Improving customer complaining behaviour for loyalty in the services sector: A case of mobile telephone companies in Uganda

Abstract

Vol 9 ( 12 ), pp. 521 - 530, 28 June, 2015 DOI: 10.5897/AJBM2014.7453 Article Number: 5D192EF53790 ISSN 1993 - 8233 Copyright © 201 5 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM African Journal of Business Management Full Length Research Paper Improving customer complaining behaviour for loyalty in the services sector: A case of mobile telephone companies in Uganda Mabel Birungi Komunda 1* , Francis Kibeera 1 , Justus Munyoki 1 and Jotham Byarugaba 2 1 University of Na irobi , Kenya. 2 Makerere University Business School , Uganda. Received 25 April 2014; Accepted 20 June, 2015 This study focuses on the concept of customer s’ complaining behaviour in the mobile telephone company sector. The mobile telephone company in Ugan da is competitive and being a service sector, it is complex in nature. A descriptive cross - sectional survey was used. Primary data w ere collected using questionnaires from Makerere University mobile telephone subscribers who were students, academic staff, administrative staff and support staff. Stratified random sampling was used and the study used cross sectional survey method. A sample of 384 was used in the study where a response of 332 was attained, with 86% response rate. A pilot study was done. Data w ere analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations and regression analysis. The results of the study revealed that customer s’ complaint behaviour influences customer loyalty. Further, the results revealed that service quality directly influences cust omer loyalty and also has a positive significant relationship with customer s’ complaint behaviour. The study has made contribution to theory, policy and practice in relation to customer complaint behaviour and to marketing in general. The stud y offered further clarification into the relationship between customers’ complaint behaviour , service quality and customer loyalty. The limitations of the study included the selection of the study variables which was not exhaustive. On the one hand, the cross - sectional survey research design was used where the study was carried out at a specific moment in time and, as a result, causality can only be inferred from these data