International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Role of Customer care in bringing Customer Satisfaction in Private Universities. A case of University of Arusha, Tanzania

Yohane Matanga
Student, Masters Degree in Strategic Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Arusha

ABSTARCT: This study sought to investigate customer care in bringing customers satisfaction at the University of Arusha. Its specific objectives included; to determine whether the University of Arusha is practicing customer care and customer satisfaction, to identify challenges of customer care and customer satisfaction at the University of Arusha and to identify mechanism to improve customer care and customer satisfaction at the University of Arusha.The study employed qualitative approach in collecting and analyzing data at the University of Arusha. Open ended questionnaires were used to collect data from 79 respondents.Findings revealed that respondents had a view that the University of Arusha is practicing customer care and customer satisfaction. Although, the study revealed that, employees in the office have less knowledge on customer care and skills that hindered effective provision of good customer care to customers and lack of commitment to offer a quality customer care service was also found to be a problem. Findings also indicated that there were mechanisms to remove the challenges such as training of customer care skills among the staff. The study concluded that, the customer satisfaction between main and town campus differed. It was also concluded that, inadequacy of facilities such as computer lab equipment were among the source of dissatisfaction. It was recommended that,training the staff on the customer care skills is essential in improving the customer care, the University should balance the services between the main campus and Arusha extension center which seems to be ignored.

Key words: Customer, Care, Satisfaction, Private Universities, Arusha, Tanzania.

Introduction

In the competition world today, creating customer satisfaction provides sustainable competitive advantage and differentiation from other service providers.One of the reasons good businesses become great is because of the loyalty they command from their customers. This satisfaction ensures that the customers stay back with the organization over the years. To command such a loyalty from customers, you need to give sound customer careand Customer Satisfaction(Khadka and Maharjan, 2017).Numerous empirical studies have indicated that customer care may result to customer’s satisfaction.A study by Archakova (2013) in Indonesia revealed that, good customer care is a result of organized corporate culture, which can be considered as a kind of social culture in general. Setting the values of a generalized trend of activity, rules, regulations and standards concretize this direction.Another study in Mexico by Bhasin (2018) indicated the advantage of good customer care to customers that; First, it retains the customers – naturally, when the