TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.No

TOPIC

PAGE No.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

INTRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE PRODUCT PROFILE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1-2 3-4 5-8 9-13 14

6.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

15-18

7. 8. 9.

OBSERVATIONS & FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS ANNEXURES

19-35 36-39 40-44

Phrase On Birla Cellulose

Marketing is a very big weapon what we think we make it happens. Regarding our policies we are pious there is no any personal bias. Never cheats, never fraud as customers are like a god. With all necessary checks and test Grasim would provide you the best. The best we choose opportunities we never loose. We make the things, which you would suppose with best regards Birla cellulose.

Written & presented by Gaurav-soral

A Project Report On

Customer Satisfaction Study For The Drivers Of Sodium Sulphate

With Special Reference To

Grasim Industries Limited, Baroda

Submitted To

Vishwakarma Institute Of Management, Pune

In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirement For The Award Of Degree Of

Master Of Business Administration

By

Gaurav-Soral
(2004-06)

Under The Guidance Of Mrs. Smita Sovani (Professor, VIM)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take the occasion to thank Grasim Industries Limited for giving me the opportunity to work on this project, which has immensely helped in gaining & developing my knowledge & experience. I would like to thank my institute VIM as well as Director sir Dr. Sharad L Joshi to provide me such a wonderful opportunity. I especially thank my project guide Mrs. Smita Sovani (professor, VIM) for her valuable guidance, co-operation & encouragement throughout the project. I am also Grateful to Mr. Shriniwas pandey (Senior head marketing) and Mr. Poddar (VicePresident) for providing their valuable thoughts and inputs throughout the project & kindly accepting the suggestions & recommendations given by me. I will always remain indebted to my family for their constant moral support & advice, which has helped me in every way of life. Lastly I would like to specially thank the subordinates & their superiors for their co-operation and also would like to thank to all the respondents of the survey, members of the faculty & all my other fellow summer trainees for their co-operation & co-ordination in the project along with me. Place-Baroda Gaurav-Soral

Executive Summary
Almost a hindered years ago, the world discovered a chemical named glauber s salt which is later made anhydrous & called Sodium sulphate. Demand for this versatile chemical has increasingly steadily over the years, largely because of its inherently superior characteristics as well as for the advantage of economy that it offers. At Grasim through continuous research & development, has increased the quality of the chemical to the highest level. Industries are aware that it can rely on Grasim for its full requirement of sodium sulphate. Grasim industries limited is one of the India s leading companies spread vastly throughout the whole world present study has been conducted to check out the satisfaction level of the customers. The objective of the project was to survey the facilities provided by Grasim industries limited. Further, to find out the customer satisfaction level based on various parameters for the study conducted by Grasim industries limited. This will help the company to meet the needs of the customer and improve their own standards. The analysis for the study, which in terms of improvements help the company to be up to the mark of customer expectations. The best way to find out this analysis was to take the feedback of the customers and know about their satisfaction for which the study has been conducted and discomforts that experienced. Findings of the research indicated good level of satisfaction and showed that customers are overall satisfied except some minor issues on which company is trying to improve. As Grasim is one the leading companies therefore it needs to concentrate more on providing customers with world class quality to maintain its leadership in the country. I, here by declare that this project report entitle CUSTOMER SATISFACTION STUDY FOR THE DRIVERS OF SODIUM SULPHATE with special reference to Grasim Industries Limited Birla cellulose chemical marketing head office Baroda. Which is the outcome of the summer training undergone by me from June15th 2005 to July 23rd. The empirical finding of the study is entirely based on the data collected by myself.

Grasim industries limited: A growth nucleus

Grasim industries limited (formerly known as the Gwalior rayon silk manufacturing (wvg. co. ltd.), was incorporated in Gwalior on August 25th, 1947. It is thus a matter of coincidence that the company appeared on the threshold of industrial map of the country in the same year and the month when India achieved independence and embarked upon a process of industrialization to make the country self-sufficient Grasim started its chequered career with the production of man-made fiber fabrics in a weaving shed of 18 looms in Gwalior, in 1950.since then, grasim has been ceaselessly marching-often. Sodium sulphate can be produced from natural deposits or as a by product of industrial

processes. The natural sources can be from sodium sulphate-rich brines, from the minerals mirabilite (sodium sulphate in hydrous mineral form, na2so4.10h20) or thenardite (sodium sulphate in anhydrous mineral form, na2so4), or as a co-product of nitrate or potash production. The most common industrial sources are the production of man-made fiber (rayon industries), chrome chemicals, hydrochloric acid, lithium chemicals, formic acid, and during lead battery recycling. World consumption of sodium sulphate is divided between a numbers of industries. The majority is consumed in detergents, but the textile, pulp and paper, and glass industries are also important. The remaining tonnage is accounted for by a number of applications including consumptions by the chemical industry

SODIUM SULPHATE MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES OF GRASIM INDUSTRIES LIMITED: Units at: Staple fiber division, Birla Gram Nagda (MP): The company earned a reputation of being the pioneer in the field of manufacture of viscose staple fiber and Sodium Sulphate .The immense progress achieved is all the more creditable because of the company having developed and established its present production capacity of around 72000 MT per annum purely from indigenous resources, know-how & equipment s

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Grasilene Division, Kumatpattnam Harihar (KA): Birla Cellulosics, Birla Dham, Kharach (Gujarat): It is a new green- site VSF plant in the state of Gujarat. The plant incorporates the latest state of-the-Art technology.

