Determinants of Customer Satisfaction on Mobile Telecommunication Services in Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajebi.v5i1.4472Keywords:
Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, Mobile Telecommunication, Price, Service QualityAbstract
This study delves into the overarching consumer satisfaction landscape within the telecommunications industry in Malaysia, examining factors influencing customer satisfaction and their interrelation with customer service, service quality, and price. Though these factors have separately been researched in many countries, at present, there is a limited and context-specific understanding of how they combine to shape customer satisfaction in Malaysia’s highly competitive mobile market, especially within an integrated framework that is grounded in Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT). To address this gap, data were collected through a self-administered, online questionnaire from 250 mobile telecommunication service users in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. The study aimed to comprehensively understand customer satisfaction dynamics within the Malaysian telecom sector. Using SPSS for analysis, if has been found that customer service, service quality and price have a positive and significant influences on customer satisfaction, with service quality being the highest factor that explains customer satisfaction. The model explains 53.7% of the variance in customer satisfaction, underscoring the combined importance of the three determinants. This research extends existing knowledge in providing empirically grounded evidence from the Malaysian context and by shedding light on the relative influence of customer service, service quality, and price on satisfaction within an ECT-based framework. From a practical perspective, the results suggest telecom providers should focus on service quality improvements, enhance their customer service capabilities, and adopt fair and competitive pricing policies in order to develop customer satisfaction and retention in a rapidly changing market.
Downloads
References
Abror, A., Patrisia, D., Engriani, Y., Evanita, S., Yasri, Y., & Dastgir, S. (2019). Service quality, religiosity, customer satisfaction, customer engagement and Islamic bank’s customer loyalty. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 11(6), 1691-1705. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-03-2019-0044
Adeosun, L. P. K., Ayodele, O., Tubosun, A. I., & Cecilia, A. (2018). Effect of relationship marketing on customers’ satisfaction (A Study of GT Bank Plc.). Journal of Economics, Management and Social Science, 4(1), 163-174.
Afroz, R., Muhibbullah, M., Farhana, P., & Morshed, M. N. (2020). Analyzing the intention of the households to drop off mobile phones to the collection boxes: empirical study in Malaysia. Ecofeminism and Climate Change, 1(1), 3-20.
Aiello, A., & Czepiel, J. A. (1978). Customer satisfaction in a catalog type retail outlet: exploring the effect of product, price and attributes. IN: Indiana University, 129-135.
Ali, B.J., Gardi, B., Othman, B.J., et al. (2021) Hotel service quality: The impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in hospitality. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management 5(3), 14–28. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijebm.5.3.2.
Almuhanna, N., & Alharbi, Z. H. (2023). Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction with The Telecommunication Industry in Saudi Arabia. TEM Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM121-52
Alzoubi, H. M., & Inairat, M. (2020). Do perceived service value, quality, price fairness and service recovery shape customer satisfaction and delight? A practical study in the service telecommunication context. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 8(3), 579-588.
Angelova, B. and Zeqiri, J. (2011). Measuring customer satisfaction with service quality using American customer satisfaction model (ACSI model). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 1(3), 232-258.
Bethlehem, J. (2010). Selection bias in web surveys. International statistical review, 78(2), 161-188.
Calvo-Porral, C. and Otero-Prada, L.-M. (2020). A profile of mobile service users in a mature market: from “uninvolved pragmatics” to “potential switchers”. Spanish Journal of Marketing – ESIC, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-03-2020-0046
Chatterjee, R. and Rahman, A. (2023). An empirical analysis of factors influencing customer satisfaction in the telecommunications industry through the mediating role of loyalty programs. European Business & Management, 9(4), 63-70. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20230904.11
Chen, T., Peng, L., Yin, X., Rong, J., Yang, J., & Cong, G. (2020). Analysis of user satisfaction with online education platforms in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Healthcare (Vol. 8, No. 3, p. 200). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Cronin Jr, J. J., & Taylor, S. A. (1992). Measuring service quality: a reexamination and extension. Journal of marketing, 56(3), 55-68.
Cronin Jr, J. J., Brady, M. K., & Hult, G. T. M. (2000). Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of retailing, 76(2), 193-218.
Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., & Christian, L. M. (2014). Internet, phone, mail, and mixed-mode surveys: The tailored design method. Indianapolis, Indiana, 17, 161-175
Draganska, M., & Jain, D. C. (2006). Consumer preferences and product-line pricing strategies: An empirical analysis. Marketing science, 25(2), 164-174.
