Abstract

This study focuses on the concept of customers’ complaining behaviour in the mobile telephone company sector.  The mobile telephone company in Uganda is competitive and being a service sector, it is complex in nature. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was used. Primary data were collected using questionnaires from Makerere University mobile telephone subscribers who were students, academic staff, administrative staff and support staff. Stratified random sampling was used and the study used cross sectional survey method. A sample of 384 was used in the study where a response of 332 was attained, with 86% response rate. A pilot study was done. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations and regression analysis. The results of the study revealed that customers’ complaint behaviour influences customer loyalty. Further, the results revealed that service quality directly influences customer loyalty and also has a positive significant relationship with customers’ complaint behaviour. The study  has  made  contribution  to  theory,  policy  and  practice  in  relation  to  customer complaint behaviour and to marketing in general. The study offered further clarification into the relationship between customers’ complaint behaviour, service quality and customer loyalty. The limitations of the study included the selection of the study variables which was not exhaustive. On the one hand, the cross-sectional survey research design was used where the study was carried out at a specific moment in time and, as a result, causality can only be inferred from these data.

Key words: Customers’ complaint behaviour, mobile telephone companies, customer loyalty.