Research and Development

GRASIM has always been keeping research and development activities as the main objective to keep pace with the changing technology, process products and protection of environment.

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The Aditya Birla Group is among India s largest business houses. Operating in the country for over five decades and globally foe nearly 30 years, its revenues today are in excess of us $ 6 billion, with net earnings of us$ 400 million, a us$ 4.5 billion asset base, a market capital of us$ 5 billion and 7,00,000 share holders. Its 40 state of-the-art manufacturing units and sect oral services, anchored by 72000 employees criss-cross 18 countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Egypt, Canada, USA and UK. A premium conglomerate, the Aditya Birla Group is a dominant player in all of the sectors in which it operates, such as aluminium, viscose staple fiber , copper , cement, viscose filament yarn , branded apparel , chemicals, carbon, black ,fertilizers, sponge iron, insulators, power, telecom, financial services and more recently , insurance. Grasim, Hindalco, Indian rayon, Indo-gulf from its stables rank among India s top 50 most respected and admired corporations.

Grasim Industries Limited

A flagship of the Aditya Birla group is among India s 10 largest companies in the private sector in terms of assets and sales. Initially only a textile manufacturer, Grasim key Businesses are viscose staple fiber and cement. Grasim also produces sponge iron, chemicals and textiles. With ISO 9002 and 14001 certifications earned by all of its units, product quality, innovation and eco-friendliness are a hallmark of Grasim s Divisions. All of Grasim s plants are technologically on par with the best in world.

Viscose staple fiber

Grasim is India s pioneer in viscose staple fiber (VSF), a man-made, extremely versatile fiber with characteristics akin to cotton, easily blended with other fabrics. Today Grasim is India s largest and lowest cost manufacturer of VSF meeting over 90% of the countries requirements and enjoying around 24% market share world-wide. The VSF business globally accounts for 11% of the group s turnover.

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The company has its VSF plant, located at Nagda (MP), Kharach (Gujarat) and Harihar (KA), with a combined installed capacity of 220,775 tonnes per annum. Nagda is its core Unit producing a wide range of VSF to suit customer s requirements in terms of length, denier, and colour and is the largest producer of spon-dyed and specialty fiber in the world. Branded as Birla viscose , its is a positioned as a distinct and premium Viscose staple fiber in the global market. A favorable change in blend ratios, positioning VSF at the premium end of the fiber market as Fiber for feel, Fashion and comfort are other steps to take this business forward

BIRLA SODIUM SULPHATE:

Grasim is also India s largest producer of sodium sulphate a by-product of VSF manufacturing process. This chemical is widely used in the paper & pulp, detergent, glass, dyestuff, leather and textile industries. Grasim s sodium sulphate branded as BIRLA SODIUM SULPHATE is commanding premium position in the user industries, due its unmatched world class quality, performance, service and support. Consumers not only across the country but also even in overseas countries prefer to opt for BIRLA SODIUM SULPHATE in contrast to competing products. Grasim promises to meet the ever-growing demand of sodium sulphate of existing and emerging industrial sectors.

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MANUFACTURING PROCESS
VISCOSE STAPLE FIBER The basic raw material in the manufacture of viscose rayon is alpha cellulose derived from wood pulp. The cellulose is converted into alkali cellulose by steeping the raw material in a solution of caustic soda (about 18%). The excess alkali is squeezed out and recycled. The alkali cellulose is allowed to ripen and then converted to cellulose xanthate by treatment with carbon-di-sulphide. The xanthate is subsequently dissolved in dilute caustic soda solution to give a solution of proper viscosity. The resulting solution known as VISCOSE is filtered by filter presses, deaerated and stored under careful conditions. The viscose is extruded under pressure into fine jets through numerous spinnerets into spinning bath solution. The filaments so formed are cut to desired length and taken to CS2 recovery trough where CS2 liberated is condensed and recovered and the fiber free of CS2 is taken to the after treatment section. The cut filaments are first washed free of acid of water and then washed free of sulphur which is precipitated during its formation by treatment with an alkaline sodium sulphide solution. This is followed by washing with water and then bleached and washed. The fiber passes through a final stage of finishing and drying and is then conditioned to requisite moisture content and baled. The spin bath used in the process gets spent due to depletion of sulphuric acid concentration be reaction as well as the addition of water from viscose. The spent bath is filtered and sent to recovery plant where it is fed to evaporators to remove excess water and excess of sodium sulphate is recovered by crystallization. The wet salt thus recovered is then dried in rotary drum dryer and bagged. The schematic flow diagram of manufacturing processes of VISCOSE STAPLE FIBER enclosed herewith.

