Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to investigate how data from customer feedback is utilized by the Telco and translated into strategies and competency based actions to address customer needs and service concerns.

Problem statement: Whereas customers are displeased with cost of services, limited network service coverage, long queues and poor connectivity, this Telco have focused on basic elements of service including greeting, smiling, making the customer feel comfortable at their service centres and enticing them with discounts and promotions.

Methodology: A mixed method of qualitative and quantitative research was used. Using purposive sampling, two homogeneous groups were selected; the first was semi-structured interviews with five managers. Secondly, closed ended questionnaires were dispensed to a quota sample of 20 affluent customers.

Findings: This Telco giant mainly collects customer feedback through call centres, social media, direct customer engagement, close-loop feedback system. However the feedback is not adequately utilized because it does not favour the Telco relatively to profit optimization and in some cases involve new system infrastructure.

Research limitations: The study focused on one giant Telco within the industry in Ghana believed to have best practices that can be generalised to other Telcos in market. Selection of only affluent customers represents a deeper understanding of customer satisfaction issues.

Practical implications: whereas this Telco believes that it is delivering the best of service to its customers by smiling at them, greeting, making them feel welcome and rewarding them with promotional gifts and discounts, the customers on the other hand, believes that the service the Telcos are offering are “must be” and that, these are basics of service, hence what they expect including improved network coverage, decrease in high cost of voice calls, seamless connectivity and zero interruptions in service transactions are not what they are actually experiencing to enable their satisfaction.

Originality: While this paper is the first to consider customer feedback utilization of a conglomerate Telco in Ghana, it also measured the service competency based actions that is implemented to provide superior service experiences to its customers.

Keywords: customer service experience, service value, service management, customer expectations, customer desires, customer delight.

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