ABSTRACT

Service quality has become one of the major concerns of firms in the Telecommunication industry in the global scene, but little effort has been devoted to it in the developing countries which include Nigeria. This made the researcher to investigate the effect of service quality on - satisfaction among MTN subscribers in Abia State, Nigeria. The research sought to; identify. the subscribers' level of awareness and utilization of the 'various services provided by MTN, examine the level of satisfaction of MTN subscribers based on MTN services, identify the determinants of service quality by MTN subscribers, determine the quality attributes that influence customer satisfaction among MTN subscribers and to identify the major problems hindering effective quality service delivery by MTN. Data for the study came from a simple random sample of 400 MTN mobile telecommunications customers, and were analyzed using simple percentages and means, presented in tables. Hypotheses were also formulated to guide the research in line with the objectives of the study. The results of the research showed that MTN subscribers are highly satisfied with MTN services, and that Wide Network Coverage, Price Fairness, Widespread Use by Family and Friends, Better Promotion Offers, Continuous Product Innovation, Strong Brand Image, and Quick Response to Recovery are significant in determining quality of service among MTN subscribers. The research also found the quality attributes - Reliability, Assurance, Empathy, and Tangibles significant in influencing customer satisfaction among MTN subscribers. After the empirical research and statistical study, the researcher concluded that the quality of services provided to MTN subscribers is significant in determining their satisfaction, and that service quality should be considered in designing customer services and their improvements among MTN subscribers and among the telecommunication services users in Nigeria. The problems found hindering quality xi service delivery by MTN and recommended for improvement by the researcher are, high rate of unsolicited messages, illegal charges, high prices of, off-network transactions, and overcongestion of network. The research amongst other things recommended that MTN telecommunication operator should continuously improve its service quality, and the manner in which it provides its services as such will attract, satisfy and retain a good number of customers for the firm.