Analyzing Digital Tech's Impact on Customer Relations in UK Fast Food

This study investigates the impact of digital technology, particularly social media, on customer relationships within the UK fast food sector. It covers an introduction to the research background, objectives, and scope, followed by a literature review highlighting the positive correlation between digital technology and customer relations, including strategies like customer service tools and email marketing. The research employs a deductive approach and mixed-methods design, utilizing both primary and secondary data collected from 50 employees. Data analysis involves statistical methods using SPSS and MsExcel. The study concludes by offering recommendations for improving digital technology practices in customer relationship management within the UK fast food industry, emphasizing the crucial role of technology in enhancing business operations and customer satisfaction. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and research resources for students.

Running Head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT
The Impact of Digital technology (Social media) on customer relationship within the UK fast food sector

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Abstract
The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the role of social media on customer relationship in the
UK fast food sector. The introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and
findings, and conclusion and recommendation is discussed in this study. The introduction section
could be effective in collecting information about the concepts and meaning of the research
background. This section is also effective in gaining the knowledge about research objectives and
scope of the study as it will be effective for completing the study. The literature review demonstrated
that the technology is being an imperative part of the business due to eliminating the probability of
failure from the business operation by making easily process of business through customer relations.
The literature review could also supported that there is positive relationship between the digital
technology and customer relationship. In the literature review section, different strategies has been
discussed named customer service tool, E-mail method, communication tool, and training and
development method. In this study, the research scholar is practiced deductive approach for evaluating
the data by considering the research hypothesis. In this study, the mixed research design is practiced
by the investigator as it supports to get the conceptual and numerical information about the research
issues. The secondary and primary data collection also be practiced as they also is supportive in
getting the non-factual and factual data by available and first handed data sources. This process will
consider statistical information and non-statistical data analysis method for evaluating conceptual and
statistical data about the current research matter. The researcher has selected 50 employees to conduct
this study and make favourable decision in the context of the current matter. Further, the researcher
uses ethical norms for conducting the study in a systematic manner. In this process, SPSS and Ms-
Excel software are practiced by the researcher to evaluate the data and meet the research aim.
Moreover, the recommendation and conclusion section is imperative in summarizing the whole
research as it is associated with the relationship between social media and customer relationship.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction..........................................................................................................................4
Research title.....................................................................................................................................4
Research aim and objectives..............................................................................................................4
Research questions............................................................................................................................4
Research background.........................................................................................................................4
Research significance........................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Literature review..................................................................................................................6
Chapter 3: Research methodology.........................................................................................................9
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................9
Research approach.............................................................................................................................9
Research design.................................................................................................................................9
Data collection method......................................................................................................................9
Data analysis method.......................................................................................................................10
Sampling method.............................................................................................................................10
Ethical consideration.......................................................................................................................11
Research limitation..........................................................................................................................11
Survey through questionnaire..............................................................................................................11
A. Keep Customers Up to Date....................................................................................................13
B. Easier Questions and Feedback................................................................................................13
C. Effective Delivery....................................................................................................................13
D. Customer Service Management...............................................................................................13
E. Efficiency and Pricing.............................................................................................................13
F. All of the above.......................................................................................................................13
Chapter 4: Data Analysis and findings................................................................................................14
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendation.......................................................................................30
References...........................................................................................................................................31
Table 1: Gender...................................................................................................................................15
Table 2: Age........................................................................................................................................16
Table 3: Experience.............................................................................................................................16
Table 4: Use digital technology...........................................................................................................17
Table 5: Reason of using digital technology........................................................................................18
Table 6: How often you used digital tool.............................................................................................19
Table 7: Digital technology is benificial..............................................................................................20
Table 8: Disadvatges of using digital technology................................................................................21
Table 9: Effective marketing strategy..................................................................................................22

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Table 10: Digital technology is vital....................................................................................................23
Table 11: Customers retaion affect the business..................................................................................24
Table 12: Technology innovation........................................................................................................25
Table 13: activity completed by the digital technology.......................................................................26
Table 14: role of digital technology in customer relation....................................................................27
Table 15: Customer service technology...............................................................................................28
Chart 1: Gender...................................................................................................................................15
Chart 2: Age........................................................................................................................................16
Chart 3: Experience.............................................................................................................................17
Chart 4: Use digital technology...........................................................................................................17
Chart 5: Reason of using digital technology........................................................................................18
Chart 6: How often you used digital tool.............................................................................................19
Chart 7: Digital technology is benificial..............................................................................................20
Chart 8: Disadvatges of using digital technology................................................................................21
Chart 9: Effective marketing strategy..................................................................................................22
Chart 10: Digital technology is vital....................................................................................................23
Chart 11: Customers retaion affect the business..................................................................................24
Chart 12: Technology innovation........................................................................................................25
Chart 13: activity completed by the digital technology........................................................................26
Chart 14: role of digital technology in customer relation.....................................................................27
Chart 15: Customer service technology...............................................................................................28

