Customer Quality Focus and Service Delivery Among Airline Firms in Kenya

Abstract

In the increasingly competitive business environment, the emphasis on customer quality focus has become paramount for organizations striving to enhance service delivery. Despite the recognition of quality as a critical determinant of customer satisfaction and loyalty, many firms fail to effectively implement quality management practices that align with their service delivery processes. The objectives of the0study were0to determine the customer quality focus commonly used by airline firms in Kenya; to determine the relationship between customer quality focus and service delivery among airline firms in Kenya. The study was based on service quality theory and the expectancy disconfirmation theory. The study used the descriptive cross-sectional design. There are 66 airlines operating in Kenya. This research used data from primary sources. To collect primary data, a structured questionnaire was employed. The study found that most major airline firms in Kenya have extensively adopted customer service standards and customer retention interventions to a great extent. It was also found that most airline firms in Kenya have adopted system development enhancements and employee engagement to a moderate extent. The findings reveal a strong relationship between customer quality focus and service delivery. High-quality, customer-centric practices directly enhance service delivery by meeting or exceeding customer expectations. The study concluded that major airline firms in Kenya have extensively embraced customer service standards and implemented customer retention interventions. The study also concluded that most airline firms in Kenya have embraced system development enhancements and employee engagement to a moderate extent. Lastly, the study concluded that there is a strong relationship between customer-focused quality and service delivery in the airline industry in Kenya. The study recommends that Airline firms in Kenya should benchmark their customer quality focus strategies against global industry leaders. Airline firms in Kenya should benchmark their customer quality focus strategies against global industry leaders. This could involve adopting proven practices such as personalized customer interactions, proactive issue resolution, and feedback-driven service improvements.