PAGE-5

SODIUM SULPHATE (ANHYDROUS) It is the by-product of viscose rayon industries. The spinning processes for rayon involve extruding a viscose solution through spinneret into a bath of sulphuric acid, sodium sulphate, alum, and other surface-active agents. Sodium sulphate is formed in the bath by the reaction of sodium cellulose xanthate with sulphuric acid. Sodium sulphate is then recovered from the super saturated spin bath solution by adiabatic super cooling. Sodium sulphate thus crystallized undergoes various unit operations like filtration, washing, melting, neutralizing, drying & packing. Stiochiometric calculations are as under: Cellulose xanthate + Spin bath Na2so4 + 2H2o + Cellulose

During the production of one-ton o fiber, 0.8 MT sulphuric acid is consumed which produces 0.73MT sodium sulphate & 7 MT water. It is possible to recover economically up to 65% of sodium sulphate from spin bath using various unit operations. NATURAL SODIUM SULPHATE: Natural sodium sulphate is formed be the evaporation or freezing of water containing sodium sulphate in suitable basis and lakes. It is the first mineral to form in freezing sea water and ice. When such water is cooled below freezing point, the solubility of sodium sulphate falls & mirabilite (sodium sulphate in hydrous mineral form Na2so4.10h2o) is precipitated on the bottom of the water body in seasonally controlled layers. In warmer climates, evaporation has the effect of concentrating the brine by removing water, which also induces the precipitation of sodium sulphate. Dredging is done to collect it. After collections the sodium sulphate is processed to improve its cleanliness, particle size & ease of flow, before final drying. Other Processes Of By-Product Sodium Sulphate HYDROCHLORIC ACID PRODUCTION Sodium sulphate is produced by the Mannheim as a by-product of the manufacturing of Hydrochloric Acid. Sodium Chloride and Sulphuric Acid are the reactants and are heated together in a furnace.

PAGE-6

The process produces an intermediate solution BI-Sulphite product, which is drawn off in cakes , hence the generic term salt cake . The sodium sulphate produced using this process is usually low grade & often contain impurities such as calcium, magnesium, unreacted salt & iron. CHROME CHEMICALS Chrome cake is a sodium sulphate based by-product of sodium dichromate manufacture.

Chrome cake is often left in an impure condition after production.

The raw materials required for the process are soda ash (Sodium Carbonate), lime stone & chrome, which generally contain around 50% Cr2o3. The chrome ore is crushed & the soda ash is added to create a mixture, which is then diluted with residue from the process. The new mixture is then roasted in air to form sodium chromate & carbon dioxide.

NITRATE MANUFACTURE Sodium Sulphate is being manufactured as a by-product during nitrate manufacture.

PAGE-7

Manufacturing Flow Sheet OF Viscose Staple Fiber & Sodium Sulphate (By-product)

Viscose Dept.

Spg. & Aft.dept.

Auxiliary Dept.

Slurry mixer Spin bath Regeneration Crystallization Rotary vacuum Rotary vacuum filtration Melting pan Xanthation Bleaching Evaporation Dissolver Finishing Settling Blending Drying Top feed filter Filtration 1 & 2 stage De-aeration Bailing Drum dryers Viscose staple fiber Ware-house

Homogenizatio

Fiber Regeneration

Slurry press

Cutter

Shredding

Recovery trough

Aging

Washing

Bagging

Filtration 3 Stage

Sodium Sulphate (By-product) Bagging

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1) To evaluate and analyze the satisfaction of dealers / agents with Grasim chemicals and look towards its competition regarding: Pricing issues Quality issues Order placing Dispatch & delivery issues Customer care issues After sales issues 2) To identify that whomsoever purchase or in other words drivers of purchase for sodium sulphate /Cs2: -

To know whether the customers are satisfied with product and service performance Vis a Vis their needs, desire wants and their expectations before purchase. To map the customers mind to assign weights to them based on their relative importance to customer. 3) To know the strengths and weaknesses of the company by following measures:-

Customer feedback and interviews Visiting Presentation & seminars. 4) To measure the brand image of Grasim chemicals as a company among dealers, agents. Grasim chemicals image was measured on the following parameters:Professional approach in dealing with dealers / agents Integrity in its business dealings Dealer friendly or not Loyal towards the customers Aggressive in marketing efforts Reliability of the transporters Awareness of customers of Grasim product. price, promotion & distribution

PAGE-9

5) To know various parameters whatever the business rivals of Grasim are following: Marketing strategy Price Credit policies 6) One more important aspect is transportation related issues: - incidents like chemicals get contaminated during transportation process due to: -

Delays in transporting Exposure to air Leakages in tanks 7) Some critical incidents (positives & negatives) how many times dealers had to face stock out in the past 1 year due to: -

Material not delivered on time Defective lot

8) To identify the drivers of purchase for sodium sulphate/cs2 To identify the key parameters customers use to evaluate sodium sulphate/cs2 and service quality Are Grasim customers satisfied with product and service performance Vis a Vis their expectations before purchase? To map the customers mind to assign weights to them based on their relative importance to the consumer 9) Customer satisfaction for sodium sulphate/cs2 and key user segments/industries

Sodium sulphate - Glass Industry Paper Industry Soaps and Detergents Dyestuff Manufacturing Textile Processing CS2 -Pesticide Industry

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10) To determine customer satisfaction level with grasim individually and benchmark it vis a vis competitors

To estimate the customer satisfaction level with Grasim and its competitors on various attributes? Are they dissatisfied with Grasim and its competitors on various attributes? What are the reasons for dissatisfaction? 11) Identify extent of affection consumers have for Grasim through intent to recommend

To determine correlation between overall satisfaction with Grasim and recommending it to customers (this can be understand with the help of the following diagram)

Happy and satisfied customers Satisfied Unhappy and dissatisfied customer ?

Recommend against Grasim Does not actively recommend Recommends against Grasim

Parameters to be evaluated

Product quality

Output yield o Do sodium sulphate / carbon disulphide add value to the final product?

