Customer service in financial, communications and business service companies in Nigeria: Impressions of Lagos industry executives

Thesis (M.A.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Elliott School of Communication.Nigeria, notorious for its overdependence on oil, is the eighth largest oil producer in the world, and the largest in Africa. Yet, instead of transforming the country into one of the most prosperous in the continent, Nigeria's abundant natural resources have enriched a small minority while the vast majority remains impoverished (Manby, 1999). However, Increased privatization, foreign investment, globalization and competition have served to stimulate growth and competition in the service sector and the economy as a whole (Oshikoya, 2008). This study explored the role and definition of customer service in service companies located in Lagos, the financial, economic and business capital of Nigeria, and how customer service practices are evolving in response to changes in the economy. Interviews with upper level managers in targeted areas were analyzed through thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) to draw insights into the emergent customer service culture in Lagos. Five themes and multiple sub-­‐themes emerged in analysis. Themes included: conceptualization of quality customer service, importance of quality customer service, facilitation of customer service goals, current Nigerian customer service and barriers to development of quality customer service. Themes and sub-­‐themes reflected participants‘ views of the importance of quality customer service to their organizations, the service sector and the economy, and their optimism about the growth of customer service within Nigerian organizatio