The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Customer Service Delivery (Case Study of UBA Plc)
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The central objective of the study is to examine the impact of information and communication technology on customer service delivery. The specific objectives are:
- Investigate how Information and Communication Technology enhances customer satisfaction in the United Bank of Africa.
- Examine a customer’s benefits from using ICT tools in the United Bank for Africa.
- Identify the challenges militating against ICT operations in the United Bank for Africa.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter review related literatures on the impact of information and communication on customer service in united bank for Africa. To this end the literature highlight expert opinion and concept about the subject matter in accordance with the objective of the study.
Despite a rather late start, available statistics indicate that information and communication technology (ICT) is rapidly gaining ground in Nigeria. Due to its many possibilities, ICTs constitute veritable tools for socio-economic development, which makes the legal and regulatory environment for their application in developing Countries critical. Among other impacts, ICT have brought about significant changes in business practices with respect to banking transactions and, to some extent, the buying and selling of goods and services, through the possibilities of the medium to promote trade and commerce through wider access to prospective customers from anywhere on the globe for products and services. ICTs have thus transformed the business world, including the banking, trading and entertainment sectors, making the sectors more efficient and less limited by the barriers of time, distance and costs. ICT also have the potential to contribute to poverty alleviation through websites promoting local products in international markets, and facilitating access to market information for competitive prices for locally produced crafts, clothing and farm produce. The technology further offers an opportunity for the exploitation of foreign markets for cultural products, a market which continues to expand in line with increases in the African Diaspora eager for means to access local food, clothes, music, films and other aspects of their cultural identity and heritage.
On the negative side however, the technology has been accompanied by the emergence of new dimensions of crimes by those who, rather than exploiting the opportunities presented by ICT in legitimate ways for positive activities, rather do so for dubious or out rightly fraudulent acts. Thus, cyber crimes like child pornography, fraudulent electronic fund transfers, and unauthorized access to computer systems have become widespread. Tackling the problem of cyber crime and the attendant image nightmare to Nigeria poses legal and policy challenges, which result in efforts to stretch the laws in a bid to accommodate the new challenges.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter describes the techniques and procedures used by the researcher in conducting the study and accumulating the data for the study. It comprises of the description of the population of the study, sampling techniques, sample size, sources of data, method of data collection and method of data analysis and testing hypothesis.
Area of the study
The study will be focused on UBA Kakuri branch Kaduna. Located in Kachia road opposite Arewa textiles Kaduna.
Population and Sample Size of Study
The population to be used in this study covers the entire staff of UBA Plc Kakuri Kaduna. The population selected was designed to obtain adequate and diverse views pertaining to the level and impact of ICT in UBA. The technique is used to ensure that all the segment of the population is included in the sample. The sample 70 was drawn from 100 staff of UBA Plc.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
This chapter presents the data on the impact of information technology on service delivery in UBA. The data generated is presented using tables. The demographic variable of the respondents involved in the study are presented in five Likert tables. The response to the individual items in the questionnaire were scored in mean and a presented along the research questions in the study. In the course of scoring the items, the magnitude of the respondents’ responses to the options in the five-point Likert scale was used to determine the direction of the respondents opinion. Out of the 81 questionnaire distributed 70 was returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
The study examines the impact of ICT on bank service delivery in UBA. To this end the following research questions guided the study: What is the effect of ICT on bank customer satisfaction? What benefit does customer derives from using ICT tools? What are the challenges militating against ICT in UBA?
The survey study design was utilize and the questionnaire constitute the instrument of data collection. The data obtained from the field were analyzed with the statistical mean scores and presented in a five likert table. The finding of the research indicates that ICT enhances customer satisfaction by giving customers the opportunity to make withdrawals after banking hours and any other time. ICT also reduces ques in banking Hall, facilitates quick money transfer and online payment. As such ICT saves customers time and troubles of joining endless ques before withdrawal or deposit of funds, ICTalso saves bank customers from carrying large sums of money when traveling, thereby reducing the danger of losing money to rubbers on the high way.
The challenges militating against ICT operations in banks ranges from the problems of activities of fraudsters who defraud bank customers of large sums to the challenges of running ICT on generator due to constant power outage which increases operational cost and the inability of some bank customer to use complex ICT tools due to their inability use Automated Teller Machine or fear of being defrauded by fraudsters. Other problems include operational errors due to lack of proper maintenance.
Conclusion
Based on the research finding it clear that in spite of some constraint militating against the use and operation of ICT it enhances customer satisfaction in no small way. As such the research indicates that ICT Facilitates Customers Satisfaction by giving than the opportunity to make withdrawals after banking hours and any other time. ICT also reduces queue in banking hall, facilitates quick money transfer and on-line payment. ICT allows customers to make withdrawals outside their bank.
