CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The main motive of every business organization, whether manufacturing or service industry, is to make profit. This cannot be achieved without much consideration to the concept of consumer sovereignty, market segregation and segmentation, and customer attraction and retention. Customer relation has to do with the concept of customer services and loyalty. In an attempt to achieve customer loyalty, business organizations’ efforts should be geared towards adequate provision of customer services to their customers.

This study concentrates on the customer services of broadcasting organizations. Broadcasting organizations are the organizations responsible for sending out information and/or messages in all directions especially through the electronic media (like radio and television). The broadcasting media which include radio, television, video and cinema are among of the most popular and most effective media of communication (Nwosu 2010:61). This radio and television media can be government or privately owned broadcasting organizations. In Nigeria today, competition among government and public organizations has brought about inevitable need of customer services and the same thing is applicable to broadcasting industries. There are many broadcasting organizations such as FRCN, ESBS, AIT, Cosmo FM, Caritas Radio, Silver Bird etc but this study concentrates on comparing the customer services of government and private broadcasting organizations using NTA and AIT as studies. These organizations practice customer services so as to ensure quality satisfaction. Thrill (1992:730) defined customer services as that activity which encompasses everything an organization does to satisfy its customers and to help them realize the

greatest possible value from the goods and services they are purchasing. Having considered this definition, the researcher is of the view that the importance of customer services in an organization cannot be over-emphasized.

Because of this reason, every broadcasting organization should have customer service department which handles their customers’ complaints. The broadcasting organizations (NTA and AIT) work tirelessly towards maintenance of effective quality of customer services because customer loyalty is increasingly being recognized as the key determinant of long term profitability and success especially for private broadcasting organizations. This study is prompted by the need to assess and evaluate the customer services being rendered to customers of NTA and AIT in Enugu metropolis.

1.2        STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In contrast to the ancient days, the time when organization were in the era of “Let the Buyer Beware” (Caveat Emptor) is over. What is presently reigning in the present competitive market is “Let the Seller Beware”. In the ancient era, there was no much room for customer’s choice because the organizations which rendered services to customers’ needs were very few but now in the modern era, the customers now have choice because there are many broadcasting organizations including private ones. This has resulted to competition between the government and private organizations. Every broadcasting organization can out perform their rivals only if it can establish a difference in their mode of customer service delivery.

Doyle et al (1998:10) stipulated that every business strategy should be geared at effectively meeting up with their customers’ needs more than their competitors. So every broadcasting organization like NTA and AIT needs improvement in their

customer services. An organization which fails to improve on its customer services will drastically experience reduction in profit and clientele. This also applies to government organizations that are not established for profit maximization. When the government broadcasting organization is unable to make use of their real time in handling customers’ complaints of dissatisfaction of services rendered to them, these customers will go for alternative supplier of such desirable service in a private organization.

However, upon the fact that customer service is very necessary, some government establishments in their activities showed that effective customer service delivery is yet to be fully incorporated. Despite efforts put in by broadcasting organizations towards customer satisfaction, customer switching is still experienced.

This study is instigated by complaints and movement of customers among broadcasting organizations despite their efforts in handling, keeping and sustaining customers.

1.3        OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The major objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the customer services of government-owned broadcasting organization (NTA) and private broadcasting organization (AIT). The following specific objectives are considered relevant to the achievement and realization of the major objectives of this study.

1.                 To determine whether customer services exist in NTA and AIT.

2.                 To know if the customer services of NTA and AIT meet up with the expectations of their customers in their service delivery.

3.                 To find out whether the job specification customer services in NTA is similar to AIT.

4.                 To determine whether NTA and AIT evaluate the performances of their customer service department.

5.                 To know if NTA has the plans of exceeding their competitors AIT in customer service delivery.

6.                 To find out if customer service activity is given more priority position in NTA than in AIT.

1.4        RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.                 Do NTA and AIT have customer service department in their organization?

2.                 To what extent is customer services given priority position in NTA and AIT?

3.                 To what extent does the customer services of NTA and AIT meet up with the expectations of its existence?

4.                 To what extent is the method of customer services delivery in NTA similar to that of AIT?

5.                 Do NTA and AIT broadcasting organization ever evaluate the performances of their customer service section?

6.                 To what extent does management of NTA compare their customer service delivery with their rivals?

7.                 To what extent is customer service delivery in NTA better than that of AIT?

1.5        RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho1:      NTA and AIT do not have customer service department.

Ho2:      NTA and AIT have customer service department.

Ho1:     Customer services of NTA and AIT do not meet up with the expectations of customers in their service delivery.

HA2:    Customer services of NTA and AIT meet up with the expectations of customers in their service delivery.

Ho3:     The management of NTA and AIT do not give customer services priority position in their programme.

HA3:    The management of NTA and AIT give customer services priority position in their programme.

Ho4:     The method of customer service delivery in NTA is not similar to that of AIT.

HA4:    The method of customer service delivery in NTA is similar to that of AIT.

Ho5:     NTA and AIT broadcasting organizations do not evaluate the performances of their customer service section.

HA5