A Study of Customer Satisfaction on Services Provided by International Gemological Institute (IGI) Surat

Abstract

Diamond industry, gems and jewelry sector, apart from being one of the fastest growing sectors in India is a major contributor to the GDP of the country. With an enormous market size and exceptional potential of expansion, the gem and jewelry sector is poised to become twice as huge as of now in coming five years. India accounts for 70-75 percent diamond exports of the world making it the largest cutting hub both in terms of value and employability. International Gemological Institute is the apex body in certifying gems and jewelry on the grounds such as authenticity, purity and alike is responsible for building confidence among the buyers as well as the seller community dealing in these rare gems and metals. The institute has a well webbed network of research laboratories in different parts of the world consisting of some of the prominent cities in India to carry out quality check and certification procedures. The paper reflects satisfaction level among the customers that avails the services provided by IGI that not only acts as certification of quality and authenticity but also as the prime element of trust among the trading group. The study has been conducted using a primary data collection tool and the data was collected from owners and staff of various firms who came for the authenticity evaluation of their diamonds, gems and jewelry, whose findings were later tested by chi square test and cross-tabulation. The findings give us an idea about the acceptance and rejections of various associations among the variables under study.