Marketing Research

1.0 Executive Summary

From the findings of our research we have arise few issues for Peppercorn CafÐ"©:

It is important for the cafes to provide good customer service that can satisfy customer needs therefore this strategy can provide communication between the retailer and its customer. Furthermore, the retailer in order to be able to communicate with customer could provide feedback forms where it can represent the voice of its customer whilst maintain confidentiality.

Apart from that the store layout, lighting, music, decoration, seating also are main factors in attracting and maintaining customer as this issues affects the most where comfortably of the store also affects beside the customer service provided.

In conclusion, our client Peppercorn cafÐ"© could improve their customer service skills in order to gain competitive advantage over the other cafes. It is strongly suggest that the cafes should renovate the lighting of the store as well as the decoration into modernize environment.

2.0 Statement of Management Problem

2.1 Company Background

Peppercorn CafÐ"© started its business in 1995, it operates as family business owned by Yau Fair Fong and still manages to operate until now. The cafÐ"© offers mainly western style cuisine with reasonable price for many varieties of breakfast and lunch set.

The cafÐ"© has comfortable lighting which brings more warmth atmosphere inside the cafÐ"© as we walk in more to home environment.

The business operating hours were between 8:00 to 15:00 Monday to Thursday, whereas 8:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 22:30 on Friday and Saturday. Whilst closed on Sunday and Public holidays but if public holidays falls on Friday or Saturday the CafÐ"© still open.

Peppercorn CafÐ"© has altogether 6 staff including the owner and his wife. According to the owner that they have lesser staff because their ingredients mainly homemade for example: fresh orange juice squeezed at the juice bar to maintain its taste compared to other cafÐ"© uses factory made juice. Apart from those cooking ingredients also prepared by the cafÐ"© as to maintain its quality.

2.2 Management Problem

The management must improve customer service, as well the store ambience into better appearance.

The purpose of this research was done for food industry to understand level of customer service provided. It is also to have more idea on how appearance of the business may attract customers

3.0 The Research Objectives

Therefore two research objectives have been established for this research:

Ð'* To determine areas of customer service that exactly satisfies customers

Ð'* To determine and identify what are the customers' preferences of the store in choosing places to eat and the surrounding environment.

4.0 Information needs

The information needed for the Peppercorn cafÐ"© as to improve on the area of customer service from other several types of similar industry background. Therefore business strategy could be improved if there is significance of customer service that needs to be achieved amongst others. Apart from that store outlooks and environment shows significant roles in determining customers' perception towards the cafÐ"©. Therefore customers' feedback is needed to further find the solution to current problems.

5.0 Exploratory Research

5.1 Secondary Data

Customer place an important part in food industry business therefore there is necessity to have a feedback or handling complaints from the customer. From the findings the percentage of 68 % indicates the customer quit from the cafÐ"© as a results of poor attitude of indifference towards the customers by employees. (http://www.allfoodbusiness.com/Handling_Customer_complaints.php).

Therefore employees plays important role in providing good customer service so they need to be motivated to increase employee productivity and morale, it could be in form of movie tickets, incentives, employee meals, insurance. Etc

Mushrooming of food industry is unexplainable as many varieties of offerings will be introduced. This competitive industry may also need some design on the store not only the quality of foods provided. The way to do is by modernized the store design with fresh look image as a destination of the store. This distinguishing feature will make it stand out from the crowd.

To achieve the conditions above are not enough, clean establishment also part of the store image as it makes more pleasant for the customer to visit and a better place to work. Daily maintenance on the store appearance is needed to ensure the cleanliness.

5.2 In-Depth Interview

The in-depth are conducted with Peppercorn cafÐ"© and eight other cafes within proximity to our company cafÐ"© in SS15. Information gathered by other cafes includes customers' perception on customer service provided, speed of service in serving meals, whether the company current strategies to improve the sales and if there is any promotion. Apart from that if the cafes try to attract customer through store design and other relevant information. This data gathered are useful for the decision making of Peppercorn cafÐ"© therefore from the findings our client could figure out the right solution to solve current problems.

6.0 Hypotheses Development

From our findings we conclude the following hypotheses for the Peppercorn cafe

Ho: There is no association between the level of customer service provided and frequency of visits

H1: There is association between the level of customer service provided and frequency of visits

The findings showed that the questions regarding the frequency of visiting the cafe for Ho is not acceptable as there is no association of this testing based on customer service. H1 are accepted as there is higher frequency based on customer service.

7.0 Methodology

7.1 Sampling Design

The population for our research will be the customers