Influence of Customer Service Strategies on Firm Competitiveness:a Case of Boresha Savings and Credit Cooperative Society, Baringo County, Kenya

Competitiveness among business enterprises in modern economies has become a very significant concept for both small and large-scale business enterprises and those engaged in one way or the other in business. Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) in Kenya are some of the business firms that have enjoyed doing business with members of a particular profession. However, in the recent past, they have expanded their scope to serve other customers other than those in their existing customer base. As such, excellent customer service becomes imperative for their survival and success. The study examined how competitiveness can be harnessed through customer services in SACCOs. The study objectives were: To examine the level of customer feedback on competitiveness, to examine the level of information technology use on competitiveness and to examine the level of customer service training on competitiveness of Boresha Sacco. The study was carried out in Boresha Sacco Society, Baringo County. The study employed a mixed study approach with descriptive research design. The target population was 160 respondents from eight Boresha Sacco SACCO branches, where information was sought from managers and its employees. The study achieved a response rate of 74% with 118 respondents answering the questionnaires. Data collection was done using questionnaires. Data analysis was carried out using means and standard deviations for descriptive analysis. Analysed data was presented using frequencies, percentages, and tables.  The study found that customer feedback played a key role in positively influencing competitiveness of firms. The study also found that use of mobile phones in communicating with customers leads the information technology use, as well as training of staff on customer responsiveness. The study recommends that SACCOs and other profit making firms should allocate more resources to customer feedback strategies and more so to the use of technology, and in particular developing customer feedback mobile phone applications.