Customer satisfaction in the salad industry : survey on Fresh Servant Oy

Abstract

The main aim of this thesis was to examine the customer satisfaction level within the salad industry. The case company chosen for the research was Fresh Servant Oy. Fresh Servant is also a local company and the first company in Finland to manufacture salads as ready-made meals. The food- and salad industry has changed during the last years and consumers have become more health-conscious and the competition within the ready-made meal industry has increased. Therefore, it is important to research what is the satisfactory level for the customers of Fresh Servant. To achieve the purposes set for this thesis, the research questions were set to be, what is the current level of customer satisfaction among Fresh Servant Oy customer and how does the customer satisfaction among customers of Fresh Servant Oy affect to the customer loyalty.

The theoretical framework in this thesis consists of customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as customer expectations. The research methodology was chosen with the motivation to try to find the answers to research questions in the most profound way as possible. Therefore, the research methodology chosen for this thesis was a combination of quantitative and qualitative research method. The customer satisfaction measurement was implemented as a survey for the customers of Fresh Servant. The survey was conducted in December 2023. The sample consisted of 32 customers. The survey link was distributed to the customer via different communication methods (Facebook, Email, Instagram). There were 14 different survey questions, which consisted of 10 multiple choice questions and 4 open-ended questions.

The results of the survey showed that the customers were satisfied with the products of Fresh Servant. The customer satisfaction was in some amount linked to customer loyalty. A majority of the replicants were more satisfied with Fresh Servants products compared to other similar products. Even though the customers satisfaction level was high and the customers prefer Fresh Servants products over other similar kinds of products, the consumption level was not as high as expected. This could be the topic for future research.