CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

No organization can be successful without satisfying its customers. According to Naebzadeh and Fatichi (2009), the surest way to achieve success and to remain in the minds of customers can be only obtained by providing high products and services. Excellence in service quality is a key to achieve customer satisfaction which is the primary goal of business development, as it helps to retain the customers for the telecommunication sector.

Donnelly (2006) proves that increasing levels of service quality can enhance customer satisfaction. From the customer’s point of view, to retain the relationship with the telecom sector the importance of customer satisfaction is clearly obvious.

1.1 Background of the Study

Leah (2005) opined that customer satisfaction is the holy grail of success for businesses in the customer service industry. The goal of every successful business is to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction by providing their clientele with value-added transactions through positive customer service interactions. In turn, the customer’s expectation is to feel important and assisted during the interactions that ultimately lead to their desired end result.

Customer service representatives are often trained to know the basic elements of providing excellent customer service. They are taught to listen, to be patient, tolerant, and above all else helpful. A person with a short fuse or quick temper is not a good candidate for a customer service position dealing with a wide array of personalities. Companies often monitor their employees to make sure they consistently abide and apply by all of the rules and standards they want to convey as a means of executing and maintaining good customer service practices. Customer service representatives are the quintessential front-line greeters and hand shakers at the core of every business. They keep the customers informed and happy since a business cannot sustain itself without a healthy clientele.

A good experience means a happy customer and a happy customer is every business’s best asset. Zeithaml (2000) stressed that leveraging service quality has been shown to assist in both the retention and expansion of the existing customer base; thus in an attempt to establish a competitive advantage, marketing practitioners often seek to differentiate their service offering upon service quality.

Spreng & Mackoy (1996) indicated that service quality and customer satisfaction are inarguably the two core concepts that are at the crux of marketing theory and practice. According to Shemwell et al., (1998) in today’s world of intense competition, the key to sustainable competitive advantage lies in delivering high-quality service that will in turn result in satisfied customers. The customer’s overall satisfaction with the services of the organization is a function of all the encounters/experiences of the customers with that organization.

Similar to service quality, customer satisfaction can occur at multiple levels in an organization, for example, satisfaction with the contact person, satisfaction with the core service, and satisfaction with the organization as a whole.

In the mobile telecommunication sector, customers are not that loyal to one particular service provider, especially when they are not receiving a value money kind of service. This is evident with some customers subscribing to more than one mobile telecommunication network. Hence, contemporary companies are forced to consider how to create a loyal customer base that will not be eroded even in the face of fierce competition. Therefore, the mobile telecommunication companies must realize the necessity of studying and understanding various antecedents (viz. service quality, switching cost, trust, corporate image, and customer satisfaction) of customer loyalty which might help them to develop a loyal customer base (Sharp & Sharp, 1997).

This work is therefore an exploratory study to unearth quality service delivery on customer satisfaction in the mobile telecommunication industry and to channel future research in customer service in Cameroon.

1.2 Problem statement

Weimer (2010) mentioned that good customer service is an expectation held by the customer regarding the manner in which they are treated by anyone representing the company. Consumers want and expect to be addressed in a respectful and professional manner when dealing with any situation, problem, complaint, question or assistance that may arise relating to any aspect of their business relationship. A negative customer service experience often leads to a dissatisfied or disgruntled customer, and an unhappy customer can tarnish the name and reputation of a company by generating negative feedback.

Customer service is a standard in customer satisfaction, so consumers expect to have their issues managed while being addressed in a polite and timely manner. Customers want efficient, well-trained people representing the businesses they deal with routinely. Being impolite, outspoken, disconnected, or refusing to listen to a customer does not reflect a positive image for the company. The focus must always remain on the customer and their needs first making them feel valued.

The statement of the problem is that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the general quality service delivery of the mobile telecommunication companies in spite of the increase in subscriber growth rate; notwithstanding, this growth trend could not be attributed to customer satisfaction.

The research, therefore, sought to evaluate the extent of customer satisfaction ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the quality of service delivery using the appropriate and approved mechanisms.

1.3 Objectives of the Study  

1.3.1 Main Objective

Customer satisfaction is a considerable part of business, which makes it important to properly and correctly assess its effectiveness and efficiency.  It is upon this premise the general objective of the research was to assess the impact of service quality on customers satisfaction in MTN Cameroon to the ever-increasing competition in the mobile telecommunication industry through Service delivery.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives were to:

1. To analyze the satisfaction level of customers on the basis of quality service provided by MTN Cameroon.
2. To ascertain the dimensions of service quality that have caused customers to be satisfied or dissatisfied using the SERVQUAL Model;
3. To analyze the factors which may affect the quality service provided to the customers

1.4 Research Questions

In order to attain the above set objectives of the study the following research questions were posed:

1. What is the impact of customer satisfaction on the performance of MTN Cameroon?
2. What are the dimensions of service quality which have caused customers to be satisfied or dissatisfied using the SERVQUAL Model?
3. Has customer satisfaction affected the individual staff of MTN Cameroon in any way?

1.5 Hypothesis

The hypothesis of this research project includes:

Ho: There is no significant difference between the impact of service quality on customers satisfaction.

H1: There is a significant difference between the impact of service quality on customers satisfaction.