Telecommunication Industry in Malaysia: Demographics Effect on Customer Expectations, Performance, Satisfaction and Retention

Abstract

This study examined differences in customer expectations, perceptions of performance and satisfaction and retention of telecommunications service quality in the multi-ethnic environment of Malaysia. Analysis of multivariate covariance was used to determine the effect of a number of demographic variables (gender, ethnic, age, marital, education and income). Overall, the findings suggested that some demographic variables have significant effects on some dimensions involved in expectations, perceptions of performance and satisfaction, and retention with income having the most effects and gender, ethnic, and marital status having the least effects. Those dimensions include service coverage, billing integrity, quality of line, customer service and customer service outlet.

Keywords:

• Demographics
• expectations
• performance
• satisfaction
• retention
• telecommunications

Acknowledgement

The author would like to express her sincere gratitude to the three anonymous reviewers who have provided very constructive comments and suggestions for improvement to this essay.

Appendix. Definition and measurements of the research variables