Customer Satisfaction and Ryanair: A Comprehensive Research Report

This research project undertakes a comprehensive analysis of customer satisfaction within Ryanair, a prominent low-cost airline. The report begins with an executive summary highlighting the importance of customer satisfaction in organizational success, particularly in the context of the booming international tourism industry. The project outlines its aims, objectives, and research questions, focusing on identifying factors influencing customer satisfaction, evaluating their impacts, and suggesting recommendations for improvement. A detailed literature review provides context, discussing Ryanair's business model, brand image challenges, and the significance of customer service. The research methodology includes data collection, analysis, and interpretation, leading to recommendations for enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The report covers research specifications, implementation of procedures, and evaluation of outcomes, concluding with a poster summarizing the key findings and recommendations.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Executive summary
Customer satisfaction is a critical field in the organisational operations. positive impact on the
sales and revenue for the organisation can be expected when the perception of the consumers
towards the organisation is positive. this can be only so when higher management of the
organisation realising the importance of customer satisfaction and its role in retaining and
developing its client base. the current research project is based on the case study of Ryanair,
Dublin-based commercial airline which executed the problem of dissatisfied customers due to
their ill-mannered behaviour. By undertaking this research project, the researchers into
recommend suggestions today's vulnerable aviation organisation so that it can remain true to its
cause, that is providing low fares for commercial flights. With the boom of international tourism,
this customer satisfaction comes as a vital point in terms of sustainability of the organisation.

Table of Contents
Task 1 (LO 1, AC 1. 1, 1. 2, 1. 3, 1. 4, 1. 5)....................................................................................4
LO 1 Formulating research specification........................................................................................4
1. 1 Project outline specification.................................................................................................4
1. 1. 1 Aims..............................................................................................................................4
1. 1. 2 Objectives.....................................................................................................................4
1. 1. 3 Research question.........................................................................................................4
1. 2 Research rationale.................................................................................................................5
1. 2. 1 What is the issue?.........................................................................................................5
1. 2. 2 Why is it an issue?........................................................................................................5
1. 2. 3 Why is it an issue now?................................................................................................5
1. 2. 4 What can this research shed light on?...........................................................................5
1. 3 Literature review...................................................................................................................5
1. 4 Research outline....................................................................................................................8
Figure 1: Research outline...........................................................................................................8
1. 5 Research plan........................................................................................................................8
Task 2 (LO 2, AC 2. 1, 2. 2, 2. 3)..................................................................................................10
LO 2 Implementing research procedures.......................................................................................10
2. 1 Literature review.................................................................................................................10
2. 2 Primary data collection.......................................................................................................10
2. 3 Recording data collection...................................................................................................11
Table 3. 2. 5: Ryanair as preference for next trip......................................................................14
Task 3 (LO 3, AC 3. 1, 3. 2, 3. 3)..................................................................................................15
LO 3 Evaluating research outcomes..............................................................................................15

3. 1 Methodology.......................................................................................................................15
3. 1. 1 Philosophy..................................................................................................................15
3. 1. 2 Design.........................................................................................................................15
3. 1. 3 Approach.....................................................................................................................15
3. 1. 4 Sample size.................................................................................................................15
3. 2 Data analysis.......................................................................................................................15
Table 3. 2. 5: Ryanair as preference for next trip......................................................................20
3. 2. 5: Ryanair as preference for next trip................................................................................20
3. 3 Recommendations...............................................................................................................20
Task 4 (LO 4, AC 4.1)...................................................................................................................22
LO4 Presenting the research outcome...........................................................................................22
4. 1 Poster....................................................................................................................................1
References........................................................................................................................................1
Appendix..........................................................................................................................................3

Task 1 (LO 1, AC 1. 1, 1. 2, 1. 3, 1. 4, 1. 5)
LO 1 Formulating research specification
1. 1 Project outline specification
Brand image, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction are interrelated terms of marketing and
business strategy. Hence, it is necessary to understand the criticality of serving and treating the
consumer right. It is a very basic understanding that market and businesses are nothing but
people exchanging goods. And hence, the satisfaction of those demanding the products or
services play a crucial element in a company's consumer retention capability. Thus, this project
was designed was to understand the severance of unsatisfied customers.
1. 1. 1 Aims
To conduct an academic research project to evaluate customer satisfaction of Ryanair and
analysing the data to recommend suggestions for the company so as they can quickly resolve the
primary dispute of customer satisfaction.
1. 1. 2 Objectives
In order to successfully and critically analyse the topic of customer satisfaction in the context of
Ryanair cannot be conducted without setting up guidelines that are going to direct this research
project. These guidelines are nothing but the research objectives and the objectives of this
research are as follows:
● To identify the factors influencing customer satisfaction
● To analyse the factors influencing development of international tourism and raising
issues of customer satisfaction
● To evaluate the impacts of these factors on customer satisfaction.
● To suggest recommendations for improving the overall customer satisfaction
1. 1. 3 Research question
We need to understand that the research has been undertaken to identify and answer very specific
questions which are related to the objective of the research. The main questions that will be
answered in the courts of this research are:
● What are the factors influencing customer satisfaction?
● What are the factors influencing the development of international tourism and raising
issues of customer satisfaction?
● To evaluate the impacts of these factors on customer satisfaction.

