ABSTRACT
The study was aimed at determining the influence of service quality of electronics craftsmen on customer satisfaction in Plateau State Nigeria. Specifically, the study strived to determine the influence of electronics craftsmen’s reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangibles on customer satisfaction in Plateau State. To achieve these specific objectives, five research questions and five null hypotheses where formulated to guide the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of 400 customers of electronics craftsmen who have at one time or the other maintained their electronics appliances in Kabong ward, Jos North local government of Plateau State. Sample of
200 respondents was used for the study. Yamane’s statistical formula for finite population was used to determine the sample size from the population. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in other to obtain the representative sample. 200 hundred copies of the questionnaire were administered and the same number was collected from the respondents. The internal consistency of the instrument was established as 0.92 using Cronbach’s alpha (α) method. The data gathered from the respondents were analyzed using mean to answer the research questions while the five null hypotheses were tested using t-test at criterion value of 0.05 levels of significance and at relevant degree of freedom with the use of Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS). Findings of the study from a modified SERVQUAL model indicated that the influence of empathy and assurance of electronics craftsmen on customer satisfaction was significant. The remaining service qualities which are reliability, responsiveness were insignificant. This implied that assurance and empathy were the only variables with significant influence on customer satisfaction. It was however recommended that electronics craftsmen who want to increase the level of customer satisfaction should emphasize the excellence in providing services that are reliable. In extension, being responsive, empathetic, assuring customers of security to their appliances as well as making tangibles pleasant to customers would increase customer satisfaction in Kabong ward, Jos North Local Government of Plateau State.
CHAPTER ONE
Background of the Study
INTRODUCTION
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Electronics craftsmen are in constant relationship with customers who bring electronics appliances for maintenance. Without customers, such a maintenance business will not be able to survive because they are the pillars of the business. In other words, providing good services to customers is the soul of electronics appliances’ maintenance business. Customers’ satisfaction, however, depends largely on the service quality of the electronics craftsman. Normally, customers would always like to go home from the electronics craftsman workshop with well maintained and serviced electronics appliances. Faulty televisions, radios, amplifiers, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), computers and the like are the electronics appliances often brought for maintenance by the owners.
Maintenance of electronics appliances is easier in the hands of dexterous, skilled and proficient electronics craftsmen. Bernhard (2005) asserted that electronics craftsmen are individuals who maintain high-end home entertainment equipment such as stereos, digital televisions, and home theater equipment. According to institute of technology Tallaght (ITT) online (2015), craftsmen are skilled and adept trade workers that use hand tools and automated machines to maintain electronics appliances. Therefore electronics craftsmen are skilled, dexterous and adept trade workers who are saddled with the responsibility of maintaining electronics appliances. While the majority of craftsmen will learn and develop their skills on the job, it is common according to UNESCO (2001) for most to have at least a high school education.
However, strong understanding of electronics circuit and theory is a must for craftsmen to
be successful in maintaining the appliances of customers. Danlami (2013) opined that customers
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are consumers who buy goods and services. According to Menta and Rohit (2014), customers are those who bring their faulty electronics appliances for maintenance. In other words, customers are those who patronize the services of electronics craftsmen. Menta, (2014) further classified customers into two namely; adolescent customers are of ages 12-19 years and adult customers are of ages 20 years-above which are adopted for this study. According to Naik, Gantasala and Gantasala (2010), electronics appliances are mostly utilized by adolescent customers and would prefer taking their faulty electronics appliances to their peer craftsmen for maintenance. Furthermore, younger electronics craftsmen may be more current and could maintain the latest electronics appliances better than the elderly craftsmen. On the other hand, adult customers prefer elderly craftsmen to maintain their faulty appliances. This may be because elderly electronics craftsmen proves to be more experienced, reliable, responsible, organized, trustful, and are willing to maintain appliances to customers’ satisfaction. It is possible that age of the craftsmen influences customers’ choice for their services and by extension customer satisfaction.