Rework o Handling the rejected lot

Lot consistency / meeting specific parameters / meeting ordered quantity. o Consistency in terms of quality of the product. o Consistency in terms of quantity (as per the requirement) o Consistency in terms of timely delivery (as per the commitments)

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Transaction quality

Service quality

o Customer care Warmth and enthusiasm of the sales team Helpful co-operative attitude of the sales team Frequency of visits Accessibility Interest taken in how chemical is performing in manufacturing process o Pricing issues Competitive price Price stability Fairness in price o Credit policies Length of credit period Commercial issues o Order placing Ease of order placing Ease of pricing negotiation Keeping you informed about the status of the order o Dealer / agent service (wherever applicable) o Delivery issues Timely delivery Getting chemicals as per the specification on purchase order Ensuring effective transportation issues Providing complete documentation with consignment Responsiveness o Responsiveness to complaints made o Responsiveness to queries Flexibility o Flexibility in accommodating changes o Flexibility in accommodating changes in delivery schedules

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Speed of transactions o Order placing, order processing o Dispatch and delivery o Payment and billing o Paper work / formalities Perceptions & feelings / image o Professional approach to customer / dealer o Clean is business dealings o Fast growing company o Fair profit margins to dealers (applicable to dealers only) o Promotional / informative material provided is appealing o Aggressive sales team o Transporters of Grasim is reliable o Grasim customers aware of the product mix o Grasim customers aware of the ISO status Comfort levels o Critical good / bad incidents Technical ability o Technical support o Frequency of visit of technical person Complaint handling o Complaint handling system o Speed of response to complaint o Complaint answered / not answered Problem solving o Frequency of problems faced o Time taken to solve problems o Problems solved / not solved

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1. Overall approach

The respondents (dealers /agents) for this study were clearly defined and identifiable. They are also geographically spread out. So we adopted the following approach One to one personal interviews with dealers / agents the study The distributors were met as through we conducting an industry wide study of best practices to get a fair, unbiased opinion. who were located in cities in the ambit of

2. Sampling procedure

The dealers / agents were selected from the list provided by Grasim in such a way To represent all Major dealers / agents in terms of volume of business they give to Grasim chemicals

3. Target respondents The person who is in charge of the day to day running of the business, as specified by Grasim Chemicals were contacted for this study

4. Sample size The total number of dealers / agents we interviewed were 19 the study was conducted in the following cities: Nagda (Madhya Pradesh) Kharach (Gujarat) Harihar (Karnataka)

Break up of dealers interviewed area wise: Zone North South West Sample size 7 5 7

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Objectives: To undertake a customer satisfaction survey among the existing customers Customers expectations as they are now Customer satisfaction levels today Relative importance s of different factors driving satisfaction Deliverables: Performance score cards for the sodium sulphate & CS2 and competition on overall and each of the factors that drive satisfaction Prioritized list of improvement action areas Comparison with earlier data Customer-by-customer dossiers to enable focussed containment as well as develop systematic remedies Customer expectations and standards and tolerance zones on select priority set of factors affecting buying behavior Benchmarks of the best of class in India from various databases. A customer satisfaction index for the sodium sulphate & CS2

Customer Satisfaction Measurement:

1. Satisfaction with respect to Product quality Output yield Rework Lot to lot consistency in conformance specification Meeting specific parameters Meeting ordered quantity

2. Satisfaction with respect to Transaction quality Service quality Responsiveness Flexibility Speed in each of the transaction areas such as quotation, payment, delivery time, deliveries, access to information etc.

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3. Satisfaction with Relationship quality Perceptions and feelings Image Comfort levels such as perceived Customer orientation Technical ability Complaint handling Problem solving

4. Competition Benchmark To be obtained from customers with multiple vendors on all the dimensions Sample sizes A Customers: consume large quantities & are vulnerable to competition attack (nos. to be contacted: 25) Other customers: (nos. to be contacted: 52) Respondents two persons to be met as per customers: User : for Product and relationship quality

Dealing person : for Transaction and relationship quality

Why customer satisfaction measurement (Thinking of buying Sodium Sulphate / CS2) So how a customer does arrives at the decision to choose a particular supplier Therefore it is very important to map the consumers mind properly

Identifying key factors in purchase decision

Identify parameters on which the prospective customer evaluates options Identify relative weights the buyer attaches to these parameters. Consumer Y prefers different parameters to consumer X He gives different weightages to different parameters

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Expectation Vs Delivery
The chemical consumer has given most weightage in buying process to Price: Price is a critical factor as it directly increases cost of production Lead-time: He wants the supplier who delivers chemicals at a very short notice of placing the order Quality: Product should meet required specifications Transportation costs: He wants to purchase from the nearest supplier so that his transportation costs are least Reliability He wants a supplier who sticks to his commitments Where does Grasim stand with respect to his expectations?

Where are the missing lines?

The customer

Dealer / agent (Sodium Sulphate)

Production

Marketing

Accounts

Grasim
Does he receive delivery on time; is Sodium sulphate / CS2 as per his specifications? Is he happy with the manufacturer, Does he have adequate stocks? Does he make a repeat purchase? Are the credit policies attractive?

