimates of market size can be useful for network and investment planning. Qualitative narratives

and descriptive

statistics of the cellular sector for many countries are available from a variety of industry sources.

However, rigorous empirically based studies of cellular market growth are much more limited in

number.

Moreover, these studies do not provide much insight into the mechanics of growth in cellular

markets. Such insights can inform policymakers about the process by which growth occurs and

help develop policies that can improve cellular penetration in developing countries. They are also


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useful to service providers in planning their network rollouts and services in the face of market

competition.

With the introduction of new providers, the incumbents face erosion of their subscriber base. They

can take preemptive measures to improve the quality of their services offerings, reduce prices and

increase the breadth of their service offerings. The new operators have to battle against the

advantages of the incumbents such as existing subscriber base, economies of network operations,

network infrastructure and their financial strength.

There are other idiosyncrasies that may also need to be considered. In case of India for instance,

some of the entities that have received licenses to operate as the fourth operator in metro areas,

have prior cellular network provisioning experience in selected parts of the country. They can

reduce the roaming charges when the subscriber roams in the operator's other areas. Further, the

government owned third operator, was erstwhile monopoly operator in basic and domestic long

distance services. This operator has extensive long distance network and a sound financial base

that will enable them to cross-subsidize the cellular service and reduce prices.


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RECOMMENDATIONS


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6. Recommendations Sim card activation should not take more than 24 hrs. More talktime should be given on recharge coupon.

Rent should be brought down to minimum Rs.100 to attract students who forms majority ofmobile phone users.

Calling line(CLIP) charges should be abolished as this is the necessity of mobile users toknow the number of calling party.

Satisfaction levels of Vodafone customers are comparatively lower than Airtel customers.They should introduce reward-based schemes for its customers.

Network signal should reach underground basement with voice clarity. Vodafone need tofocus on it.

Local SMS charges should brought down to less than 50 paisa as compared to Rs.1.50.SMS is the need of students and easy way to stay in touch and have fun.

Roaming charges should be minimized.

Airtel must provide GPRS facility on prepaid as Vodafone does. This service is now invery much demand as accessing e-mail,


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internet becomes easier by GPRS. Vodafone is a winner in this. MMS is now in demand having sound and video messages. This should be provided at low

cost.

Billing complaints should be resolved within 24 hrs. Airtel should look into this matter asthey have more billing related issues.

Customer care should not take so long to provide feedback to customers.

Call pulse rate should be reduced to 15 seconds as most call end up less than this time. Thiswill save money of customers.

Customers should be given rewards or discounts for showing loyalty to service. Rewards to customers recommending others.

Free unlimited call to 1 or 2 nos. on same network without any charges.(A tribute toLOVEBIRDS)

Free calling within the group at low monthly rental.

Internet access on PC/LAPTOP through mobile be made


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BIBLIOGRAPHY


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7. Bibliography Boyd, Westfall, Starch: Marketing Research.

( Seventh Edition)

Research Methodology: C.R.Kothari.

(Second Edition)

Philip Kotler: Marketing Management.( Eleventh Edition) Company brochure of Airtel and Vodafone. www.airtelworld.com www.Vodafoneworld.com
http://www.airtelworld.com/http://www.airtelworld.com/http://www.hutchworld.com/http://www.hutchworld.com/http://www.hutchworld.com/http://www.airtelworld.com/


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Questionnaire

1. NAME: _________________________

2. AGE:

(a ) upto 25 Yrs. (b ) 26-35 Yrs.

(c ) 36-45 Yrs. (d) 46 Yrs. & above

3. SEX:

(a) Male (b) Female

4. EDUCATION LEVEL:

(a) High School (b) Undergraduate

(c) Graduate & above (d) Others___________

5. OCCUPATION:

(a ) Student (b) Service Man


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(c) Professional (d) Businessman

(e ) Other ____________

6. Which cell phone service you are using:

(a ) AIR TEL (b ) VODAFONE

7. Which category of service you are using:

(a) Prepaid (b) Postpaid

8. What is your spending per month:

(a) Upto 500 (b) Rs.501-1000

(c) Rs.1001-2000 (d) Above Rs.2000

9. How much time taken by your service provider to activate sim :

(a ) Same day (b) Next day

(c) 2-3 days (d ) More than 3 days

10. To what extent you are satisfied with Current Tariff of your cell operator:

(a) Very Satisfied (b) Satisfied

(c) Satisfied to an extent (d) Dissatisfied


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11. To what extent you are satisfied with Network Quality of your cell operator:

(a ) Very Satisfied ( b) Satisfied

(c ) Satisfied to an extent (d) Dissatisfied

12. To what extent you are satisfied with SMS Facility of your cell operator:

(a ) Very Satisfied ( b) Satisfied

(c ) Satisfied to an extent (d) Dissatisfied

13. To what extent you are satisfied with Roaming Facility of your cell operator:

( a) Very Satisfied (b) Satisfied

( c) Satisfied to an extent (d) Dissatisfied

14. To what extent you are satisfied with Voice Mail Service of your cell operator:

(a ) Very Satisfied (b ) Satisfied

(c ) Satisfied to an extent (d ) Dissatisfied

15. To what extent you are satisfied with Mobile Banking of your cell operator:

(a ) Very Satisfied (b ) Satisfied

(c ) Satisfied to an extent (d ) Dissatisfied

a study on the change in buying behavior & customer perception towards airtel vs vodafone

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