How well the customers’ electronic appliances are maintained is a determinant of service quality of electronics craftsmen. Service quality is the comparison which customers make between their expectations and perceptions of the received service, (Kabir & Therese 2010). According to Eshghi, Roy, and Ganguli (2008), service quality is viewed as the overall assessment of a service by the customer. Therefore, service quality can be defined as the difference between customer’s expectation for service performance prior to the service encounter and their perception of the service received. In addition, perceived service quality has been defined as customer’s judgment or attitude relating to the overall excellence or superiority of the service (Caruana 2002). The customer perception of service quality can however be measured using different models such as service performance (SERVPERF), performance-specific (PERS) and service quality (SERVQUAL) model (Brady, Cronin & Brand, 2002).
Service quality (SERVQUAL) is based on the perception gap between perceived quality and the expected service quality, and has widely been adapted for explaining consumer perception of service quality. The originally proposed service quality was ten (reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding the customer and tangibles). Later, these were reduced to five (reliability, responsiveness, empathy, tangibles and assurance (Naik, Gantasala & Gantasala 2010). These are the service quality dimensions adopted for this study.
Since service is tangible, customers drive their perception of service quality by comparing the tangible associated with these services provided. According to Chingang and Lukong (2010), tangible is the appealing appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials. Scott (2012) termed communication of tangibility as written materials. Therefore, tangible is the appealing appearance of physical facilities, equipment and communication materials found in the electronics workshop that would improve service quality. The quality of service of electronics craftsman is tangible if customers are satisfied with the visual appealing of facilities, appropriateness of staff dressing and modern technology for services, good finishing to serviced products and others. Apart from tangibility of service rendered, craftsmen need to be reliable.
Reliability of electronics craftsmen is dependent on fulfillment of promises, dependability and accurateness of service quality. Reliability means that the craftsmen deliver on promises. Ladhari (2008) defined reliability of craftsmen as the ability to be consistent and promising. Reliability was viewed by Ary, Jacobs, Sorensen and Walker (2014) as the degree of consistency with which craftsmen performs what they are purported to do. It was in light of this that Collins, and Aronson, (2015) asserted that customers want to do business with craftsman that keep to promises, particularly the promises about the service outcomes and core service
attributes. Therefore, reliability means the ability of craftsmen to be time conscious, consistent, truthful, promising and accurate in their service performance. Craftsmen’s ability to provide the core service that customer expects is an aspect of responsiveness.
Responsiveness is another service quality dimension capable of influencing customer satisfaction. Eshghi, Roy and Ganguli (2008) explained responsiveness to mean willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Scott (2012) defined responsiveness as prompt attention to requests, willingness to help and being flexible in handling customers’ problems. Therefore, responsiveness of electronics craftsmen means the ability or willingness to help customers, being attentive and flexible in handling customers’ problems, questions and complain. This dimension emphasizes attentiveness and promptness in dealing with customer’s requests, questions, complaints and problems. When craftsmen exhibit a high degree of responsiveness, customers are directly assured of service quality.
Assurance is a form of trust and confidence expected to be instilled in customers. Donelaicio (2007) defines assurance as employees’ knowledge of courtesy and the ability of the craftsmen and its employee to inspire trust and confidence on customers. Trust and confidence may be embodied in a particular person who links the customer to the craftsmen. Thus, craftsmen need to instill trust and confidence in their customer to be able to gain competitive advantage and for their customers’ loyalty. Furthermore, the craftsmen need to show a large degree of empathy to customers to ensure their loyalty.
Customers deserved to be provided with caring and individualized attention. Hoyer and Maclnnis (2001) asserted that providing customers with caring and individualize attention is termed empathy. This assertion was supported by Lo, Osman, Ramayah and Rahim (2010) that it is essential for craftsmen to satisfy the customers’ needs. Lo et al (2010) further explained empathy to mean the ability to feel and care for as well as appreciate somebody as a customer.
Empathy is therefore an addition that boosts the trust and confidence level of customers and at the same time increase loyalty of customers. Customers who do not receive individual attention are likely to search for better service elsewhere. Service quality according to Douglas and Connor (2003) is a major determinant of customer satisfaction.
