Marketing strategies and customer service quality: a case of Kenya power and lighting company

Abstract

Quality customer service is something that a person in customer service strives for. It is also what those dealing with customer service hope for. It is the kind of customer service that makes everyone happy, such as service with a smile. Due to changing customer needs and wants, dynamic political, economic, social and technological environment, both local and global companies have been necessitated to adopt competitive marketing strategies geared towards customer satisfaction in order to survive. Customer satisfaction has become the key drive of competitive companies around the globe. Marketing strategies are deeply customer-oriented concept focusing on the top management’s long-term vision for competitive advantage through product innovation and service improvement in Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). While customers are at the core of all thinking, innovation orientation must stem from the company. The objective of the study was to establish the relationship between marketing strategies and customer service quality in Kenya Power and Lighting Company. The research design was descriptive cross-sectional approach and the quantitative technique was used. The target populations were KPLC domestic customers located in three sub-regions of Nairobi namely; Nairobi West, Nairobi North and Nairobi South and the main instrument was the questionnaire. Descriptive tables for mean, standard deviation and frequencies were then drawn and linear regression used to determine the relationship between marketing strategies and customer service quality in Kenya Power and Lighting Company. This study developed forecasting model for the relationship between marketing strategies and customer service quality at KPLC. The model indicates a positive relationship between marketing strategies and customer service quality in Kenya Power and Lighting Company with R = .801 and the R squared value was .642 at a confidence level of 95 percent. Further the study found out that people strategies has the highest influence on customer service quality at Kenya Power and Lighting Company followed by promotion strategies, pricing strategies, process strategies, product strategies, distribution strategies and physical evidence strategies respectively. Other measures to be put in place in order to improve customer service quality at KPLC were; provide quick, efficient and friendly service, build a good relationship with customers and handle customer complaints quickly and courteously. In conclusion, customer service quality at Kenya Power and Lighting Company depends on people strategies, promotion strategies, pricing strategies, process strategies, product strategies, distribution strategies and physical evidence strategies. The study recommended that further study focusing on the entire country be carried out and the results be compared for so as to establish whether the models are consistent among the various groups. In order to reduce biasness and get more information the study recommended the use of focus groups sessions as a means of data collection.