Service quality and customer satisfaction: A case of the mobile telecommunication industry in Gweru, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This research paper reports on the exploratory findings from a customer survey whose key objectives among others were : (1) to determine the technical quality dimensions of mobile phone services and (2) establish which of the technical quality dimensions have the greatest impact on service quality and customer satisfaction.  A survey instrument was developed and used to collect responses from two hundred current mobile phone users in Gweru.  The questionnaire was administered in a mall intercept type of situation whereby survey respondents were randomly intercepted in and around the central business district (CBD) and high pedestrian areas.  The study  found that from the three outcome/technical quality dimensions identified in the qualitative stage, network performance had the greatest impact on both service quality and customer satisfaction based on p-levels alone.  Further, the study found a positive correlation between mobile phone quality and customer satisfaction.  Lastly, the findings indicate that mobile phone subscribers are encountering a plethora of network related problems when accessing a service from their network providers.  This implies that mobile network operators are not providing subscribers with the level of service quality which they want and desire.  Hence, subscribers’ service quality perceptions and their satisfaction levels are low.  Predictably subscribers have not switched from their current network operators owing to a host of switching barriers.  It is therefore, logical to conclusively say that mobile phone subscribers are hostages, trapped in a situation they do not find desirable.