Bank Customers derive several benefits from using ICT Tools: This include saving their time and the trouble of joining endless queue before withdrawals or deposit of funds, ICT also saves bank customers from the trouble of carrying large sums of money when travelling, thereby reducing the danger of losing money to rubbers on the highway.
The challenges militating against ICT operations in banks ranges from the problems of activities of fraudsters who defraud bank customers of large sums to the challenges of running ICT on generator due to constant power outage which increases operational cost and the inability of some bank customer to use ICT Tools due to their inability to use complex ICT tools or fear of being defrauded by fraudsters. Other problem include operational errors due to lack of proper maintenance.
Limitations of the Study
In view of the technicalities involved, it would be unrealistic to assume that all necessary facts have been gathered in the process of the study. Information gathered is limited to those accesses and made available by the respondents and also those gathered from end users. However, the impact of this limitation will be reduced to the barest minimum.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are made base on the research findings so as to facilitate the possibility of improving the operation and the use of ICT in order increase service delivery and customer satisfaction and consequently retention:
- Banks needs to promote a sharing of knowledge about the use and the role of ICT in service delivery and customer satisfaction by experiments and diffusing best practices that meets international standard.
- Policy makers need to keep up with rapid development of ICT used by the private entities and develop a stable communications framework that is conducive to bank service delivery and to support the research and development in the private sector.
- Adopt analysis method, performance measure, and evaluation criteria in monitoring the developments of ICT in the private side. This could identify and propose mitigating measures to prevent the negative impacts of the technology in environment and social aspect.
- Strengthen public participation in the policy formulation for ICT use in banking through conducting public hearing and consultation. Governments, regional organizations, and the private sector need to cooperate to set the right frameworks for investments and services.
- Expand innovative public and private financing methods in generating finance and building skills for the development of ICT capacities. Human and financial capital building should be fundamental elements of the strategies of the public and private sectors in the development of e-logistics. Training and education policies, together with adequate financing are also important for e-banking to play its full role in the process of regional economic combination.
- In order to check the activities of ICT fraudsters whose activities are discouraging the use of Automated Teller Machine in no small measure. Automated Teller Machine should be covered by mechanical shutters to prevent tampering with mechanism when they are not in use. Alarm sensors should be placed insider the Automated Teller Machine and in Automated Teller Machine servicing area to alert their operators when doors have been opened by unauthorized personnel who often take advantage of their position to defraud customers through manipulations of Automated Teller Machine.
Cameras and security guide should be positioned in every Automated Teller Machine to help in detecting fraudsters.
Bank customers should avoid using Automated Teller Machine that are not within banking premises. This is in order to avoid bugs used by Automated Teller Machine fraudster to record personal Automated Teller Machine code of people who uses such bugged Automated Teller Machine. This is often done outside bank premises where there is no security guide.
Bank customers should also endeavour to check money withdrawn through Automated Teller Machine. This is because improper money checking can cause the possibility of a customer receiving counterfeit bank notes from an Automated Teller Machine.
In order to prevent criminals from surfing the customer’s PIN, banks should draw privacy areas on the floor in order to prevent intruders from viewing customers transaction.
In order to stop card cloning should be developed by banks, in particular by the use of smart cards which cannot easily be copied or sported by unauthenticated devices, and by attempting to make the outside of their Automated Teller Machine tamper evident. As such the use of French Carte Bleue, Visa cash, mondex, should be change into the most actively developed forms of smart card security such as master card EMV 200, EMV 4.x etc .
- For more consistent and reliable findings and policy basis recommendations, future studies should consider bigger samples from the different ICT banking users. This can be done through coordination and cooperation with the banks that uses ICT for service delivery.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Adama, A. (2009).Impact of ATM on Bank Transactions in Nigeria. Journal of Business Management (online) available at www.googlesbook.com
- Adams, B. (2007). Automated Teller Machine and Online Banking: Journal of Banking and Finance (online) available at htt://www.wikipidia.org. Retrieved 24/05/012
- Adoki, D. (2009) Automated Teller Machine in Nigeria: Article, retrieved 24/05/2012 from htt://www.projectblast.com
- Agboola, F. (2009).Problems and Prospect of ATM in Nigeria: Retrieved from htt://www.easyessay.com.
- Douglas, P. (2006). Banking and Finance: Lagos Adoki Publishers
- Egbe, E. (2007). Management in Focus. Enugu: Computer Edge
- Obodoechi, O. (2009). ATM Fraud in Nigeria. Journal of Business Administration: Retrieved on the 24/05/2012 from www.easyessay.com
