Causes of Customer Switching Behaviour in the Zimbabwean Mobile Telecommunication Industry

Although several industries suffer from churn, it is more pronounced in the telecommunication sector where customers are acquired and also defect quickly. Controlling customer defection is the major problem facing the telecom industry nowadays. The research aimed to explore the underlying causes of customer switch behaviour in Zimbabwe’s mobile telecom industry. Primary data was gathered from three mobile telecommunication operators using a case study design. Data was gathered from key informants who comprised telecommunication subscribers, employees and management. The population of the study included more than 12,000,000 subscribers of Econet Wireless, Telecel, and Net One Pvt Ltd inter alia offering mobile services. Stratified and purposive sampling was used in this study as a form of triangulation. Quantitative data was gathered from a sample of 356 subscribers. Findings from the study showed that customer defection in Zimbabwe’s mobile telecommunication industry is fueled by competitor promotions, poor service quality, and customer dissatisfaction among other factors. It is recommended that Zimbabwe telecom firms should collaborate with rivals in the industry when launching marketing-mix elements and other strategies. In addition, the industry should benchmark its service standards with international principles. Furthermore, the industry should regularly carry out market research in the form of customer surveys to understand customer needs, wants and preferences to reduce customer switching behaviour. It is also recommended that telecom firms procure quality products for sale to their customers. Keywords: Customer, Deregulation, Retention, Switching.