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Management Summary
A moderate dealer satisfaction index of 70.3 / 100.0 observed for Grasim chemicals Satisfaction level is the lowest in west zone There is a wide scope for improvement in terms of dealer satisfaction Most important factors for sodium sulphate dealers are o Quality o Price o Time delivery Grasim chemicals are well known among their dealers for their quality. Highest satisfaction level is observed on Quality of sodium sulphate among all the factors. But there are some issues regarding packaging that deteriorate the quality of the product during transportation leading to delivery of defective lots , especially in west and north Extreme dissatisfaction is observed regarding pricing policy of Grasim Grasim gets lowest satisfaction on pricing issues-particularly in north and west zone. Dealers in south are comparatively more contented Dealers complaint o Margins are low o Pricing policy defers from dealer to dealer

o Prices are not negotiable No major issues regarding time taken for delivery But dealers in north are facing the problem of pilferage/ leakage during delivery to a great extent Sodium sulphate dealers recognize Grasim for its reputation but not for fair commercial policies They do not find the commercial policies dealer friendly. They feel marketing efforts are not sufficient o Problem of by passing the dealers o Technical support is not provided o Visits by sales team are not sufficient o Complaints made by dealers are not resolved Dealers in west zone are not happy with performance of sales people. There are complaints about non co-operation of sales people and are lack of knowledge

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Factors behind choosing a particular supplier

Quality is the foremost thing that most dealers look for. Price and timely delivery are the other important aspects considered.

most important factors while choosing a dealer

100 80 60 40 20 0 % of dealers ( figures in the bracket indicate No. of dealers giving particular response) Quality (=17) Price (=12) Delivery (=7) Quality (=17), 90

Price

(=12), 63 Delivery (=7) , 37

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Dealer Satisfaction Index

The Overall Satisfaction Index with Grasim Is 70.3 /100.0 (D.S.I Zone Wise Parameter Wise)

Overall

West

North

South

Overall index

70.3

64.3

75.6

71.9

Quality Order placing, dispatch & delivery Commercial policies & image of the company

84.2

85.7

87.5

79.2

82.7

82.1

88.1

78.1

76.8

70.0

79.2

82.5

Performance of sales team

75.0

62.3

87.5

76.7

Accuracy & timely resolution of payments Customer care & technical support Marketing efforts Pricing issues

71.9

63.7

83.3

68.9

65.2

58.0

71.8

66.5

63.4

62.1

66.7

61.3

52.8

46.3

51.0

62.5

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Satisfaction with Grasim Quality and marketing efforts

Overall Dealer Satisfaction Index (Average ratings)
Quality of chemicals 84.2 Marketing efforts of the company 63.4 5

Promotional support (catalogues, brochures etc. 51.5

Quality of chemicals Marketing efforts of the company Promotional support ( catalogues, brochures etc.

Totally Satisfied Satisfied Satisfied except for minor issues Dissatisfied Totally Dissatisfied

5 4 3 2 1

Overall DSI On quality = 84.2/100.0 Overall DSI On marketing efforts =63.4/100.0 Quality of sodium sulphate is satisfactory Marketing efforts and promotional activities are not sufficient

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Questionnaire
Parameters (5 most important in order of buying importance) and that are:1. Quality of chemicals. 2. Price competitiveness. 3. Credit policies. 4. Lead time for delivery. 5. Flexibility in accommodating changes. 6. Overall rating.

On all the above parameters the customers are interviewed:-

Name of the companies interviewed HLL

Quality of Chemicals

Price Competitive ness

Credit Policies

Lead time for delivery

Flexibility in Accommoda ting Changes

Overall rating

Fully satisfied

Satisfied except for minor issues

Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied

Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied

Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied

Fully satisfied Satisfied except for minor issues Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Totally dissatisfie d Totally dissatisfie d Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Satisfied except for minor issues Fully satisfied

BILT

Jaysynth Dyechem Arvind Mills Sanjay Chem. Merchem ltd

Satisfied Satisfied except for except for minor minor issues issues Fully Fully satisfied satisfied Fully Fully satisfied satisfied Fully satisfied Satisfied except for minor issues Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Totally dissatisfied Fully satisfied Totally dissatisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied Fully satisfied

Rallies India ltd Vithal drugs Indofil chem.. Finornic chem..

What are the things on which company is not doing well? Suggestions made by the customers.

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Questionnaire was designed to know the Issues Grasim need to address:-

West
Pricing policy (5) Fair commercial practices (3) Quality (1) Complaint handling (1)

North
Pricing policies (3) Fair commercial practices (3) Packaging (3) Correct weight (3) Quality (1) Delivery commitment (1) Marketing efforts (1)

South
Pricing policy (3) Packaging (2) Quality (2) Delivery commitment (2) (Figures in the brackets indicate No. of dealers giving the particular response)

Base

West 7

North 6

South 6

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Grasim Pricing Why do I pay a premium?

__ Long Relationship (in west & north)

__ Good Quality

How does a grasim charge for sodium sulphate?

