Declaration

I declare to the best of my knowledge that this research report entitled Recognition of
Customer Voices in Public Offices" is the results of my own investigations except as
cited otherwise in the reference page. This report is an original work and has not
accepted for any Diploma and is not concurrently submitted in candidature of any other
diploma.

Signature: .
Name: VERONICA V.MALLYA
Date: .

Certification
The undersigned, certifies that VERONICA V. MALLYA a candidate whose registration
number is DHRM 07/12/T.27 is the Diploma student of Human Resource Management
and has presented her research paper with a title Recognition of Customer Voices in
Public Offices as it appears on the title page and front cover of this report is acceptable
form and content and that a satisfactory knowledge of the field is totally covered by this
research report.

Name of Supervisor: ALEXANDER MADINDA

Signature .
Date

Dedication
This work is dedicated to my beloved Parents together with my young brothers and
sisters for their tolerance during my absence at home.

Acknowledgement
This research study has been prepared in contact with many people as individual or
group of individuals including researchers, academicians, MDC staffs, and
representatives from Mvomero community, students from Tanzania Public Service
College- Tabora campus and others. Their willingness to review and comments on the
preparations and implementations of the research procedures has made this document
possible to produce. I am extremely grateful to those individual and organizations for
their valuable support to this research work.
I am further grateful to the following:I would like to pass deeply thanks to my supervisor Mr. ALEXANDER MADINDA for
encouragement, guidance, critics and friendship. Without your continued support and
interest, this report would not have been the same as presented.
I am also indebted to my family for funding my Diploma study which made possible the
necessary training and subsequent process of my entire academic journey. Librarians at
TPSC also deserve special thanks for their assistance in supplying the relevant
literatures.
My fellow students from Diploma and Certificate courses should also be recognized for
their support, their views and tips were useful indeed. Unfortunately. It is not possible to
list all of them in this limited space.
Last, I am grateful to all my family members.

Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to set assess on the recognition of customer
voices in public offices by focusing a case of Mvomero District Council office.
Customers are the most important assets needed for any business transactions. A
successful government office recognizes that customer voices are an intermediate step
towards the goal of improving customer satisfactions. In order to fulfill the study
objectives, four research questions were used to guide the research findings which were
answered by 30 sample respondents using questionnaires, interviews and observation
methods of data collections
It was discovered that customers is vital for improving communication process between
the customers and service procedures. About 96% of sample respondents who were
interviewed agreed that any organization concentrates on recognizing the customer
voices are always provide their customers with quality and convenience service to meet
customers satisfactions.
It was concluded that recognition of customer voices in public organizations depends
very much on the use and implementations of customer care policy, because one of the
major requirements of customer care policy is to access to the feedback from your
customers. Organization can achieve stellar customer service and satisfaction through
listening to customers and allows keeping up with changing needs and expectations.
Also recognition of customer voice will have a true meaning if the organizations provide
opportunity to ask customers about the services.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration......................................................................................................... 1
Certification........................................................................................................ 2
Dedication.......................................................................................................... 3
Acknowledgement................................................................................................ 4
Abstract............................................................................................................. 5
Abbreviations and acronyms................................................................................... 7
List of tables and figures........................................................................................ 8
CHAPTER ONE.................................................................................................. 9
GENERAL INTRODUCTION................................................................................9
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................ 9
1.1 Background of the study................................................................................. 9
1.2 Statement of the problem.............................................................................. 10
Objective of the study....................................................................................... 10
1.3.1 General Objective................................................................................. 10
1.3.2 Specific objectices.................................................................................11
1.4 Research questions...................................................................................... 11
1.5 Significance of the study..............................................................................11
1.6 Scope of the study...................................................................................... 11
1.7 Limitation of the study.................................................................................12
CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................... 13
LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................... 13
2.1 Introduction.............................................................................................. 13
2.2.1 The concept of customer care...................................................................13
2.2.2 Definition of terms................................................................................ 13
2.2.3 Types of customers................................................................................ 14
2.3 Element of the customer care.........................................................................15
2.4 Principles of customer care............................................................................15
2.5 Concept of Policy....................................................................................... 16
2.6 Empirical literature review............................................................................17
2.7 The roles of customer voices.........................................................................18
6

