ASSURANCE, EMPATHY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF FOOD, BEVERAGE AND TOBACCO MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA

The study evaluated assurance, empathy and customer satisfaction of food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives were to: determine relationship between assurance and customer loyalty; examine relationship between the empathy and customer effort score of food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria. The population of study was five thousand, five hundred and eighty-four (5584) employees of manufacturing firm under study in South East Nigeria. The sample size of 359 was established using Ferund and William statistical formula at 5 percent error margin. A survey design was adopted for the study. Instrument used for data collection was structured questionnaire. Two hundred and ninety-seven (297) copies of the questionnaire were returned. Z - test was used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that there was significant positive relationship between assurance and customer loyalty Z (95,n = 297) = 7.181 to 8.689,p< .05. and there was significant positive relationship between empathy and customer effort score Z (95,n = 297) = 572.484,p< .05. The study concluded that assurance and empathy had significant positive relationship with customer loyalty and customer effort score of food, beverage and tobacco manufacturing firms in South East, Nigeria. The study recommended among others that Managers of manufacturing firms should develop and continually deliver quality product and services to customers as product features which likely to help consumers develop brand loyalty