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Research title
The Impact of Digital technology on customer relationship within the UK fast food sector.
Research aim and objectives
Aim of the study is to examine the impact of digital technology (social media sources) on making the
customer relationship for the UK fast-food sector.
 To comprehend the conceptual information about the digital technology and customer
relationship
 To address the impact of digital technology on customer relationship within the UK fast food
sector
 To recommend the strategies for improving practices of digital technology in customer
relationship within the UK fast food sector
Research questions
 What is the meaning and concept of digital technology and customer relationship (Yes, I am
going to look at their different meanings and concepts)
 What is the impact of digital technology on customer relationship within the UK fast food
sector
 What are strategies used for improving practices of digital technology in customer
relationship within the UK fast food sector
Research background
In the current business era, it is essential for the organisation to improve their existing knowledge
about digital technology to improve their relationship with consumers and retain them for the long-
term. Moreover, it is stated that digital technology offers a way to the organisation for operating a
business and sustain their business in the marketplace (Hair Jr, et al., 2015). The social media of
digital communication could also support an organisation to directly communicate with their
consumers and get feedback on goods and services for increasing the satisfaction level of consumers
(Fernie, 2014). The organisation could consider the training and development method to employee for
gaining knowledge of them about the different sources of social media to make the reliable
relationship with the consumers and attract them to have goods and services of UK fast food industry.
The digital technology is an imperative way for operating business in an effective way (Aung and
Chang, 2014).
Research significance
This study is effective for the researcher to increase their conceptual understanding about the digital
technology as well as customer relationship. Further, it supports to improve knowledge of investigator
towards the impact of digital technology on customer relationship within the UK fast food sector. This
study is effective for evaluating the research concern, which will lead to easily solve the research
matter. Lastly, it could be effective in obtaining the information about the strategies used 0by the

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company for improving practices of digital technology in customer relationship within the UK fast
food sector.

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Chapter 2: Literature review
Fernie and Sparks (2018) state that technology is a significant part of the firm as it assist to improving
the whole process of business functions. It could increase probability of getting higher competitive
benefits.In the 21st century, each organisation has used digital technology (social media sources) to
operate the business and meet it's targeted in leats time and cost. Fernie and Sparks (2018) stated that
social media is technology that enables to the firm for communicating with specified consumes and
share the unique feature of their products and services. Along with this, organization could also
demonstrates the customer’s value, which will lead to the organization for improving their overall
business by enhancing the productivity of the firm. For illustration, an organisation has used digital
technology as it would facilitate to increase the awareness of goods and services among consumers.
This tool could also be effective in increasing the demand for particular goods and services. The
digital technology could lead to the firm for boosting the financial performance of the firm in the least
time by eliminating the risk of firm and
In addition, modern technology like could lead to the firm for boosting the financial performance of
the firm in the least time.
Apart from this, Panagiotopoulos et al. (2015) examined that consumer relationship could play an
imperative role in the failure and success of a particular business. Strong relation could support to
build brand loyalty as well as increasing the business reputation because the poor consumer service
could negatively impact on the image of a business. It could affect the overall performance of the
organisation. Technical innovation could make an easy process of interaction between consumer and
employees. It could lead to the firm for spreading awareness of goods and services among a large
number of consumers and complete their organisational task.
In contrast to this, Grant, (2016) stated that digital technology is being an integral part of each
business due to supporting to make the decision about a specified organisational goal. The main
reason of the application of computer-based technology in the business is to eliminate the manual
process of business activity and make automotive process which could be supportive for saving time
of the organization. A higher satisfaction level of consumers could make a diverse image of the firm
among the consumers and supports to easily build a strong relationship with them.
Lovelock and Patterson (2015) illustrated that good workforce do make customer relationship. It is
because the consumer could be most imperative assets of an organisation as it leads to the firm for
making higher competitive benefits. In the organisation, many employees have a positive perception
of the organisation action, which could be effective for the firm for getting a favorable outcome.
Role of digital technology on the customer relationship
Boyland and Whalen (2015) stated that customer relations could lead to the success and failure of the
organisation. The strong relationship could build loyalty as well as encourage the business tosustain
their business in the marketplace. Moreover, the business could operate by the organisation by
considering many policies as it could be associated with competitiveness. Further, digital technology

