Quality dimensions and customer satisfaction: a case of Mobile Handset Manufacturers in Kenya

Abstract

The study focused on quality dimensions and customer satisfaction: a case of mobile handsets manufacturers in Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish the quality dimensions demanded by mobile phone buyers in Kenya, the quality dimensions pursued by mobile handset manufacturers and to determine the relationship between quality dimensions and customer satisfaction. Data collected was purely quantitative and was analyzed by descriptive statistics. The population of study was mobile handsets manufacturers and their customers; Safaricom, Airtel, Orange Kenya, dealers and distributors and customers who makes use of these brands-the ultimate consumer. For the manufacturers census of 15 was done in Nairobi while a sample of 115 customers who were identified through simple random sampling participated in the study. Of the 120 respondents’ questionnaires were administered and the feedback was a success rate of 91.66% which implies that majority of the population were interested in the study. The study found that service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction is crucial for both the manufacturers and their customers. The ranking of SERVEQUAL dimensions was in the following order; Tangible first, reliability second, assurance third, responsiveness fourth, perceived quality fifth and empathy last. Customers were fully satisfied with only 2 dimensions of the SERVEQUAL model, tangibility and reliability of the mobile handset manufacturers while expressed dissatisfaction on assurance, responsiveness, empathy and perceived network quality. Quality dimensions are generally important for a firm to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction; however, there is need for improvement as customers are not satisfied in most areas. A lot can be done to ensure customer receive more than the perceived value on all service quality dimensions which includes empathy, assurance, perceived quality, responsiveness, tangibles and reliability. To maintain high performance level a firm should improve the network quality of the mobile handsets, ensure that they put in place mechanisms to detect and address counterfeit products, ensure they manufacture phones with long lasting battery life, increase the internal storage capacity of the phones and ensure the phone has an android operating system which is mostly preferred by clients. Firms that will focus on those parameters of quality dimensions stand a good chance to maintain high market share.