Good customer satisfaction has an effect on the profitability of nearly every business. For instance, when customers perceived good service each will typically tell nine to ten people. It is estimated that nearly one half of Nigerian business is built upon this formal word-of-mouth communication (Naik, Gantasala, & Gantasala, 2010). Hence, Scott (2012) opined that customer satisfaction is the extent to which customers are happy with the products and services provided by a business. Donelaicio (2007) viewed customer satisfaction as the overall fulfillment of expectation with the organization based on all encounters and experiences with that particular organization. According to Hoyer and Maclnnis (2001), satisfaction can be associated with feelings of acceptance, relief, excitement and delight. Customer satisfaction is therefore a measure or an indicator of the degree to which customers are pleased with services rendered to them by electronic craftsmen in repairing their electronic appliances.
Electronic appliances are mostly manufactured using valves, transistors, or silicon chips. According to Grob and Schultz (2005), these appliances range from radio, television, amplifier, satellite, wristwatch, computers to global system for mobile communication (GSM) phone. The recent electronics appliances are manufactured using silicon chips. These chips in the electronics appliances often develop faults that need immediate maintenance. Such faults may be caused by old age, power surge, thunder storm, careless handling or voltage fluctuation among others which would be subjected to maintenance before using them again. According to Piotrowski (2001), maintenance is the work of keeping something in a proper condition; upkeep. Ezema (2004) explained maintenance to mean continuing repair work that is done regularly to keep a machine,
an appliance, or piece of equipment in good condition and working order. Maintenance therefore, is the regular repair routine performed by electronics craftsmen to keep electronics appliances in a good working order. The common types of maintenance are corrective, preventive, predictive, periodic, reliability centered and reactive maintenance. It is at the stage of predictive or corrective maintenance that the customers bring their appliance to the craftsmen.
A lot of reasons were advanced for maintenance of electronics appliances. Douglas and Connor (2003) opined that the electronics appliances need maintenance for obvious reasons: sustenance of life span, giving accurate and appropriate output, resuscitation and avoidance of major break down. According to Pak (2015) the purposes of maintaining electronic appliances are to reduce breakdowns and emergency shutdowns. Optimizing resource utilization, reducing downtime, improving spares stock control, improving equipment efficiency and reducing scrap rate are also importance of maintaining the appliances. Other purpose for maintenance of electronics appliances include: minimizing energy usage, optimizing the useful life of equipment, providing reliable cost and budgetary control and identifying and implementing cost reductions. According to Bernhard (2005), electronics craftsmen in this field often troubleshoot down to the component’s level, rather than just the board level. Hence, a strong understanding of electronic theory and circuit is a must for craftsman to be successful in maintaining customer’s appliances.
To enjoy the services of these appliances, Grob and Schultz (2005) advised that the appliances should be serviced often in other to avoid major breakdown that would lead to major repairs. Ezema (2004) asserted that repair refers to re-preparation, mending and renovation of a faulty appliance. Menta and Rohit (2014), explained repair to mean putting an appliance that is damaged, faulty, broken or not working correctly, back to a good condition or make it to work again. Therefore, repair is an aspect of maintenance which is performed to fix, mend or overhaul
a particular fault in an appliance to make it work again. When a faulty appliance is well repaired, the customer is usually satisfied. The service quality of the craftsman at this point would be rated positively high leading to customer satisfaction and future patronage.
The fulfilled needs termed customer satisfaction has often being a perplexing issue in electronics parlance for obvious reasons. Naik, Gantasala and Gantasala (2010) found that the perplexity in this regard is due to the negligence of craftsmen to be reliable, trustful and responsive while servicing customers’ electronics appliances. Naik et al (2010) stated that some parts of appliances are not available because new brand of electronic appliances are being manufactured on daily bases. Some are fragile and costly thereby causing delay in the maintenance of appliances. The difficulty in interpreting the circuit diagram and maintenance manual of new appliances can make the craftsman’s work cumbersome. Craftsmen therefore need to update their knowledge and skills so as to live up to expectation while serving customers.