2.8 Importance of customer care policy in public organizations...................................18

2.9 Employer point of view:............................................................................... 19
2.10 Customers point of view:........................................................................... 20
CHAPTER THREE............................................................................................ 21
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................ 21
3.0 Introduction.............................................................................................. 21
3.1 Research design......................................................................................... 21
3.2 Area of the study......................................................................................... 21
3.3 Target Population........................................................................................ 21
3.4 Sources of data.......................................................................................... 21
3.5 Sampling technique..................................................................................... 22
3.6 Sampling size............................................................................................ 22
3.7 Data collection methods............................................................................... 22
3.7.1 Questionnaires...................................................................................... 22
3.7.2 Interview............................................................................................ 22
3.7.3 Observations........................................................................................ 23
3.8 Data analysis............................................................................................. 23
CHAPTER FOUR.............................................................................................. 24
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS......................24
4.0 Introduction.............................................................................................. 24
4.1 Data presentation and analysis.......................................................................24
4.2 Discussion of the study results.......................................................................24
4.2.1 What are the needs to meet customer requirements in the public office?...............24
4.2.2 Roles of Customer Voice in Service delivery................................................27
4.2.3 The Challenges facing Customer in public office...........................................29
CHAPTER FIVE............................................................................................... 31
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................31
5.0 Introduction........................................................................................... 31
5.1 Summary of the study..................................................................................31
5.2 Summary of findings...................................................................................32
5.3 Conclusion................................................................................................ 32
5.4 Recommendations...................................................................................... 32
REFERENCES.................................................................................................. 34
7

Appendix......................................................................................................... 35

Abbreviations and acronyms

TPSC

Tanzania Public Service College

DSS

Diploma in Secretarial Studies

MDC

Mvomero District Council

UN

United Nations

TRA Tanzania Revenue Authority

BOT Bank of Tanzania

List of tables and figures

Table 4.1:

Customer Requirements

Table 4.2:

Roles of Customer Voice

Table 4.3:

The Challenges facing customer in public office

Figure 4.1:

Customer Requirements

Figure 4.2:

Role of customer voice to service delivery

Figure 4.3:

Challenges facing customers in Public offices

10

CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
This chapter is set to introduce the background of the study topic, statement of the
problem, Objectives of the study (general objective and specific objectives). However,
the chapter introduces, research questions, significance of the study.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Customer services have long history of years used by different government in striving
measurable improvements in customer services delivery. Through the customer care
policy, various governments hold chief executives and other responsible officers
accountable for such improvements (Wetherril, 2010). Customer voices on the other side
played a significant role especially throughout the implementation of the customer care
policy. The role and significance of customer voice can easily be seen in the case of the
organization which has competitors, whereby it is not enough to compete on the basis of
prime elasticity alone but both the price and quality customer services delivery.
Customer can be defined as a person who need a service, is someone who has a direct
relationship with, or is directly affected by the organization and who receives one or
more organization services or products with satisfaction. Following the adoption of
customer care policy in most of the public organizations especially those organizations
offering direct services to customers. The management and other agencies have, but
emphasis in the process of handling their customers and make them satisfied with
services offered by the organization (answer .com, character/ index ). Requirement of
customers is taken as a guarantee to keep in place to maximize customers satisfaction
within the organization. But the practice is not the same when it comes on the
implementation of the customers voice. Some organizations especially in public sector
fail to implement the customer voice as the way forward to add value to their products.
11

However, customer voice can help the door to communication open so that if service
does break down some days, it gives the organization a better chance of hearing about it
and solve the problem. This study therefor, is set to assess on the customer voices by
focusing a case of Mvomero District Council in Morogoro region.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Failure to meet customer expectations from organizations delivering services to the
public is the common challenge in most of developing countries. Most of the public
organizations in developing nations, find difficult to deliver quality services as declared
by the customer care policy. A lot of complaints have been raised concerning the quality
of service offered by the public sector. Such complaint include harsh language,
inaccessibility of servants, partially in services, long procedures to get the required
service, service delay, bribery, ignorance, lack of time management, and poor
communications ( Tanzania Public Services Delivery Survey Report, 1996). However,
customers in public organizations have raised their voices against these challenges and it
seems as NO one cares to recognize these customer voices toward the public offices,
Mvomero District Council office being one of them.
Following the existence on failure to customer voices, researcher has developed an
interest to assess on the recognition of customer voices in public office, particularly in
MDC in Morogoro region

1.5 Significance of the study

The study is important in the following:The completion of the study helps MDC office to undertake measures to customer
voices as the means to add value. It can help the organization to capture the way to deal
with of customer voices so as to meet customer requirements
The completion of the study also can assist public servants especially in MDC office to
implement customer care by assessing through their service delivery system.
12

The study findings on the other hand can be a reference material in the future, especially
to students, researchers and others whose topic of study will be relevance to topic
discussed in this report.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.3.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVES

The general purpose of the study is to assess customer voices in public offices,
especially at Mvomero District Council Office.

