An Assessment of Customer Service in the Nigeria Telecommunication Industry: A Comparative Study of ZAIN and MTN

Abstract

This study examined customer services in the Nigeria telecommunication industry by comparing Zain and MTN companies. Primary data were collected from a total of 60 respondents. Data collected were on consumer service elements such as: reliability, delivery frequency, delivery accuracy, quality of salespeople, technical knowledge of the service provider, responsiveness, tailored service, flexibility in delivery, customer complaints among others. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. From the results, it was evident that customer service was particularly poor as there was no significant mean difference in customer service between the two companies. The study concluded that achieving appropriate and effective customer service is a critical factor for success in this growing and competitive industry. Based on this, it was recommended among other things that the key requirements for a successful customer service be pursued vigorously through service engineering that is related directly to the customers’ key service requirements as an appropriate customer service strategy.