To What Extent Does Service Quality Influence Loyalty of Business Partners in the Nigerian Telecommunication Sector?

Abstract

The essence of service quality, as a predictor of customer loyalty, cannot be overemphasized. This is because higher service quality improves customer loyalty and increases brand loyalty. This study investigated the influence of service quality on the loyalty of business partners in the Nigerian telecommunication sector. To attain this objective, a quantitative study was conducted across the South-South region of the country, featuring the top four (MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile) providers of mobile network services. A total of 325 responses were gathered and analyzed using IBM’s SPSS and SmartPLS software. The analysis revealed the strength of the relationships between the latent constructs, with assurance (= 0.443; t = 7.3; p 0.05) being the strongest predictor, followed by reliability (= 0.414; t = 7.3; p 0.05), tangibility (= 0.398; t = 2.7; p 0.05), empathy (= 0.379; t = 3.8; p 0.05), and responsiveness (= 0.314; t = 2.9; All the antecedents of service quality were found to be related to customer loyalty. The study concluded by stating that service quality is a strong predictor of customer loyalty in the Nigerian telecommunication sector.