Factors contributing to customer satisfaction during the initial stages of a business relationship

Customer satisfaction is a key factor in sustainable business success. This thesis examines the issue of assessing customers' levels of satisfaction during the consultation process, even though customer satisfaction, strictly speaking, is a post-purchase phenomenon. First, the foundations are laid regarding the subject areas of services and customer satisfaction. This is followed by an examination of the most important customer satisfaction models and a subsequent comparison of these models. Based on these findings, a questionnaire is developed which offers consultants at financial services companies the opportunity to gain insight into the customer's current level of satisfaction during the consultation itself - that is, during the customer acquisition process.