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could be imperative in keeping consumers by directly conversing with them and comprehend their
needs and desires towards goods. It will lead to make business decision.
In support of this, Kotler et al. (2015) stated that business owners could use different techniques of the
digital technology to inform the consumers towards new goods, which might increase the interest of
them to purchase goods and services. The business owners could use digital technology for building
the customer’s relationship and increase the profitability of a firm. Social media could increase the
ability of a firm to sustain their business in the marketplace. Moreover, the digital technology could
attract huge number of consumers in same time and facilitates to share their message among them in
one time that would be effective for saving the time of promotion of the firm. This is a tool that assists
the firm to improve its existing situation and make a different image in the marketplace without
higher investment in the business activity.
Crane and Matten (2016) argued that digital technology could support the firm to reach consumers in
the least time and obtain a feasible result with respect to the impact of digital technology on customer
relationship management. E-communication method is crucial as it offers fast and cheaper services for
both parties’ organisation as well as consumers.
In favor of Royle and Laing (2014) examined that the popularity of digital technology makes the
easier procedure of business activity that saves as well as the time of the organisation. Moreover, the
organisation uses this tool for increasing their competitiveness and capable to get higher benefits.
Moreover, poor customer relationships could be possible due to the lack of innovative products and
services in the working place. Royle and Laing (2014) stated that poor communication could decline
the opportunity for effectively convey the message to others and make decision about the
organizational task.
Yu Ramanathan and Nath (2014) examined that consumer relation management could be effective in
satisfying a huge number of the consumer by products and services of the organisation. In addition, it
is examined that business could use different tools and techniques for public relation, which would be
effective in sustaining business in the market place for the upcoming period. The organisation could
practice customer service management cultures and programs to track and evaluate data and collect
consumer feedback to reach a reliable conclusion. The organisation has mainly used such sources to
offer their services to deliver goods and services, which consumers desire to get and make a favorable
decision.
In support of this,Schwab (2017) stated that social media sources could offer a path to the
organization to post content related to products and services among huge number of consumers. It will
be effective for meeting the aim and objectives of the organizational task. There are different sources
that might be affected by the firm to increase the awareness of company’s products and services
named as Facebook, Instagram, Wtsapp, YouTube, twitter, and Gmail. These sources will be effective
in getting the data towards the organizational products and services.
Strategies

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Tansey and Worsley (2014) recommended an organisation should use different sources of social
media tool like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and YouTube to aware consumer towards the goods and
services by directly conversing with them. It can also be recommended that the organization should
use such tools to make an effective relationship with consumers and operate their business
systematically. It can also be suggested that social media sources could make a connection between
consumers and organisation and operate the business effectively. Apart from firm this, it is stated that
E-mail method is a tool that assist to conversing the message to their employees towards the
organizational task. It could be effective in increasing growth of firm. Moreover, it is evaluated that
the communication with social media sources could facilitate to make direct relationship with others.
The social media sources could offers an effective path for operating their business. The organization
should needed to response on the each post of followers for making the positive relationship with
them and shows that how much they are important for the organization.
Orel and Kara (2014) recommended that an organisation should use training and development method
and improve the skills of employees for making a reliable relationship with their consumers by
considering the social media sources. This method could also use to teach employees towards the
implication of digital technology and increasing customers loyalty towards the brand of the
organisation. It could also be effective in sustaining the image of the organisation and make higher
competitive benefits.

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Chapter 3: Research methodology
Introduction
This research methodology enables the researcher to select a suitable method for conducting the
research and get reliable information with respect to the selected research dilemma ( Kandampully,
Zhang, and Bilgihan, 2015). This section discusses different tools of the research methodology for
collecting the information about the research issue like approach, research strategy, data collection,
data analysis, sampling method, ethical consideration, and research limitation (Kandampully, Zhang,
and Bilgihan, 2015).
Research approach
The research approach leads to select different tools like inductive and deductive approach ( Carroll
and Buchholtz, 2014). The inductive approach is practiced to get conceptual information by
considering available sources and support to develop theories about research matter. Apart from this,
the deductive approach enables the firm to developing a hypothesis as per the required data. This
method also enables the investigator for accepting and rejecting the research hypothesis. In this study,
the researcher has as compared to the inductive approach due to evaluating the data by hypothesis.
The main reason for selecting a deductive approach is that researcher desire to get the feasible
information towards the research matter. This method could also support to accept the developed
hypothesis and accomplish the aim of the study. The deductive approach is effective in getting
accurate information about the current matter. The inductive approach will not be practiced by the
researcher as it will assist to get theoretical information.
Research design
In this study, the researcher has used a mixed research design could be practiced by the researcher to
get factual and non-statistical information about research matter. The mixed research design method
facilitates to consider the survey through as well as literature review method to get the information
and meet the aim and objectives the research matter. This design could consider both qualitative and
quantitative method, which will lead to getting the advantages of both methods. The qualitative data
will be collected by considering articles, books, articles, and online and offline sources. The
quantitative method has been collected by entailing by considering the survey through questionnaire
method. Consequently, the investigator will be capable to get a feasible outcome (Westerman, Bonnet,
and McAfee, 2014).
Data collection method
The data collection method is effective to collect the feasible information about research matter as it
could be possible by considering the certain methods named primary and secondary data collection
method. The primary data is practiced for collecting first handed data from the selected sample size
and meet the aim of the study. There is a certain method that is considered in the primary data
collection method like survey through questionnaire method, observation, and interview method
(Yusuf, et al., 2014). The secondary data is collected by entailing existing sources like academic