1.3.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

To identify the need to meet customer requirement in public office

To find out the role of customer voices in service delivery system
To identify the challenges facing customers in public offices
To identify the role of customer care policy in public organizations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

What are needed to meet Customer requirements the Public office?

What are the roles of Customer voice in the service delivery system?
What are the challenge facing customers in public office?
What are the roles of customer care policy in public organization?

1.5 Significance of the study

The study is important in the following:-

13

The completion of the study helps MDC office to undertake measures to customer
voices as the means to add value. It can help the organization to capture the way to deal
with customer voices so as to meet customer requirements
The completion of the study also can assist public servants especially in MDC office to
implement customer policy by assessing through their service delivery system.
The study findings on the other hand can be a reference material in the future, especially
to students, researchers and others whose topic of study will be relevance to topic
discussed in this report.
The study also is conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of
Diploma in records archives management

14

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction.
This chapter is set to describe the review of literature. Here, the most recently literature
material on the topic if the study is skimmed and informations supporting or
contradicting what a researcher has about the research study and problem is cited. The
literature are obtained from books, previous research reports, government sources, the
internets, database, libraries indexes and abstracts of journals. The study or researcher
start by giving short explanations on content of customer care, then the study discussion.
2.2.1 The concept of customer care.

Customer care is the process of handling customers and makes him/her satisfied with the
service offered by the organizations (Moore, 2001)
The concept and terms customer care in among the elements of customer service
delivery (Bester filled, 2006). Customer care involves putting system in place to
maximize customers satisfaction within the business. It should be a prime consideration
for every business sales and profitability depends on keeping customer happy.
2.2.2 Definition of terms

Customer A customer may be defined as someone who has a direct

relationship with business firm or is indirectly affected by the organization and
who receives one or more organization services or products (Moore 2001). Is a
recipient of one or more of a processes specified outcomes and target audience of
the public organization services? However, a customer according to oxford
English dictionary (5th Edition), customer can be an individual, group or
companies with demand for good or services from the producers. Puffit (ibid)
says that, an attempt to capture the essential nature of the relationship between
the local authority or any business organization and receiver of its goods or
services. The language to use is different but one fix to the appropriate context
15

under discussion whether clients, customer, consumer, beneficiary, user,

recipient, or citizen. Example, customer in hospital is patient; in school are
students and passengers in transportation.
2.2.3 Types of customers.

According to Bester et al (2006), customers are identified as external and internal

customers.
a) External customers.
Do exist outside the organization who purchase or release products and
services like vendors, suppliers and so on. They have no bound to the
particular organization and they can decide to go to any other organization to
seek for the best quality services. They are not employed in the organization
authority.
b) Internal customers.
Internal customers are those customers found within the organization itself.
Every function within the organization needs a person to execute it and
within the employees themselves one depends on the other for realizing
performances. They are also known as customer customers of each other in
the field. Such customer includes peers, co- workers, bosses, subordinates or
people from
In focus group discussion, most of them complained on the charges for services for free
of charge. They (respondents) said that the response was reported to be high speed when
one paid for the services. (Customercare in public organization: www.tgt/c.go.tz)
The research on customer care on service delivery in public sector, case study of TPADar Es Salaam points the problems towards customer care in public organizations as
following

CHAPTER THREE

16

3.0RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research design.

The design of the study was descriptive research design where the design was to assist in
describing the problem of the study in detail. The design was selected due to the nature
of the study.

3.2 Study area

The study will be conduct at Mvomero District Council offices is selected is because it is
area provides a range of activities and services which needs customer voice recognitions
due to the fact that area is the new district council.

3.3 Sample Population.

The target population for the study was the management and staff from MDC offices and
also customers who was accessible and available for the researcher.

3.4 Sources of data

The study employed primary data (those data obtained a fresh from the field through the
research tools as surveys; questionnaires, interviews) and secondary data (i.e. these the
data obtained from books, journals, research reports, pamphlets etc.). Here the
researchers decision to combine primary data and secondary data aims at getting
enough data.

3.5 Sampling technique.

The study used purposive sampling technique and randomly sampling technique. In
purposive sampling technique researcher is allowed purposely to select respondents who
believe to be reliable for the study. Here researcher purposely selected respondents
17

according to preference and willingness. Purposive sampling was selected because it

gives the researcher preference in selecting respondents.
In random sampling, respondents were randomly selected aiming to avoid bias and
reduction of respondents of desired characteristics. The combination of the two sampling
technique ensures data quality.

