The extent to which restaurants and hotels operating within the Nairobi central business

Abstract

This study was conducted with the objective of finding out the extent of the level of customer satisfaction for hotels and restaurant within the Nairobi central business district with services received from the city council of Nairobi and to identify goods and services which these hotels and restaurants are satisfied with and which they are not satisfied with. The main objective of the study was to determine the factors that influence the extent of the level of customer satisfaction in the local authorities sub-sector as well as to classify the factors that influence the level of customer satisfaction. To achieve the above objectives, primary data was collected from 50 respondents, 20 hotels and 30 restaurants within the city of Nairobi central district. Stratified random sampling technique was used for purpose of selection. A semi structured questionnaire was used and respondents were required to rate each of several factors indicating satisfaction with city council services on a five point likert scale. The major findings of the study were that hotels and restaurants within the central business district were somewhat more satisfied with services of water, roads, drainage and sewerage, cleaning and beautification of city streets and street lighting. Attributes influenci ng the extent of the level of customer satisfaction pertaining to these goods and services from the council were fair price of water, regular, available and reliable water services, regular repairs of drainages and sewerages; regular road repairs and maintenance, regular cleaning of streets and repair of pavements, constant beautification of streets and adequate street lighting. The most dissatisfying services from the council included garbage collection, car park spaces, licensing and issue of business permits, removal of hawkers and other nuisances, fire brigade and ambulances. Attributes to the extent of the level of this dissatisfaction were found to be irregular garbage collection, official bureaucracy, corruption, -- employees lack of responsiveness to customer complaints, employees unwillingness to help customers, employees lack of readiness to provide services and lack of customer focus on the part of the council as an institution with no clear policy on petty traders and small scale businesses. Recommendations drawn from the study were that players in the public sector should take concern of the identified factors or attributes that were deemed crucial in determining the extent of level of customer satisfaction. If these attributes are considered and implemented, then the public service can be sure to have a competitive edge over other sectors that do not realign their processes and sub processes to these attributes. The researcher proposes further researches could be more focused and deeper in details about one or two attributes of the extent of the level of customer satisfaction for hotels and restaurants within the wider city jurisdiction and also for all services provided. Further research could also be done for the entire consumer segment of the city council services within the central business district.