Customer orientation means that a company’s managers and employees respond to customers’ changing wants and needs. A manufacturer of plastic fasteners has created a customer satisfaction survey that it asks each of its customers to complete. The survey asks about the following factors:

(A) Lead time;

(B) Delivery;

(C) Price;

(D) Product performance.

Each factor is to be rated as unsatisfactory, marginal, average, satisfactory, or very satisfied.

a. Match the competitive forces 1 through 4 to the factors on the survey. A factor can be matched to more than one competitive force.

Survey Factor Competitive Force

A. Lead time_______ 1. Cost

B. Delivery _______ 2. Time

C. Price_______ 3. Quality

D. Product performance _______ 4. Flexibility of service

b. How can managers of this company use the information from this customer satisfaction survey to better meet competitive forces and satisfy their customers?