Effects of Service Quality on Customer Retention in the Zimbabwean Mobile Telecommunication Industry

The escalation of competition in the telecommunication industry has exacerbated the challenge of retaining customers and acquiring new ones. Even though customer switching adversely affects all industries, it is more pronounced in the mobile telecommunication industry. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of service quality on customer retention in Zimbabwe’s mobile telecommunication industry. The survey research design targeted Zimbabwe’s mobile telecoms. The population of the study comprised telecommunication subscribers and management. The sample comprised 356 participants identified using stratified and purposive sampling. The study's findings revealed a positive relationship between service quality and customer retention in Zimbabwe’s mobile telecommunication industry. The study recommends that the industry always provides a seamless customer experience to control churn. Service quality management is a prerequisite for competitive advantage. The sector should also strive to improve network connectivity to retain customers. Keywords: Service quality, Switching, Telecommunication.