Influence of Microfinance Banks’ Service Quality Dimensions on Customers’ Satisfaction in South-south, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines the influence of microfinance banks’ (MFBs) service quality dimensions on customers’ satisfaction in south-south, Nigeria. To achieve its major purpose, six research questions and six hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted to collect data from a sample of 120 customers drawn using convenience sampling technique from an infinite population of three microfinance banks across three south-south States namely: CrossRivers State, Rivers State and Bayelsa State of Nigeria. Data collected using a four rating scale questionnaire were analysed with cluster mean to answer the research questions. In addition, pairwise correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses raised. The results of the study show that customers were satisfied with the service quality attributes such as: service tangible, service reliability, bank responsiveness and service assurance. However, the customers were dissatisfied with MFBs empathy towards their customers. The results also show that there is significant relationship between customers satisfaction with MFBs service quality dimensions and their satisfaction with service quality provided. However, customers satisfaction with MFBs service quality dimensions provided by MFBs do not significantly influence their satisfaction of the service quality offered. Based on the findings, it was recommended among other things that proprietors of MFBs in south-south, Nigeria should train and retrain their human resource to be customers’ friendly in line with the objectives of the banks in order to retain customers’ loyalty. Proprietors of MFBs in south-south, Nigeria should provide the most excellent tangibles that would guaranteed their customers with maximum satisfactions during service delivery.
Keywords: service tangible, service responsiveness, service assurance, empathy, service reliability