Pie chart showing The prices Charged by Grasim

Premium price 39%

Discounted price 6%

Price as prevailing in the market 55%

Price as prevailing in the market Discounted price Premium price

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Pricing Issues

Overall DSI on 'pricing issues' =52.8/100.0

Overall 19 South 6 North 6

5

West 7

1 Price being charged

Profit margins to dealers

Ease of negotiating the price

Credit policies

Totally satisfied Satisfied Satisfied except for minor issues

5 4 3

Dissatisfied Totally dissatisfied

2 1

Low satisfaction on all issues related to pricing Dealers do not feel they are getting enough profit margins Relatively higher satisfaction is seen in south zone

Overall Base 19

West 7

North 6

South 6

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Issues related to sodium sulphate

Issues related to delivery of sodium sulphate

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Overall West Series1 Series2 North Series3 South 16 16 % 32 29 33 17 57 50

Defective lot

Delivery not on time

Leakage/pilferage

No major issues in south regarding delivery of sodium sulphate, except for delays in delivery sometimes.

Dealers in west and north are facing more problems. o Defective lots are received sometimes o Leakage/pilferage of the chemical is a peculiar problem in north zone

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Complaints made to Grasim

West Company should help dealers by providing sales policy and sales support to them so that a dealer can make his position strong in the market Regarding quality. Material was lumpy. It happened 4 to 5 times Material dispatch, rates, quantity and commitment

North They appointed new dealer with the guarantee of not disturbing existing dealer. But they did so. We made complaints but no action was taken. Weight shortage: packing quality. First they used to give double packing. Now they have increased the price and reduced packaging quality. Regarding packaging of chemicals. Quality complaint. Proportion of acid is more. We get technical problems. The packing of the material in such that sometimes pilferage or leakage tends to happen. Still the problem persists

South About the quantity Packing was not good because it got damage immediately

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Accuracy and timely resolution of payments

Overall DSI on 'accuracy and timely resolution of payments' = 71.9/100.0 (Average ratings)
5 4

Accuracy of accounts

Timely receipt of accounts statements

Timely issue of credit notes

Overall =>

West

North

South

Totally satisfied Satisfied Satisfied except for minor issues Dissatisfied Totally dissatisfied

5 4 3 2 1

Overall Base 19

West 7

North 6

South 6

Accuracy is not a major issue But receipts are not issued on time

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Why Grasim Is The Exclusive 35 dealer (=6), 32 Good Good quality of experience 30 products (=5), (=5), 26 26 25
20 15 10 5 0

Most Preferred

Good service (=3), 16 Reputated Capacity of company (=2), production (=1), 11 5 Proximity (=1), 5

% of Dealers ( the figure in brackets indicate No. of dealers giving the particular response ) Exclusive dealer (=6) Good quality of products (=5) Good experience (=5) Good service (=3) Reputated company (=2) Capacity of production (=1) Proximity (=1)

Dealers only in west & north Dealers mainly in south

Good quality, Good service, Reputation are the strengths of Grasim

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Transportation issues

Most dealers have their own arrangement for transportation of sodium sulphate. Dealers in north and west need a solution to pilferage of the chemical during transportation Fast delivery is required in south.

Manufacturer / supplier, 11%

your company, 89%

West Insurance of material. Pilferage issue with company s transport.

North The company could arrange quotes from various transporters to ensure that nobody is overcharging and if the company could arrange transportation themselves. They have to stop the pilferage of chemicals. Hassle free system.

South Good quality of product and fast delivery. They should avoid annual contract transport. Prompt delivery in due time and reasonable rent.

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Specifications of sodium sulphate required

Appearance: o Crystal clear (16) o Free flowing (3) o As per specification (1) Solubility: o As per specification (13) o Good solubility (2) Colour: o White (5) o As per specification (1) The chemical has to be clear and white. Solubility varies as per requirement of customers.

Factors behind choosing a particular supplier

Some other factors considered o Good service (4) o Packing (3) o Rapport of the company (3) o Complaint handling process (2) o Profit margins (2) o Long term relationship(2) o Communication with dealers (2) o Payment terms (2) o Capacity of production (1)

(Note: Figures in the brackets indicate No. of dealers giving the particular response) Overall Base 19

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Reasons for dissatisfaction with Grasim Marketing efforts

West They do not pay attention to dealers. Up till now they have not provided promotional support. Should be aggressive. Improvement is needed.

North No promotional support. Marketing efforts-There is no forum (meetings) where such discussion can take place.

South Very less promotional support. There are no marketing efforts. There are no promotional activities.

Note: The responses are views of a single dealer each unless specified

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Pricing issues

West Low profit margins (4) o According to policy the margin is very low. o There is no profit margin o Low margins o High payments are to be made and the margin is also low. Cash discount, quantity discount should be increased by at least 1.5%. Price is high (2) o Prices of other companies are competitive. Pricing policy is not good. Price of the material varies from customer to customer.

North Low margins (4) o Low margins o Not remunerative o Very low margin given by the company o Margin is not good. Not negotiable (3) o Not negotiating o No, they are very rigid on their price; they never care for long relationship. o Company remains adamant on its price. Give us at least three months credit time. Cash payment is made. High price charged.

South Low margins (3) o Low margins o Very low margins o Too low margins High rates (2) There is no credit facility (2) Not flexible. PAGE-33

Reasons for dissatisfaction with Grasim

Customer care issues & Technical support

North Technical support-There is no problem regarding packaging, weight. Customer complained handling system-There is no room for improvement. Technical support-There is no interaction. Customer complaint handling system-Not much effective. No technical support provided. Very rarely technical people visit.

South No technical support (2) Not giving response on quality problems. No proper access. There is no promptness in responding to queries Customer complaint handling system-very poor Technical support-They do not visit There is no service.