Giving customers precisely what they want makes the customers happy and more likely to return for more repairs and service. According to Danlami (2013), good service quality leads to customer satisfaction, sustainability of craftsmen means of livelihood, even curbing unemployment rate and other delinquent behavior among electronics craftsmen. This therefore means that craftsmen need to be reliable, responsive, empathetic, tangible and trustworthy to ensure continual patronage of old customers and attraction of new customers.
However, customers often complain of poor service quality, poor customer-craftsman relationship and inconsistency. According to Baltes and Lindenberger (2007), poor service quality is likely to result from failure of electronics craftsmen to be reliable, empathetic, responsive, and security conscious among others. According to Janet and Jessica (2011), most of the electronics craftsmen practicing repair services in Kabong ward of Plateau State have closed down their workshop for want of customers or lack of patronage. Eniola (2006) further advanced
that delay in completing a task, mutilation of appliances, wrong replacement of parts or displacement of gadgets, suspecting the use of inferior service parts and fraudulent activities among others are the complains customers give most times. Grobs and Schultz (2005) asserted that the inability of some craftsmen to interpret circuit diagrams of modern electronics appliances, repair and test to maintenance specification, and inability to warmly welcome customers is a matter of concern to customers. Recent research on service quality such as that of Menta and Rohit (2014) indicated that these complaints are true indices of poor service quality of some electronic craftsmen.
In the face of complaints, customers can easily withdraw their confidence from the electronic craftsmen who fail to meet their expectations. Such loss of confidence according to (Menta and Rohit (2014) sometimes leads to misunderstanding that can even degenerate to police case, court case and detention of electronics craftsmen. All these complain points to customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, the inability of some electronics craftsmen to satisfy their customers can pose a serious concern to customers hence, the need to explore the influence of service quality of electronics craftsmen on customer satisfaction in Plateau State, Nigeria. Statement of the Problem
Craftsmen suppose to fulfill promises, be dependable and very accurate in performing their services to customers. They also need to exercise a high degree of carefulness in ensuring that the appliance(s) which they serviced have an appealing appearance, functional and cost effective. Customers desire electronics craftsmen to pay prompt attention to their requests, be willing to help and flexible in handling their problems. Ability of craftsmen to meet up with the customers’ expectation constitutes a great deal to customer satisfaction. When customers are satisfied, they are more confident on the electronics craftsmen. This brings about assurance for more patronage and introduction of new customers to the craftsmen’s workshop.
Presently, customers complain of poor service quality of electronics craftsmen. This poor service quality of electronics craftsmen could result from failure to be up to date, reliable, empathetic, responsive, and security conscious among others. Most of the electronics craftsmen practicing repair services in Kabong ward of Plateau State have closed down their workshop for want of customers or lack of patronage. Moreover, longer duration to complete a task by craftsmen, damaging of appliances by inexperience craftsmen, replacement of parts or displacement of gadgets, suspecting the use of inferior spare parts and accusation on some criminal acts and others are the complaints among the electronic appliances owners who are customers. In extension, inability of some craftsmen to interpret circuit diagrams of modern electronics appliances, repair and test to maintenance specification is a matter of concern to customers hitherto. These complaints are true indices of poor service quality which often leads to customer dissatisfaction.
Invariably, most customers lack confidence on the electronic craftsmen’s ability to maintain their electronic appliances. Such lack of confidence sometimes leads to misunderstanding which may even degenerate to police case, court case and detention of some electronics craftsmen. The problem of this study was that the influence of service quality of electronics craftsmen on customers’ satisfaction in Plateau State is not known. Therefore, the study explored the influence of service quality of electronics craftsmen on customer satisfaction in Plateau state, Nigeria
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of the study was to determine the influence of service quality of electronics craftsmen on customer satisfaction in Plateau State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined the influence of electronics craftsmen’s:
1. reliability on customer satisfaction
2. responsiveness on customer satisfaction
3. empathy on customer satisfaction
4. assurance on customer satisfaction
5. tangibles on customer satisfaction in Plateau state
Significance of the Study
The study would benefit electronics craftsmen, entrepreneurs, customers, researchers, curriculum planners, Ministry of Education (MOE), Teachers, Students and society at large.
