Social Media Influence on Customer Satisfaction

THE INFLUENCE OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION.THE CASE OF SAFARICOM CALL CENTER,
NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA.
BY
GACHAGUA MARY NYAMBURA
A RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS
DEGREE IN PROJECT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT,THE UNIVERSITY
OF NAIROBI.
2013

ii
DECLARATION
This research project report is my original work and has not been presented to any
university for academic award.
Signature: ----------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
Gachagua Mary Nyambura Date
L50/70542/2011
This research project report has been submitted for examination with my approval as the
University supervisor.
Sign------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------
Prof Christopher. M .Gakuu Date
Department of Extra Mural Studies

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DEDICATION
This research project report is dedicated to my loving parents Mr. George Gachagua and
Mrs. Joyce Wangui Gachagua for their moral and financial support undertaking the
research,

iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost I wish to take this opportunity to thank my supervisor Professor
Christopher Gakuu for his dedicated supervision. Thanks for your time, patience and your
coaching all the way through .
My sincere gratitude goes to my all the lecturers of University Of Nairobi for their
professional support either directly or in directly in making the undertaking of this
research work a success and all staff of Extra Mural Department and School of
Continuing and Distance Education for giving me the opportunity to pursue the Master’s
program.
I am extremely grateful to Mr. Daniel Kariuki, the Safaricom social media data leader for
his support in preliminary information gathering with regards to this study. I also thank
social media staff for their input towards this study.
To all Project Planning and Management students for the year 2011, I wish to
acknowledge your contributions towards making this work successful through group
discussions and continuous consultations. Lastly, I also wish to acknowledge my friends;
Judith Maiko, Evelyn Peters and Faith Wanderi for their moral support and advice.
Thanks again to all who helped me.
.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION..............................................................................................................ii
DEDICATION.................................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.............................................................................................. iv
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... ix
LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... x
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS....................................................................... xi
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................xii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1
1.1 Background of the Study ............................................................................................. 1
1.2 Statement of the problem ............................................................................................. 5
1.3 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................... 6
1.4 Research Objectives..................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Research Questions...................................................................................................... 6
1.6 Significance of the study.............................................................................................. 7
1.7 Delimitation ................................................................................................................. 7
1.8 Limitations of the Study............................................................................................... 7
1.9 Assumptions of the Study ........................................................................................... 8
1.10 Significant definition of terms ................................................................................... 8
1.11 Organization of the study........................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................. 10
2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 10
2.2 Theoretical Framework.............................................................................................. 10
2.2.1. Transaction Cost Theory........................................................................................ 10
2.2.2 Service quality theory ............................................................................................. 11
2.2.3 Expectation Confirmation Theory of Customer Satisfaction.................................. 11
2.2.4 Social Media and Customer Satisfaction ................................................................ 11
2.3 The Influence of Use of Social Media on Customer Satisfaction.............................. 13

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2.3.1 Ease of use of social media................................................................................... 13
2.3.2 Speed of social media ............................................................................................. 14
2.3.3 Awareness Level on Social Media.......................................................................... 14
2.3.4 Social Influence on Use of Social Media................................................................ 15
2.3.5 Generational Change on Use of Social Media........................................................ 15
2.4 Empirical Review....................................................................................................... 16
2.5 Conceptual Framework.............................................................................................. 17
2.6 Research Gap ............................................................................................................. 19
2.7 Summary of Literature Review.................................................................................. 19
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .................. 21
3.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 21
3.2 Research Design......................................................................................................... 21
3.3 Target Population....................................................................................................... 21
3.4 Sample size ............................................................................................................... 22
3.5 Data Collection and Analysis..................................................................................... 22
3.5.1 Research Instrument................................................................................................ 22
3.5.2 Instruments Validity and Reliability....................................................................... 23
3.5.3 Pilot Test ................................................................................................................. 23
3.5.4 Data Collection Method.......................................................................................... 25
3.5.5. Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 25
3.5.6 Ethical Consideration.............................................................................................. 26
3.6 Operational Definition of Variables........................................................................... 27
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND
INTERPRETATION ..................................................................................................... 28
4.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 28
4.2 Response Return Rate ................................................................................................ 28
4.3 Background information ............................................................................................ 28
4.3.1 Distribution of respondents by gender.................................................................... 28
4.3.2 Distribution of respondents by Age brackets.......................................................... 29

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4.3.3 Distribution of respondents by Education level...................................................... 29
4.3.4 Safaricom service.................................................................................................... 30
4.3.5 Safaricom social care center ................................................................................... 30
4.4 Independent variables on influence of use of social media ...................................... 30
4.4.1 Ease of use of social media..................................................................................... 30
4.4.1.1 Use social media service...................................................................................... 30
4.4.1.2 Convenient to use safaricom social care center ................................................... 31
4.4.1.3 Safaricom social care Centre home page ............................................................. 32
4.4.2 Speed and time of social media .............................................................................. 32
4.4.2.1 Time taken to respond.......................................................................................... 32
4.4.2.2 Service offered via the social media .................................................................... 33
4.4.3 Level of awareness of social media ........................................................................ 33
4.4.3.1 Information about safaricom social care center ................................................... 33
4.4.3.2 Recommended the social care services................................................................ 34
4.4.4 Generation change on use social media .................................................................. 34
4.4.4.1 Devices used by the respondents to access safaricom social care center ............ 34
4.4.4.2 Frequency of changing the model of mobile phone............................................. 35
4.4.4.3 Change the model of mobile phone ..................................................................... 36
4.4.4.4 Customer care channel......................................................................................... 36
4.4.4.5 Choice of the channel........................................................................................... 37
4.4.4.6 Recommend another customer to use safaricom social care center..................... 37
4.5 Customer satisfaction and social media..................................................................... 37
4.6 Coefficient analysis.................................................................................................... 39
4.7 Summary .................................................................................................................... 40
CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
.......................................................................................................................................... 41
5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 41
5.2 Summary of findings.................................................................................................. 41
5.2.1 Ease of use of social media..................................................................................... 41
5.2.2 Speed and time of social media .............................................................................. 42

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5.2.3 Level of awareness of social media ........................................................................ 42
5.2.4 Generational Change on Use of Social Media........................................................ 42
5.3 Discussions from the findings.................................................................................... 43
5.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 44
5.5 Recommendations...................................................................................................... 45
5.6 Recommendation for further research ....................................................................... 46
REFERENCE................................................................................................................. 47
Appendix 1: Transmittal Letter........................................................................................ 52
Appendix 2: Structured Questionnaire............................................................................. 53