Effects Of Service Quality On Customer Satisfaction (A Study Of First Bank And Access Bank Plc) In Umuahia Metropolis Abia State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This research work concentrated on the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction in first bank and access bank plc, Nigeria. The study examined the effects of service responsiveness on customer loyalty, service empathy on customer referrals, service reliability on customer satisfaction, service tangibility on customer retention and service assurance on consistent customer patronage. Survey method of research design was adopted and sample size of 398 was determined using Taro Yamane formula. The data collected through questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple regression. The findings show that service responsiveness has a significantly positive effect on customer loyalty (β = 0.067, t = 3.046, p<0.05), that service empathy has a significant positive influence on customer referrals (β =  0.060, t = 2.748, p<0.05), that the relationship between timely service reliability and customer satisfaction is strong and positive (r = .512, P<.05), that tangibility has positive and significant effect on customer retention with β = .987, and there is a positive relationship between service assurance and consistent patronage at 0.712. The study recommended Banks in the quest for better service quality should carry their customers along by considering their age, statuses and exposures and management of banks should continue in the training process of their employees to enable them manage customers grievances better and explain more to customers who are confused with their services.