Specifically, electronics craftsmen would benefit from the findings of this study in that the study will reveal to them whether service quality dimensions influences their customer satisfaction. Through the findings of this study, electronics craftsmen would identify their areas of weakness as well as improve on those areas of weakness in other to improve their service qualities for customer loyalty, patronage and confidence. Findings of the study through orientation and workshop will also reveal to electronics craftsmen the service quality dimensions necessary for satisfying customer and its benefits in creating customer loyalty.
Findings of this study would be of benefit to Ministry of Education in their efforts to adequately plan to achieve the objectives of technical education as enshrined in National policy on education. It will also provide information needed to improve the existing training programme in the aspect of techniques of customer satisfaction. The result of the findings when made available to technical colleges would necessitate the teaching of service quality dimensions to students and the need for satisfying customer when they become entrepreneurs. The findings of this study would also assist electronics graduates to investigate on those variables that make customers to rescind some craftsmen or lose confidence in them.
The findings of this study would as well be used by National Board for Technical Examination (NBTE) to be included in the Technical colleges’ curriculum and other technical institutions in Nigeria. The findings will reveal to them the need to include service quality techniques as part of entrepreneurial module. Findings of this study when made available to electronics craftsmen will necessitate organizing tangibles in the workshop such as making the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials appealing to customers for customer loyalty. Through the findings of the study, electronics craftsmen will see the need to acquire the knowledge of courtesy as well as the need to inspire trust and confidence in customers when the findings is made available to them. It will also reveal to the craftsmen the need to be time conscious, consistent, truthful, promising and accurate in their service performance.
Findings of the study when made available to electronics craftsmen through workshops would enable them to improve on the ability or willingness to help customers, improve on attentiveness and flexibility in handling customers’ problems, questions and complaints too. Findings of this study when made available to the society through workshop or orientations, parents who are entrepreneurs or business oriented may use it to guide their children and equally encourage them towards attainment of knowledge on techniques and benefits of customer satisfaction. Acquiring such knowledge could enable graduates of electronics education to establish electronics workshop while rendering quality services to the society.
Findings of the study would serve as a reference material to researcher(s) who would wish to perform similar research in the future.
Research Questions
1. What is the influence of electronics craftsman’s reliability on customer satisfaction?
2. What is the influence of electronics craftsman’s responsiveness on customer satisfaction?
3. What is the influence of electronics craftsman’s empathy on customer satisfaction?
4. What is the influence of electronics craftsman’s assurance on customer satisfaction?
5. What is the influence of electronics craftsman’s tangibles on customer satisfaction?
Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 levels of significance:
Ho1. There is no significant difference in the mean responses of adolescent and adult customers on the influence of electronics craftsmen’s reliability on customer satisfaction.
Ho2. There is no significant difference in the mean responses of adolescent and adult customers on the influence of electronics craftsmen’s responsiveness on customer satisfaction
Ho3. There is no significant difference in the mean responses of adolescent and adult customers on the influence of electronics craftsmen’s empathy on customer satisfaction
Ho4. There is no significant difference in the mean responses of adolescent and adult customers on the influence of electronics craftsmen’s assurance on customer satisfaction
Ho5. There is no significant difference in the mean responses of adolescent and adult customers on the influence of electronics craftsmen’s tangibles on customer satisfaction in Plateau State.
Delimitation
The study focused on the influence of service quality of electronics craftsmen on customer satisfaction. Specifically, the study explored the influence of electronics craftsmen tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy on customer satisfaction. The opinions of customers to electronics craftsmen were elicited to determine the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in Plateau state, Nigeria.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
INFLUENCE OF SERVICE QUALITY OF ELECTRONICS CRAFTSMEN ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA
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