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sources, books, journals, and online and offline sources (Westerman, Bonnet, and McAfee, 2014). In
this study, the researcher has practiced primary as well as secondary data collection method to meet
their aim and objectives. The primary data is collected by the survey through questionnaire method as
it enables to get factual information towards the research matter. It will be collected by first hand,
which is more reliable and accurate as compared to the secondary data collection method. Apart from
this, the secondary data collection method will be effective in getting conceptual information towards
the research issues as it could be collected by considering content analysis method as it facilitates to
conceptual information about the research matter (Bhamra and Lofthouse, 2016).
Data analysis method
The data analysis method is effective in evaluating collected data by considering different sources like
statistical data analysis method, content analysis method, literature review method, and case study
method. In this study, the researcher has practiced Statistical data analysis method and content
analysis method can lead to examine the theoretical as well as conceptual data in a systematic manner.
The quantitative data analysis method is effective in evaluating the factual information towards the
research issue a sit could be possible by entailing the SPSS and Ms-Excel software. SPSS tool is
effective in evaluating feasibility of the research outcome. Moreover, theoretical information is
evaluated by considering the content analysis method as it would lead to getting reliable data about
the research matter (Gaber and Wright, 2014). This method could be collected by getting the data
form the different sources.
Sampling method
The sampling method is effective to determine a suitable samples for conducting the research and
support to meet the research aim and objectives. There are two kinds of methods that are considered
as sampling methods like probability and non-probability sampling method (Grayson and Hodges,
2017). In this study, a simple random probability sampling method has been used to evaluate
collected information towards research matter. Besides this, it facilitates to the investigator to
selection to collect feasible information about research issue (Belasco and Scranton, 2014). Moreover,
the simple random probability sampling method could also provide an equal opportunity to the
research candidates for being a part of the research. The non-probability sampling method is not
practiced by the researcherbecause it creates biases in the research (Grayson and Hodges,
2017). There are different elements that are considered in the research like age, gender, education,
sex, and region (Hudson, et al., 2015). The non-probability sampling method could be quite expensive
and time-consuming as compared to the probability sampling method. In this study, research has
selected 31 employees of a small restaurant to collect their responses with respect to the impact of
digital technology on customer relationship. The sampling method is effective to comprehend the
research concern in depth and make a favorable decision in the context of the current issue. The
collected opinion of the small organisation employees is associated with the current research matter
(Donnelly, et al., 2015).

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Ethical consideration
Ethical consideration is effective in conducting research in a systematic manner. The ethical
consideration facilitates to the investigator to conduct suitable behavior in the study. There are
certainly ethical issues that could be associated with different ethical issues like data security, time of
research conduct, and permission of the top management issue (Mellentin, and Heasman, 2014). For
eliminating the ethical issue, an individual should use the university guidelines, no data manipulation,
use of suitable referencing, suitable use of grammar, and ethical norms. It could be effective for
reaching at the reliable conclusion.
The researcher has considered ethical norms as its mandate to the investigator to use the code and
conduct and remain the above issues as it facilitates to eliminate the probability of ethical issues
systematically. The research scholar has also accountable for securing information of the research
candidates as it leads to making the relationship between investigator and research candidates ( Cao,
and Li, 2015).
Research limitation
The research limitation could eliminate the probabilities of research outcome. There are certain
factors that are considered in the research like time, cost, and resources. This study could require
higher cost as it could mandate to the investigator for accomplishing the research at specified cost
(Soosay and Hyland, 2015).
Survey through questionnaire
Demographic questions
Characteristics about you and your work (please circle/complete)
1. What is your gender? (Please circle)
A. Male
B. Female
2. How old are you?(Please tick the box)
Under 32 32 – 47 47 above
3. Please tick mark on experience that you have in the food industry? (Please tick the box)
Under 2 years 2 – 10 years 10 years above
Objective bases question
Do you use digital technology?
A. Yes
B. No
Why do you use digital technology?
A. Browsing 1