Customer Perceptions of the Quality of Customer Service Provided by Mobile Phone Service Providers in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

This survey had three objectives. First, it sought to establish the customer expectations of customer service among mobile phone service subscribers. Secondly, it sought to establish customer perceptions of the customer service they receive from their mobile phone service providers and lastly it sought to identify the service quality gaps that exist in the provision of customer service by the four licensed mobile phone service providers.

In undertaking the study, individual subscribers of mobile phone services within Nairobi were targeted. Primary data was collected from 200 respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaires were self-administered. Respondents were identified within customer care centers of the various mobile phone service providers. The respondents were requested to fill sections A and B of the questionnaire before the customer service encounter and section C after the service encounter.

Results of the study showed that mobile phone subscribers had high expectations with regard to the quality of customer service they expected to receive from their service providers. The results also revealed that customer perceptions of service were below their expectations in all the mobile phone service providers. As a result, the perceptions gap (Gap 5) of service quality existed in all providers because customer expectations were not met or surpassed either in the overall customer service encounters or in relation to the five dimensions of service quality.

Arising from the study findings, it was recommended that mobile phone service providers should endeavor to improve the quality of their customer service through understanding the customers better and responding effectively to their needs. It was also recommended that the service providers should increase the number of customer care centers especially in densely populated areas. Outsourcing of some aspects of customer service was also put forward as a recommendation.

The survey was limited to Nairobi and it is therefore necessary for future research to focus on other regions. The SERVQUAL methodology on which the study was modeled has only been used to measure or close Gap 5 and future research should focus on identifying or closing the other gaps.