● What are the suggested recommendations for improving the overall customer satisfaction
1. 2 Research rationale
1. 2. 1 What is the issue?
When the consumers feel violated or the needs and demands have not been met by the service
provider, the satisfaction levels pertaining to the services is low. Ryanair has also undergone
similar kind of consequences as it believed that unlike the other sophisticated airlines, the
organisation was involved in providing the service which was considered most valuable for the
consumers and that is low airfare.
1. 2. 2 Why is it an issue?
The Ryanair in recent years has been able to prove strong competitors to many well known
international commercial airlines and has struggled over a long period of time with the problem
of poor brand image. This devil may care attitude of the organisation in terms of customer
satisfaction has led Ryanair into some troubled waters. Over this period of uncertainty, Ryanair
understood the value of a customer and analysis of customer satisfaction seemed necessary to
improve the deteriorating standards of the services.
1. 2. 3 Why is it an issue now?
The customer satisfaction directly impacts the sales and revenue of an organisation. the profit
warnings that way issued to the organisation was the strategic turning point. The higher levels of
the management of Ryanair understood the importance of customer services in order to retain
and develop their client base. It is understandable that why suddenly customer satisfaction had
become the focus of the company actions as resolving this issue will help Ryanair to further
grow and develop.
1. 2. 4 What can this research shed light on?
The research will help Ryanair to understand the various integrities of providing services to the
consumers and at the same time gather information pertaining to the satisfaction levels among
the customers. Analysing what customers need and demand can be effectively used to design and
fabrication strategies and operations in order to cater to the needs of the customers.
1. 3 Literature review
Dublin base Ryanair Ltd. is one of the largest European airlines who cater to scheduled
passengers thus making it a company witnessing the busiest international passenger footfall. It
has been one of the leading cheapest airline service providers for the European market and has

been able to complete in the ever growing aviation sector. The company believes that the only
thing that the consumers believe in is the price. the company has been very quick to understand
that providing cost effective pricing strategy good result in a tremendous amount of marketing
relation. Hence, the company believed that brand image was just on the concept which was
unclear among the common masses and the various factors that influence brand image when not
necessary to be undertaken. This resulted in deteriorating Customer services and declining
revenues. At this point of time, Ryanair was standing at the crossroads of destiny where it could
either rectify its mistakes or perish over the time.
By identifying the factors that have affected the customer satisfaction levels, Ryanair can utilise
this information to develop and grow their poor brand image. This change of course of action
would allow Ryanair to function in the efficient manner it should, without compromising on the
quality for the cost effectivity of the services provided. As already discussed, the brand image
directly impacts the sales and revenue of the organisation and is considered as the cumulative
effort of the organisation in meeting the demands of the consumer. Ryanair has been able to
sustain in the harsh environment of the aviation industry. This is due to the fact that Ryanair
enjoys the status of being one of the busiest airline careers in the region of Europe. They have
been able to cash in on the quantity rather than the quality of the customers. This had led to the
growing apathy towards the needs of the customers as the company believed that they were
satisfying the most primary need of any consumer.
Even though Ryanair enjoys a very large amount of client, they have been unable to harness the
power of the consumers by coming to their first preference. This kind of customer biasedness is
only observed when they have found the quality other services to be appropriate and also have
good past experiences while interacting with the company executives. This preferential
inclination of the consumers towards an organisation is termed as brand loyalty. However,
Ryanair did not take into consideration the secondary needs of the consumers once the product or
service is sold and that is customer service. Effective customer service is important as it provides
the various information and developmental goals that can be undertaken by the organisation to
further expand their business.
The international travel and tourism market is booming at the moment and hence Ryanair can
understandably undertake actions in order to improve their self-image in front of the customers.
By implementing changes and undertaking customer related services, the company can quickly

change its brand value and image and thus can invoke a sense of brand loyalty among the
customers who are satisfied with the primary as well as the secondary services.
Another reason why Ryanair has been able to sustain in the aviation industry is because office
effective marketing strategy for touring the organisation as the only Ultra low-cost carrier
provider which is way cheaper than the average flight rates. this initial marketing and promoting
had helped Ryanair to quickly become one of the most quickly developing airline company and
has expanded its territory by connecting nearly 180 destinations an operating over 1600 flights
per day. the destinations that accessible by employing the services of Ryanair are based in 28
different European countries and 1 North African country. These destinations have become the
hub of international tourists and by providing cheaper air fares, Ryanair was quickly able to
catch the imagination of the consumer as they more focused in exploiting the financial resources
in the extravagance of these destinations rather than on travelling. The organisation has over the
ear shown gradual growth in the context of passengers and prophets and hence they should have
continued their advancement without any financial risks. However, the declining clients due to
the unpredictable customer services. This is the reason why the company has been continuously
trying to improve their efforts in terms of customer services so as to have most satisfied
customers who indirectly promote and market the organisation among their peers and colleagues.

