EFFECT OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ON ENHANCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: A CASE STUDY OF POSTAL CORPORATION OF KENYA, NAIROBI BRANCH

Abstract

Service value today has turned out to be not only the rhetoric of every organisation, but has also occupied a prominent position in every discourse and or research study. No business organisation can survive without satisfying its customers hence the study main objective was to determine the effect of public relations on enhancing customer satisfaction with Postal Corporation of Kenya as a Case study. The study was guided by the following objectives, to establish the effects of customer service on customer satisfaction in Postal Corporation of Kenya, to establish the effect of staff competence on customer satisfaction in Postal Corporation of Kenya and to determine the effect complaints handling on customer satisfaction in Postal Corporation of Kenya. The study was anchored on the following theories: Attribution Theory and Systems theory. The literature review indicated that the Public Relations makes organizations more effective by building long-term relationships with strategic constituencies, and more specifically, by developing relations with stakeholders in the internal or external environment that constrain or enhance the ability of an organization to accomplish its mission. The researcher adopted descriptive survey design with quantitative and qualitative methods. The researcher targeted senior staff, middle-level staff and lower staff of Postal Corporation of Kenya, Nairobi Offices. The target population was 150 respondents. The researcher used Slovene’s formula and computed the same on each category of employees to obtain a sample size of 55 respondents. The study involved collection of data using both primary and secondary data collection method. The primary data was collected through the use of questioners which was self-administered. The data analysis procedure involved the use of quantitative techniques whereby the information to be dealt with was derived from the questionnaires. The following techniques of analysis and interpreting data was used: Tabulation, Bar graphs, Pie charts and Percentage. The researcher established that Customer service at Postal Corporation of Kenya exceeds Customer Expectations. The findings indicated that the Staff competence enhances customer orientation at Kenya Postal Corporation. The findings indicated that Complaint Management practice has enhance customer satisfaction in postal corporation of Kenya. The researcher concluded that In order to provide higher quality services users’ perceptions should be higher than expectations. The researcher concluded that Staff competence enhances customer orientation at Kenya Postal Corporation the findings also indicated that Staff competence enhances Commercial Friendship at Postal Corporation of Kenya. On Complaints handling it was concluded that Customers, complaining directly with high expectations over a firm, are still in the hope of changing and unwilling to abandon the firm immediately. The study recommends that stronger communication mechanisms should be installed and well integrated in the system to ensure easier and convenience in dissemination of information to the public which would satisfy the rest of the stakeholders of Postal Corporation of Kenya. The study recommends that Postal Corporation of Kenya should devise ways and means to maintain a long-term commitment with clients so as to spur customer satisfaction.