Case Studies in Customer Satisfaction Research

Results (cont.)
These campus publications were recently used to inform students about a low health inspection score (57 of 100 points). Administrators decided that the best defense was to inform the public as soon as possible. They contacted the student newspaper to inform students about the incident. Addressing the issue immediately avoided the possibility of students gaining any preconceived notions. The director wrote a letter to the student body as "an act of contrition on my part, not justifying, but to explain and to apologize." He explained that the 79 points which were received on the required follow-up visit represented the highest score possible. Department managers created an inspection summary to clearly identify the point deductions. They offered tours of the facility, stationed managers at mealtimes to answer questions, and visited with numerous campus groups to discuss the incident. They reached out to the student market and opened the communication channels to clarify what had actually happened. These proactive efforts paid off. Ironically, instead of a massive retreat to any of the abundant local eateries, revenues increased in the week following the incident, and continue to increase.

While this was one of the worst incidents the department ever faced, Vanderbilt Dining proactively confronted the situation and the students (often known to "vote with their feet") remained loyal customers. Administrators focused on the student's need to understand the situation and its implications. Keeping the communication channels open proved to be a successful marketing technique.

There are many small ways that the Vanderbilt Dining department markets its desire to please students. Combination meal savings, which are popular in fast food restaurants, promote value. Recycled paper napkins convey a concern for the environment to an increasingly conscientious population. "Buy-ten-get-one-free" cards encourage customers to return. Posting responses to comment cards displays a commitment to addressing the students' concerns. Student feedback at an annual food tasting event allows input on possible future items for the convenience stores. While several of these efforts may seem obvious, they arose from the market research activities discussed above. Giving students what they want increases customer satisfaction!

Conclusion
While the market research found the Vanderbilt Dining experience to be acceptable it did, however, also find room for improvement. It confirmed suspicions that the department was not maximizing its potential in serving students. For example, the results suggested renovation of campus dining facilities would enhance the atmosphere and menu selection. The changes made clearly improved both the facility's image and its financial performance, as demonstrated by students' increased patronage. Proactive open communication channels kept a possible scandalous situation from escalating. Overall, Vanderbilt Dining reaped the benefits of its marketing investment.

Continued efforts will help ensure that performance satisfies the ever-changing needs of college students.

Meeting the special needs of Vanderbilt students went beyond cost efficiency. Since the campus food service industry is not exempt from the escalating costs of higher education, controlling expenses will continue to be a challenge. Market research requires time and skills often not available in a campus dining department. Increased partnering with other student service departments may allow the sharing of administrative resources and expertise.

Vanderbilt Dining's example provides several lessons for those in the college and university food service industry. It is the responsibility of campus food services to identify and meet the dynamic needs of new generations of college students. "Different models work in different places. It all comes down to your customers' needs" (Lawn & Schuster, 1998b, p. 39). Market research can help identify the unique needs of the customers on a college campus and provide benchmark levels of satisfaction with campus food service. Since communication methods vary across campuses, so must the ways in which campus dining reaches its targeted customers. Proper utilization of new marketing tools such as the Internet will help the food service industry remain proactive. College food services can benefit from a customer-oriented philosophy. There is a need to effectively market the variety of services offered, to ensure student satisfaction and thereby contribute to the success of the institution and its students.