1. 4 Research outline
Figure 1: Research outline
(Source; Learner)
1. 5 Research plan
Main activities
and stages
Week 1 Week 2
to 9
Week 9
to 15
Week
15 to 20
Week
20 23
Week
23 to 25
Week
26
Selection of
the topic
Collection of
data
Planning the
proper layout
Reviewing
literature

Development
of research
plan
Selecting
research
technique
Gathering
Primary data
Data analysis
Interpretation
of findings
Conclusion
preparation
Project rough
overdraft
Final
submission
Table 3. 1: Gantt Chart
(Source: Researcher)

Task 2 (LO 2, AC 2. 1, 2. 2, 2. 3)
LO 2 Implementing research procedures
2. 1 Literature review
Customer satisfaction is a very critical indicator which is helpful in guiding organisations matters
of how to attend to the customers and make them happy while providing the existing services. it
has been identified that customer satisfaction has become as one of the Essential elements that
are used to evaluate and investigate performance, understand customers expectations,
maintaining quality standards, providing deliverable assurances and closing the gap in the
relationship between these varieties of concepts. According to Blut et al. (2015, p. 226),
Customer services can be managed and plant, in order to generalise the various concepts of
customer services and effectively guide the organisation, does follow the above-mentioned
guidelines in order to improve their customer satisfaction levels. The literature review is helpful
and understanding the various key concepts involved in customer services (Navickas et al. 2014,
p. 49). Effectively implementing a rationalised customer satisfaction gauging tools and using
such programs can be productive for the company as they provide the periodical assessment in
terms of service, quality and after sale services of the organisation.
By extensively surveying through the various literature present in terms of customer satisfaction
and organisational development, it is clear that different factors are correlated with customer
satisfaction and search interaction among these factors can result in responses that are
unpredictable (Saeidi et al. 2015, p. 341). It has been also reported that customers sometimes
failed to provide any feedback in terms of performance either due to the normal inhibitory
factors such as inaccessibility to the internet, the improper communication channel to name a
few or whether due to profound mistrust among the consumers in terms of organisational
structure, organisational culture and managing styles. According to Bienstock et al. (2015, p.
161), customer satisfaction cannot be considered as a standardised metric for analysing that
development and growth of a company as a satisfied customer is as much more likely to stop
using services as an unsatisfied customer would.
2. 2 Primary data collection
In order to understand and review how customer satisfaction plays an important role in the
growth and development of an organisation, it is critical to undertake data management and
collection approaches which can be utilised to represent the trend lines among the customers. In

words of Pizam et al. (2016, p. 35), there are presently two kinds of data collection approaches.
They are mainly primary data collection and secondary data collection approaches. This
systematic collection of data helps the organisation to critically observe, record and organise
these data sets for resolving various in work issues (Martinaityte et al. 2015, p. 13100). These
collected data are crucial for undertaking the decision-making process which is very necessary to
run an organisation. The primary data are those data which are connected directly from the field
under an investigator's controlled supervision. The data that are connected by the primary
approach are the original data that have been deemed necessary for answering the specific query.
this kind of data is basically used for conducting present time as well as future studies. As
observed by Sengupta et al. (2015, p. 665), unlike primary data, secondary data are collected
prior to the investigation by anonymous individuals for the on purpose. these data as I'm not
directly related to the query and thus requires less time, reduced cost and effort. This kind of data
is reused perpetually in order to resolve query (Kang and Park, 2014, p. 1041).
The current research project has been conducted by applying primary research approach for
collecting the data. In words of Han and Hyun (2015, p. 20), the primary approach is broadly
classified into quantitative and qualitative data collection. in quantitative data collection, there
are two types of distinct approaches male in forms of surveys and experiments. The quantitative
approach for data collection gives rise to numerical value data which are reliable the basis of
statistics and can be generalised for a large population. According to Delcourt et al. (2013, p. 6),
the quantitative research category undertakes sampling methods to select the best data. By
utilising random sampling technique, the researchers provides the subjects with an equal chance
of getting picked (Wu, 2013, p. 167). The sample sizes are large in order to take into
consideration every individual subject participating in the experiment and thus can be very
expensive. As compared to quantitative research, qualitative research helps in providing how
much more in-depth analysis of the chosen subject and helps in generating an Insight. this kind
of data is not numerical and directional (Gu and Ye, 2014, p. 572).
2. 3 Recording data collection
Primary data collection involved in it off techniques in order to collect and deposit data. The
selection of the technique depends upon the type of data that is needed to be collected. in case
quantitative data is required for progression of the research, the techniques undertaken will be
completely different from those taken to collect qualitative data. the quantitative data is generally