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Reasons for dissatisfaction with Grasim

Accuracy and Timely Resolution of Payments

West Not receiving receipt on time (3) Not receiving credit notes on time (2) Credit notes should be given. Quantity discount should be given Sometimes we cannot tally the accounts

North Periodic statement is not given. No response to our statement.

South They are not sending the account statements timely. They do not send account statements. They did not send credit notes timely.

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CONCLUSION
As a student I would like to conclude my work experience as a summer trainee in India s leading company Grasim Industries Limited (A FLAGSHIP OP ADITYA BIRLA GROUP) for about 38 days to know about customers satisfaction from the study conducted. The work was really very interesting means how a travel company operates, and what are the services they are providing to their customers. Actually the main function of the company was to find out the drivers for sodium sulphate in others who are the customers who will buy their product, and what are the key parameters, which a customer looks when he goes to buy the product. As a summer trainee, I have to find out the things on which company is not doing well for this i have given the responsibility to take the online feedback as the company product is industrial and the customers are located wide-spread and also to give seminars along with my seniors who guided me and make me understand what to do and in what manner. EXPERIENCED GAINE FROM SUMMER TRAINING: I learned how to approach with the customers. Learned how to sell an industrial product in an effective way. I learned how to built customer relationship During summers when I was in Baroda I was stuck in a very critical situation mean to say flood has come over there and almost the whole city was spread out with water therefore it was a great experience to work in that type of situation and I am very thankful to god as well as my bosses (seniors) who helped me out. That was I called to me one of the terrific moment of my life as the suggestions given by me are not only accepted but they admired me for that as well as one of the phrase which is there in the beginning of the report has been published in their book ADITYA KIRAN which is published annually I the late memory of Aditya birla This is all because of the college as I was using as well as implementing the marketing techniques, which I have learnt during my studies.

With best wishes to Grasim Industries Limited

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1) Comparison of satisfied v/s dissatisfied customers. Satisfied on which aspect as well as dissatisfy on which aspect, dissatisfaction can be lead by following points. The competitor s product is available in the market at a cheaper rate. Discount would not be given to customer. Degree of responsiveness, dissatisfaction can be lead by responsiveness! In other words if proper response can not be given to customer such as: Customer complaints should be sorted out on time Service centre are not near to customers. Credit policy should be different for every category Terms of credit (a) For A category-grace period, some relaxation (b) For B category-credit limit, grace period

2) Frequent meetings should be done immediately after sales or service, where customers are allowed to raise their issues for such type of meetings marketing personnel must be appointed.

3) Online registration of complaints would be done in a following format:Name of customer. Address. Contact number. E-mail address. Date of purchase. Location. Problem type. Complaint number. After the following procedure one or two person s are given the responsibility for each area.

4) Before the delivery of goods certain checks are necessary:Whether the supply meets the ordered quantity. Consistency in supplies. Replacement of the defective goods.

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5) Auditing of the stock must be done time to time so as to meet the requirement of the customer at any time.

6) Product differentiation: - whatever we are producing must be different from our competitor s, differentiation regarding. Quality or service. Price. Packaging. Standards. Quantity. Marketing strategy.

7) Forecasting market trends.

8) Flexibility in accommodating changes: - such as Lead time for delivery. Credit policies. Place of delivery.

9) Take care of the future expectation of customers, their perception, needs, wants, desires & preferences.

10) Market survey should be done time to time so as to know: Customer needs and wants. Customer own insights and judgments. Brand image.

11) One advisory committee must be formed in which some customers are given membership so that they can advise us & helps to rectify the errors or mistake we are making such as: - regarding Quality of raw materials. Dispatching of goods. Transportation.

12) Promote amongst all agents, employees of the company a sense of participation.

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13) Involve all the people working in the company to ensure efficient & courteous service to the customers.

14) Innovate and adapt to meet the changing needs of the customers.

15) In order to attain higher satisfaction level among sodium sulphate dealers, Grasim need to improve on the following aspects:Reconsider pricing policy. Do not bypass dealers and approach end users directly Improve packaging to maintain quality and prevent leakage during transportation Take action to stop pilferage of the chemical Take up more marketing efforts and promotional activities Regular visits of sales team and provide support to dealers Train the sales team to enhance product knowledge and work more proficiently

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Grasim Industries Limited List Of Customers

Segment Wise customer Name (A) Paper 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 A.p paper mills, Rajahmundry BILT, Gurgaon BILT (APR), Kamlapuram BILT, Ballarshah BILT, Sewa HPCL, Kolkata Hindustan news print, k yam Hindustan paper, J road/Cachar ITC limited (BPB), Sec bad JK paper limited, Delhi JK paper mills, Rayagarh JK paper mills (CPM), Songarh Mysore paper, Bhadravathi Orient paper mill, Amlai Sirpur paper mill, Sirpur Star paper mill, Saharanpur T.N.P.L. k puram West coast paper, Dandeli (B) DETERGENTS 19 20 21 H.L.L group Henkel spic Group Procter & Gamble, Mandideep (C) GLASS 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 A.G.I. GLASS, Hyderabad Float Glass India Limited, Taloja Gujarat Borosil LTD.Govali Gujarat Guardian, Kondah Harayana sheet glass group Hng group (OBL) Saint Gobain glass , Chennai Triveni sheet glass group Harihar 12 12 133 36 10 279 44 60 18 316 53 142 25 17 143 35 Nagda Nagda Nagda 262 134 169 259 322 128 422 Nagda 323 201 114 121 178 109 135 161 208 64 75 189 222 152 127 197 229 Harihar Nagda Harihar 137 778 269 121 883 273 108 777 202 Harihar Nagda Nagda 206 192 54 287 186 150 276 244 181 Supplies From Harihar Lifting trends Fy 01 Fy 02 Fy 03 Fy 04 163 121