3.6 Sampling size.

The sample size will categories mentioned above and will comprise 55 respondents. It
will include :30 staff, 25customer selected from the above

3.7 Data collection methods.

3.7.1 Questionnaires.

This is common to all staff and management from MDC office and some few selected
customers. The method has a disadvantage that it requires literate respondents and is
expensive, but the method was used for data collection in a scientific research study.
Researcher provided a set of questions answered at a given interval.
3.7.2 Interview

The method is applicable to all respondents aiming at supplementing the questionnaire.

The approach was to try to ask questions of interest to enable respondents to express
themselves. Interview method was chosen because it ensures collection of data in the
spot.

3.8 Data analysis.

Findings of the study presented and analyzed by the use of qualitative and quantitative
analysis. The findings are summarized and presented by the use of tables, percentages,
figures, expressions and numbering.

18

CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF
FINDINGS
4.0 Introduction.
This chapter aim topresent obtained information about the study title, analysis of the
study findings and discussion results in details.Data presentation, analysis and
discussion in this chapter are guided by information collected from obtained
respondents.

19

4.1 Data presentation and analysis

The study aimed at assessing on the recognition of customer voice in public office.
Together with the main objectives there were four specific objectives including; To
identify the need to meet customer requirement in public office, To find out the role of
customer voices in service delivery system, To identify the challenges facing customers
in public offices and To identify the role of customer care policy in public
organizationsThe study was also guided by four research questions which were
answered by 30 sample respondents.The analysis of the findings was done using the
qualitative and the quantitative approach.

4.2 Discussion of the study results.

The discussions were done in line with the research question of the study.
4.2.1 What are the needs to meet customer requirements in the public office?

Fromabove research question data were obtained using questionnaire and interview to 30
sample respondents and it was discovered that the need to meet the customer
requirements was basically depends on various factors given in the table below.

Table 4.1: Customer Requirements

Requirements

No. of Respondents

Percentage

Types of Customer.

26.7%

Available resources.

30%

Concept of Customers

10%

Customer care Policy

20%
20

Competence

13.3%

Total

30

100%

Source: Research findings 2013

The table 4.1 shows that in order to meet the need for customer requirements; an
Available resource was selected by (30%) respondents as the major requirements.
However, types of customers were agreed by (26.7%) respondents as the need to meet
customer requirements in public offices. Customer care policy was agreed by( 20%)
respondents.
That information obtained means that, types of customers, available resources at a
specific office, awareness of customers and their part toservice provided, customer
policy guiding Government and non government organization together with
competences of public servants on customer care related skills are determinant factor to
the level of satisfaction of service provided. Having those entire five basic factors at
reasonable ratio ensures high quality customer services.
However; it was discovered that competence (13.3%) and concepts of customers (10%)
were also the need for customer requirements.

21

Figure 4.1:Customer Requirements

35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%

Source: Research findings 2013

4.2.2 Roles of Customer Voice in Service delivery

The second research question of the study aimed at identifying the roles of customer
voice. It is believed that successful organization recognize that without customer voice
there is no superior customer services and this can be achieved through the following.
Customers are always provides feedback to effectiveness of service provided by a
particular office. Having positive response implies high satisfaction otherwise office
cant develop any point of correction.
It is the voice of customers which alert the office to adjust either positively or negatively.
It is from that point where Researcher decided to ask respondents on the real duties
customers to the service improvement or lower quality of service delivery by the office.
Table 4.2 below provides summary of response concerning role played by customer
voices in service delivery:

22

Table 4.2: Roles of Customer Voice

Roles

No. Of respondents

Percentage

Improves Communication

10

33.3

It define Superior Service

30

It is benchmark to perform once

26.7

Dedication to Service

10

Total

30

100%

Source: Research studies 2013

Table 2 describes the roles of Customer Voice in services delivery. It was found that the
customer voice plays different roles including a role of improving communication
process between the service deliverers and the customers as said by 10 respondents
(33.3) agreed that listening to customer is one of the key factors for success.
Figure 4.2:

Role of customer voice to service delivery

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Source: Research findings 2013

23

4.2.3 The Challenges facing Customer in public office.

The question aimed at identifying the main challenges facing customer in most of the
public offices and the following were the arguments obtained from 30 respondents by
the use of questionnaire documents and interview.
Table 4.3Challenges facing customer in public office
Challenges
Serious
10