Eu, G. T. (2016). Slugfest: How Malaysia’s Big 3 performed in 2015. Digital News Asia. https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/slugfest-how-malaysia-big-3-performed-2015
Fricker, R. D. (2008). Sampling methods for web and e-mail surveys. The SAGE handbook of online research methods. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Gou, H., Su, L., Zhang, G., Li, H., & Li, Z. (2023, April). Research on telecom customer satisfaction prediction strategy. In 2023 8th International Conference on Cloud Computing and Big Data Analytics (ICCCBDA) (pp. 593-598). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCCBDA56900.2023.10154738
GSM Association. (2021). The mobile economy 2021. GSMA. https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GSMA_MobileEconomy2021_3.pdf
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J. and Anderson, R. E. (2018). Multivariate Data Analysis. Cengage Learning, London.
Hallur, G. G., & Sane, V. S. (2018). Indian telecom regulatory framework in comparison with five countries: structure, role description and funding. Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, 20(1), 62-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPRG-06-2017-0035
Hasim, M. A., Ishak, M. F., & Hassim, A. A. (2019). The relationship between online shopping environments, sales promotions, website quality, and impulsive buying behaviour: A structural equation modelling approach. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 6(9), 215-230.
Hoe, L. C., & Mansori, S. (2018). The effects of product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty: Evidence from Malaysian engineering industry. International Journal of Industrial Marketing, 3(1), 20.
Hurley, R. F., & Estelami, H. (1998). Alternative indexes for monitoring customer perceptions of service quality: A comparative evaluation in a retail context. Journal of the academy of Marketing Science, 26(3), 209-221.
Janakiraman, N., Meyer, R. J., & Morales, A. C. (2006). Spillover effects: How consumers respond to unexpected changes in price and quality. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(3), 361-369.
Karim, M. W., Chowdhury, M. A. M., & Haque, A. A. (2022). A study of customer satisfaction towards E-wallet payment system in Bangladesh. American Journal of Economics and Business Innovation, 1(1), 1-10.
Karim, M. W., Muhibbullah, M., Ulfy, M. A., & Hossain, M. A. (2020). Examining the antecedents of using ride-hailing services: a study in Dhaka city of Bangladesh. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 8(7), 40-51.
Karunaratna, A. C., & Kumara, P. A. P. S. (2022). Determinants of customer satisfaction in the mobile telecommunications service industry. South Asian Journal of Business Insights 2(2), 3-25. https://doi.org/10.4038/sajbi.v2i2.43
Khan, S., Jamil, S., & Seraj, S. S. (2022). Consumer buying behavior towards online shopping: A SEM analysis of financial capability. Journal of Journalism, Media Science & Creative Arts, 2(2), 91–110. https://doi.org/10.56596/jjmsca.v2i2.18.
Koh, K., & Samsudin, S. N. (2023). iMAP Malaysia 2023 Internet Censorship Report. Sinar Project. h ttps://ooni. org/post/2022-state-of-internet-censorship-malaysia.
Kollmann, T. (2000). The price/acceptance function: Perspective of pricing policy in European telecommunication markets. Journal of Innovation Management, 3(1), 7-14.
Konuk, F. A. (2018). Price fairness, satisfaction, and trust as antecedents of purchase intentions towards organic food. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 17(2), 141-148.
Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of marketing. Pearson education, London.
Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Ang, S. H., Leong, S. M., Tan, C. T., & Ho-Ming, O. (2017). Principles of marketing: an Asian perspective. Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
Kraft, F. B., Maity, D., & Porter, S. (2019). The salesperson wellness lifestyle, coping with stress and the reduction of turnover. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 34(2), 347-359. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-03-2017-0058
Kursunluoglu, E. (2011). Customer service effects on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty: A field research in shopping centers in Izmir City-Turkey. International Journal of business and social science, 2(17), 52-59.
Liang, D., Ma, Z., & Qi, L. (2013). Service quality and customer switching behavior in China’s mobile phone service sector. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1161-1167.
Malik, M. E., Ghafoor, M. M., & Hafiz, K. I. (2012). Impact of brand image, service quality and price on customer satisfaction in Pakistan Telecommunication sector. International journal of business and social science, 3(23), 123-129.
Melody, W. H. (2001). Policy objectives and models of regulation”, telecom reform principles, policies and regulatory practices, Chapter 2 (ed.) William H. Melody, Den Private Ingeniorfond, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, 387-405.
Noviandy, T. R., Idroes, G. M., Hardi, I., Afjal, M., & Ray, S. (2024). A Model-Agnostic Interpretability Approach to Predicting Customer Churn in the Telecommunications Industry. Infolitika Journal of Data Science, 2(1), 34-44.
Palladan, A. A., & Ahmad, M. A. (2019). Leveraging customers loyalty in telecommunication industry: the role of service quality and customer satisfaction a PLS approach. International Journal of Marketing Research Innovation, 3(1), 1-10.
