Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction in the Internet Service Industry (Exploratory Study of Internet Service Providers in Erbil - Kurdistan Region)

Abstract

The term “customer satisfaction” is a basic marketing expression constructed in the past three decades. In the past, it was an unpopular and unaccepted concept, as the aim of companies was to gain new customers rather than retain the existing ones. However, companies realized and understood the significance of customer satisfaction (especially service producing companies) and have adopted it as the highest priority of their operational goals in the present decade. This study aims to examine overall customer satisfaction with the internet service in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, factors affecting satisfaction and the relationship between satisfaction and demographics. Data were collected from 400 customers who were randomly selected. The results gained in this study revealed that 81.5% of respondents were satisfied. The combination of network quality, billing, speed, and customer support (internet services attributes) indicated a relationship with satisfaction, while age, education, gender, and employment variables indicated no relationship. Results show that the rate of satisfaction is high but the internet service companies can improve their services to reach the level of developed countries.