Customer feedback online: case studies of Swedish manufacturing SMEs

Abstract: Keeping existing customers as well as attracting new ones have been a
critical concern to many firms. Collecting and monitoring customer feedback
online in these regard have given firms the possibility to assess and
upgrade their services and product capabilities as needed to maintain and
improve competitiveness. This thesis aims at exploring and describing the
tools used by SMEs to collect customer feedback online, their components
and the criteria used in selecting these Internet-based tools. The research
is deductive and qualitative. Multiple in-depth case studies were conducted
on three SMEs in Luleå, Norrbotten region of Sweden all of which are
engaged in customer feedback collection online. Documentation and personal
interviews were used. The data collected was analysed in a cross-case
analysis. Based on a threefold purpose and a conceptual framework, we
concluded that e-mail is the most dominant tool though supported by other
online tools. These tools are also supplemented with other offline means
such as questionnaire, telephone and focus group meetings. Components of an
internet-based customer feedback system and the criteria for assessing an
Internet-based customer feedback collection tool also were identified.