Pallant, J. (2011). For the SPSS Survival Manual: A step by Step Guide to Data Analysis using IBM SPSS (6th ed). New York: Mc Graw Hill Education.
Pallant, J. (2011). Survival manual. A step by step guide to data analysis using SPSS, 4(4).
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of marketing, 49(4), 41-50.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual review of psychology, 63(1), 539-569.
Prakash, G., & Srivastava, S. (2019). Role of internal service quality in enhancing patient centricity and internal customer satisfaction. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, 13(1), 2-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-02-2018-0004
Rahman, M. S., & Mannan, M. (2018). Consumer online purchase behavior of local fashion clothing brands: Information adoption, e-WOM, online brand familiarity and online brand experience. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 22(3), 404-419. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2017-0118
Raziq, A., & Maulabakhsh, R. (2015). Impact of working environment on job satisfaction. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 717-725.
Rita, P., Oliveira, T., & Farisa, A. (2019). The impact of e-service quality and customer satisfaction on customer behavior in online shopping. Heliyon, 5(10), e02690.
Ruzanna, A., Baharin, K., & Nayan, S. (2020). Make a customer, not a sale: Review on customer trust. Journal of Undergraduate Social Science and Technology, 2(2), 2015–2019.
Saunders, M. N., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research methods for business students (Eighth). Harlow: Pearson education limited.
Sekaran, S. N., & Khan, M. R. B. (2024). Transforming Telecommunications Infrastructure in Malaysia: The Role of AI in Network Deployment and Optimization. Malaysian Journal of Business, Economics and Management, 174-182.
Shamsudin, M. F., Azmi, N., Nayan, S., Esa, S. A., & Kadir, B. (2020). Service quality of mobile telecommunications service. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(19), 628-636.
Silalahi, S. L. B., Handayani, P. W., & Munajat, Q. (2017). Service quality analysis for online transportation services: Case study of GO-JEK. Procedia Computer Science, 124, 487-495.
Smith, J., & Patel, R. (2024). Strategic pricing and infrastructure investment in the telecommunications industry. Telecommunications Journal, 49(4), 301-318.
Soma, D., Znotiņa, D., & Čerpinska, A. (2021). Factors affecting customer satisfaction with telecommunications services. Proceedings of the International Student and Teacher Scientific and Practical Conference (pp. 91-97). https://doi.org/10.17770/iss2021.6934
Strouse, K. G. (1999). Marketing telecommunications services: new approaches for a changing environment. Artech House Publishers.
Subram, K.S., Khan, M.N., & Srivastava, C. (2018). The impact of marketing mix elements on brand loyalty: A case study of construction industry. Sumedha Journal of Management 7(3), 77–98. Available at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2149602549?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true (accessed 9 December 2022).
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics, 6th edn Boston. Ma: Pearson.
Tuncer, I., Unusan. C., & Cobanoglu, C. (2021). Service quality, perceived value and customer satisfaction on behavioral intention in restaurants: An integrated structural model. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism 22(4). 447–475. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/1528008X.2020.1802390.
Vanhuele, M., Laurent, G., & Dreze, X. (2006). Consumers’ immediate memory for prices. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(2), 163-172.
Walean, R. H., Pongoh, H., & Mandagi, D. (2024). Integrating brand gestalt and customer loyalty in telecommunication sector: The mediating role of customer satisfaction. International Review of Management and Marketing, 14(6), 409-423.
Wen, C. H., & Hilmi, M. F. (2011, December). Exploring service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the Malaysian mobile telecommunication industry. In 2011 IEEE Colloquium on Humanities, Science and Engineering (pp. 733-738). IEEE.
Whetten, D. A. (1989). What constitutes a theoretical contribution? Academy of management review, 14(4), 490-495.
Wong, K. L., Chen, H., & Lee, C. Y. (2024). Price and customer satisfaction in the telecommunications industry: a literature review. Telecommunications Journal, 51(2), 123-137.
Ye, F., Xia, Q., Zhang, M., Zhan, Y., & Li, Y. (2020). Harvesting online reviews to identify the competitor set in a service business: evidence from the hotel industry. Journal of Service Research, XX(X), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520975143
Zeithaml, V. A. (2000). Service quality, profitability, and the economic worth of customers: what we know and what we need to learn. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 28(1), 67-85.
Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., & Malhotra, A. (2002). Service quality delivery through web sites: a critical review of extant knowledge. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 30(4), 362-375.
Zhao, L., Lee, S. H., & Copeland, L. R. (2019). Social media and Chinese consumers’ environmentally sustainable apparel purchase intentions. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 31(4), 855-874. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-08-2017-0183.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rubyat Sharin, Md Muhibbullah, Rafikul Islam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