Abuse language
Bureaucracy

Response
Very serious
20

26

Excessive Costs

16

14

Bribery

20

10

Incomplete Service

23

22

Poor Communication Skills

Source research findings 2013

Table 3 shows the challenges which are normally facing the customers in public office.
It was discovered Bureaucracy as the common challenge as 26 sample size of the study
(86.7) pointed it out while only 4 (13.3%) were not agreed.
However, abusive language is also a very serious challenge facing customer in public
office said by 20 respondents (66.7%) agreed on this fact and the other 10 did not highly
agreed with this challenge. According to respondents whom involved in interview they
explained that most public servants do not have polite languages when provide services
to individuals who attend to their office.
A poor communication skill among public servants was mentioned as the challenges in
proving customer satisfactions. Public offices are responsible to provide services to all
Tanzanian from different angle provided that the service needed is available at such
particular office. But some servants have no enough communication skills to
communicate effectively with customers.
Six challenges explained above are summarized in figure 4.3 below showing seriousness
and associates high seriousness of each challenge:
24

Figure 4.3 Challenges facing customers in Public offices

30
25
20
15
10

Response Serious

Response Very serious

Source: Research findings 2013

25

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction.

This chapter gives the summary of the study, describes the conclusion and
recommendations.

5.1 Summary of the study.

Purpose of this research study was to assess on the recognition of customer voices in
public offices especially at Mvomero District Council.
In order to achieve the goal of the study, this research was guided by four research
questions namely,
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

What are the needs to meet customer requirement in public offices?

What are the roles of customer voices in service delivery system?
What are the challenges facing customers in public offices?
What are the roles of the customer care policy in public organization?

The research respondent (target population) was the management and staff from MDC
offices including Secretaries, head of department, managers, and available customers.
Method used to collect data for the study includes questionnaires, interview and
observations. On the other hand, the purposive sampling and random sampling
techniques were used to sample the study respondents.
The study was principally organized into five chapters. The first chapter deals with the
research overviews by describing the background to the study topic, statement of the
problem, objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study,
limitations of the study and delimitation.
The second chapter provides a detailed literature review by studying the knowledge and
experience from other researchers, opinions and concepts which relate to the study.
However , the third chapter deals with the research methodology and gives the
methodologies issues such as research design, area of the study, target population,
26

sources of data, sampling techniques, sample size, methods of data collections and data
analysis procedures.
Chapter four gives the study findings, analysis of data, data presentations and detailed
discussions of the study. Describes the conclusion and make recommendations for the
study.

5.2 Summary of findings

The findings shows that customer voices is very important measure towards the
performance of the organization, because customer are principally the main users of
services offered by certain organizations and they can taste and approve services if
they are satisfied. It was observed that, excessive administrative activities as the major
challenges which hinders customer satisfaction.

5.3 Conclusion.
As it was observed from sample respondents and from researchers observations and
point of view, the recognition of the customer voices in public organization depends very
much on the implementation of the customer care policy. Problems which have been
identified to have been pointed out in this study especially those regarding to the
customer voices have to be taken with strong measures and all procedures and
requirement of customer care policy have to be considered as one of the most useful
criteria for the success of your organization.

5.4 Recommendations
The study recommends the following:(i)

Customer care policy should be implemented to all organizations (public

and private organization) to ensure good customer care and excellent

(ii)

service delivery.
Training to public servant especially those who delivering direct services

(iii)

to customers, they have to be trained on customer care.

Customer care management, policy, standards and other guidelines
should be established in form of manuals directives and handbook about
customer care to improve best service delivery.

27

(iv)

Sufficient and appropriate equipment, space and materials should be

provided for handling customers.

REFERENCES
th

Answers.com (retrieved on 5 December 2012)

28

Besterfield et al (2006): the workshop on the importance of customers handling in

business: ACAS London
Moore (2001), Principles of customer services, a handbook for customer services
provides- Ash- Publishing house: New Jersey
Public service delivery survey report (2002)
Puffit (1998): Consumers habits: Precedings in the nature

of customer handling (3 rd

EDITION) the university of London UK

Schedule of activities and budget
No
1

Activities
Proposal writing
Stationery
Binding
Photocopy

Budget

100,000/=

Research induction
Data collection
Data analysis
Data presentation

150,000/=

Report write up
Stationery
Photocopy
Bindings

100,000/=

Total

350,000/=

Appendix

29