Increasing Customers Traffics Through Public Relations
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
– To ascertain how Public Relations helps in eliminating misunderstanding
– To recommend solutions to the problems in Public relations identified
– To know how Public Relations helped in improving communication between people and the organization
– To determine the impact of public Relations on increased customer traffic
– To determine the impact of Public Relations on customer Traffic
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Review Public Relations
Conceptually, contemporary marketing authorities have been unanimous that marketing tool of public relations is a deliberate undertaking programmed to secure and preserve empathetic relationship between an organization and its publics. This position is supported by Nnamani (2011) who posits that the process helps firms to assess consumer wants, build communication with firm’s publics and thus foster goodwill that drives profitable satisfaction of consumer needs and wants. It can therefore be safely stated that this marketing tool is an act or process that not only seeks to drive consumer Traffic of a firm’s products or services, but also builds good image of the firm in the minds of the publics.
Customer Traffic
Customer Traffic in marketing context describes a situation wherein an individual with need/want to satisfy purchases something of value from the seller to attend to the identified lack or shortage. As the action component of customer attitudes, Traffic indicates eventual actual purchase of a company’s goods or services by the consumer. Though, Traffic could be assessed either through Traffic intention, or repeat purchase (Nwulu & Asiegbu, 2015). Traffic intention signifies a likelihood that the consumer will be willing to purchase a particular product in the future.
To a large extent, consumer decision and choice to buy a product is fundamentally hinged on perceived value of the offering and consideration of several other factors including but not exclusive to marketer/seller (firm) centered factors, banking experience etc. Given this position, positive banking experience is a considerable serious factor. Rahman, AbdelFattah and Mohamad (2014) observed a direct positive relationship between customer satisfaction and their repurchase intention. However, studies by Kivela, Inbakaran and Reece (2011) and Sulek and Hensley (2014) have indicated that for tremendously competitive industries, like banking, to sustain customer Traffic, customer satisfaction should be primarily prioritized. Accordingly, Arnold, Tae and Douglas (cited in Olise, Okoli & Ekeke, 2015) asserted that location, price, assortment, fast checkout, personnel friendliness and courtesy, and congenial shop atmosphere are critical determinants of store Traffic. Arguably, these factors may influence customers’ decision to patronize a bank’s products or services.
Public relation and Product/Services Awareness
Marketing business environment keeps changing rapidly: customer expectations increase; and technologies evolve to meet these needs. To survive under these conditions, organizations key in to the unfolding changes and so continuously revise and improve their business relationships with their customers and other publics. For a services organization, excellent customer service on the part of frontline employees which is usually the result of a careful selection, astute training and a well-designed reward system, promotes product awareness (Nnamani, 2011).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
According to Ogbuoshi (2006, p.144), research design is the blue print which determines the nature and scope of study carried out or proposed. Research design is also an outline or scheme that serves as a useful guide to the researcher in his efforts to generate data for his study. Research designs are used in research proposals to show how the variables of the proposed research will be observed, controlled or manipulated to generate necessary data for the study.
The research design adopted for this study was the survey research method. As the name implies, survey is a research method, which focuses on a representative sample driven from the entire population of the study. A researcher who employs this method therefore goes into the field and in the data, selects samples out of the entire population, (Nwodu, 2006, p.67). The reason for choosing this method was because survey method aims not only at collections of data but also the discovering of meaning in the data collected so that the fact can be better interpreted, explained and understood. Also Barbie (2006, p.201) submits that survey is the best method that gives room for asking questions from the population that is too large to observe directly. The method would help, to study a large number of units and make generalizations on the basis of data collected and analyzed.
Research settings
This study was carried out in first bank Nigeria in Enugu metropolis.
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population of the study
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Udoyen, 2019). In this study the study population constitute of all the staff in First bank Nigeria Plc. According to the HR department, there are 316 staff member in the bank.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The generated data for the study were analyzed and presented hereunder. Out of the one hundred and seventy-six (176) questionnaires administered, twelve (12) copies were not returned; hence, one hundred and sixty-four (164) representing 93% response rate were used for data analysis. The results are as shown in the tables below:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
In line with the specific objectives of the study, the hereunder findings were made:
1.Public relations create product awareness in the consumers of First banks in Enugu indicating that customer care service has a significant positive influence on product awareness. This is not out of place as good marketing approach; respect or even responsiveness of a desk officer to a customer may not only go a long way to create product awareness but as well encourage continued Traffic. Hence, hypothesis one shows that service quality has significant effect on customers’ Traffic.
2.The impact of service quality as indicated by the feedbacks often gotten on the bank’s ability in delivering at the promised time (responsiveness) and; empathy (caring and giving individualized attention to customers i.e. understanding specific needs) were seen to attract customers to patronize products of the First banks. Thus, hypothesis two affirms that service quality also has significant positive effect on customers’ Traffic.
3.Courteous service and pleasant business environment of the banks, the dynamism in getting customers informed of products and service using appropriate channels, as well as respect or positive attitudes to customers, and cashiers’ relation influences customer Traffic. Thus, result of hypothesis three confirms that cashiers’ relation has significant relationship with customer Traffic.
CONCLUSIONS
Having examined the effect of public relations on customer purchase of bank in Awka capital territory of Anambra State, the study concludes that patronage of the firms’ products by the customers is significantly positively related with marketing public relations of the banks. On this ground, it becomes pertinent that the banks strive to intensify their public relations activities to boost product awareness amongst their consumers and other publics. Further, the efforts or ability of the banks in striving for quality service is having great influence in customers’ patronage. This is necessitated by the cashiers’ relation which attracts more patronage.
Future Research
Consequent on the outcome of this study in which customers care service, service quality and cashiers’ relation are found to positively relate to product awareness and patronage, it
becomes expedient to ascertain how same PR tools are still maintaining customer patronage in the face of prevalent inexorable cum inexplicable customer long queuing time both in banking halls and ATM points, and mounting service charges presently weighing on the customers.
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