S.No

Kharach 77 Harihar Nagda Nagda Nagda Harihar Harihar 78 166 106 60 266 173

Kharach 119 Kharach 45 Kharach 13 Nagda Nagda Harihar Nagda 156 28 163 19

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S.No

Segment Wise customer Name

Supplies From Fy 01

Lifting trends Fy 02 Fy 03 Fy 04

(D) Other Consumer Segments {D-1} Textile Processing 30 31 32 33 Abhishek Industries, Barnala Maral overseas LTD, Neemrani Paras fab int, Khuskheda Welspun terry towels, Vapi {D-2} Dyestuff Manufacturers 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 Basf (I) LTD, Bangalore Bayer Indian Syantans, Madurai Coloursynth group, Surat Formokem (I) corp, Mumbai Gharda chem. Dombivali Jaysynth Dye chem., Mumbai Orgochem (Guj) pvt. LTd, Surat J.K pharma Chem, Caddalur (E) DEALERS 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 Arun Mithun, Erode Bannari Amman Chemical distributor, Agra Gaurav enterprises, Nagda Gem enterprises Goyal chemitrade, Rewari Kanpur chemicals, Kanpur Karneet enter, Bangalore Kushal chemicals, Delhi Madurai Meenakshi, Madurai Mehta brothers, Ahmedabad Nisha dye chem., Ahmedabad Sanjay chemicals (Popatlal), A bad Shree umiya sales, A bad Singhania chemicals, Ludhiana SVS chemical, Pune Swastichem {MIPCO}, Erode Harihar Harihar Nagda Nagda Harihar Nagda Nagda Harihar Nagda Harihar Kharach Kharach Kharach Kharach Nagda Nagda Harihar 181 74 33 51 101 84 74 72 27 102 79 77 31 107 20 123 80 31 194 121 33 64 2 10 16 15 3 11 30 23 9 25 31 94 76 70 34 103 18 130 81 216 238 105 50 46 Harihar Harihar Kharach Kharach Kharach Kharach Harihar 8 17 36 18 1 21 19 27 19 29 43 16 18 22 21 50 82 26 18 25 Nagda Kharach Nagda Kharach 128 62 26 91 66 24 79 64 50 24 9

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S.No

Segment Wise customer Name

Supplies From Fy 01

Lifting trends Fy 02 Fy 03 Fy 04

59 60 61

Tarun chemicals, Delhi Jain acid & chemicals, Nagpur Trivenkem agencies, C tore CUSTOMERS SERVED THROUGH DEALERS

Nagda Nagda Harihar

188 30 20

206 30 32

198 30 52

62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

Faruki glass LTD, Faridabad Ashnoor textiles LTD, Sahajanpur Arsham textiles mills LTD Hotz industries, Noida Jai mata glass, Firozabad Universal glass, Firozabad Sky lead / Sky link chemicals, Bhavnagar Jai chem... Industries, Ahmedabad Arvind mills LTD, Ahmedabad Transpeck industries LTD, Baroda Mahaveer spinning mills LTD, Ludhiana Shri mahila gruh Udyog (det. Div) LTD Vanasthali textiles mills LTD, Sahajanpur

Nagda Nagda Nagda Nagda Nagda Nagda Nagda Kharach Kharach Kharach Nagda Nagda Nagda Nagda Nagda

15 15 30 15 30 15 18 20

15 15 30 15 30 15 18 20

15 15 30 15 30 15 18 20

30 30 30 30 15

30 30 30 30 15

30 30 30 30 15

Bhalla chemical works, Gurgaon 75 76 P.D industries LTD, Kanpur/ Noida

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Customer Response Form Dear Sir / Madam At the outset, we would like to thank you for your participation in the study and as loyal customers of the company from the last so many years, due to the heartiest support and wonderful response extended by customers like you that, we have grown by leaps and bounds. More request you to spend your valuable time and fill an the questionnaire online, so the we would be able to make some improvements as well as to extend and offer better facilities to our valued customers. Name of the customer: ______ Registration number: ______ Name of the company: _______ Location of the company: ______ Contact number: _______

Date & quantity of purchase: ______ Issues related to the following points: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Quality of the chemicals __ Satisfied yes/ no if no state your reason Price competitiveness __ Satisfied yes/ no if no state your reason Credit policies __ Satisfied yes/ no if no state your reason Lead time for delivery __ Satisfied yes/ no if no state your reason Flexibility in accommodating changes__ Satisfied yes/ no if no state your reason

The services provided by Grasim Location 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Excellent/ good / fair / poor / bad Name of the company Grade of the service

What are the steps that you think the company have to taking in consideration? Additional comments / Suggestions, if any:

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The staff members in the _______ office, to whom you are dealing with 1. Courteous 2. Helpful with all details Yes / No Yes / No Yes / No

3. Having current and authentic information Additional comments, if any:

Will you continue dealing with the company in future also and what do you think the company had done well in the past: Your comments: -

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