273 American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) ISSN (Print) 2313-4410, ISSN (Online) 2313-4402 © Global Society of Scientific Research and Researchers http://asrjetsjournal.org/ Influence of Innovation Services on Customer Satisfaction, a Case of Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited, Elgeyo Marakwet County Antony Chuma Mwangia*, Yona Sakaja Mangushob aPost graduate student University of Nairobi, Box 8720, 00200, Kenya bLecturer University of Nairobi, Box 30197, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya aEmail: AMwangi@kplc.co.ke bEmail: sakajay05@yahoo.com Abstract The vital nature of customer satisfaction to organizational performance, development and general success cannot be undervalued. However, the extent to which technological innovations at KPLC like the bill query innovation service, e-billing, prepaid metering and easy-pay influence customer satisfaction remains significantly uninvestigated. The study therefore sought to study the influence of technological innovation on customer satisfaction at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd. It specifically sought to determine the influence of prepaid metering on customer satisfaction. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and assimilation theory were reviewed. This was a descriptive survey design study targeting 28,672 customers and 42 members of staff. A sample of 384 customers was collected from Elgeyo Marakwet County using simple random sampling method together with 10 members of staff. The research adopted the use of questionnaires as its data collection tool. To establish reliability of research instruments, the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha model was used. To establish Validity of the instruments, two experts on the topic from Nairobi University examined the content of the instruments and advised the researcher on the content validity. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Thus, quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of percentages, frequencies standard deviations and means. Both linear regression and Pearson’s correlations were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that: Prepaid metering (β=.373, t=5.848, p<0.001 had significant influence on customer satisfaction at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd Elgeyo Marakwet County. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Corresponding author. http://asrjetsjournal.org/ American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 274 The study therefore recommends that: That Kenya Power and Lighting Company management should ensure that prepaid metering is in every house because of its attractive features which have improved customer satisfaction. That Kenya Power and Lighting Company management should promote the benefits of query service, e-billing and easy-pay to customers so as to incite traction among the customers. They can do this by advertisement via broadcast and print media and roadshows among others. That Kenya Power and Lighting Company management should ensure that the query service, e-billing and easy-pay innovations are affordable, reliable and convenient services that helps the customers to get better and quicker services at the convenience of their homes. Keywords: innovation services; customer satisfaction. 1. Introduction The performance of businesses has been noted and considered to be influenced by exogenous aspects like technology, globalization of market, information, and embryonic approaches to value forcing them to continuously alter their methods to wealth creation [1] Henceforth, the business with higher innovation success compared to its competitor has a vital advantage [2] that permits it to compete in local and international markets [3]. How information technology (IT) institute a competitive advantage, its strategic influence, and its role in tempestuous environments [4;5] are key factors in Information System research. In the discussion on whether IT has an influence on a business competitive advantage [4,6] contend that the strategic advantage of IT may often be better exemplified via an analysis of their intermediates (indirect relationship with competitive advantage). Under modern business circumstances, innovation happenings are considered as the influencing energy behind firm success and general economic growth [7]. It is for this reason that scholarly work often places interest on such happenings as the ones leading to enterprise advancement. Both large and small and medium-sized enterprises offer a robust boost to employment and economic progress surely due to their innovation activities [8]. Consequently, it is in the interest of both distinct enterprises and the economy as a complete construct to create satisfactory conditions for the implementation of a robust technological innovation actions. Under these conditions customers can be dedicated to the organization not for the regard they have placed on the services but owing to the dictum that they have no other supplementary to change to. It is vital then for business formations to institute a more principal and steady review of customer satisfaction to extract the elements of customer satisfaction and how to supplement them. Expanding these innovations in the establishment's service delivery would lead to customer loyalty and re-buying because of customer satisfaction and not solely due to customers being stuck in the organization [9]. Correspondingly, today's market is pigeon-holed in characters of overflow, amplified competition, little product or service differentiation and deteriorating sales that leaves customers with enormous choices for high quality goods and services at exceptionally competitive prices. Customer realistically and rationally becomes paramount and it is incumbent upon the organizations to maintain the customer’s happiness [10]. It is as a consequence of these reasons that organizations have established that it is vital to embrace qualitative measures such as customer satisfaction in conjunction with quantitative measures as a way of measuring organizational accomplishment. Measuring customer satisfaction thus becomes serious to any organization as customer satisfaction is a strong prognosticator of customer retention; loyalty and product rebuying [11].To consider keenly the issues, organizations have occasioned an improvement in customer service American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 275 via technological innovation to obtain competitive advantage and boost customer satisfaction. Principal amongst these innovations are electronic self-service technologies that are motivated by information technology, and in so doing permitting customers to obtain a service without direct employee participation [12]. In Kenya, the declining differences between private and public sector, as an outcome of privatization coupled with the necessity to conform to civil sector reform program that encourages transparency, learning, evaluating, and approving through sanctions has driven state owned organizations like Kenya power to get a firmer grip on customer-centric approach in order validate their existence [13] By getting involved in technological innovation models, companies like Kenya power will be able to avoid large up-front costs on IT resources for their production needs and business paradigm of innovation. In healthcare industry for instance, [14,15] indicated that technological innovation is dramatically changing the application and adoption of health business information technology, especially in the expansion of electronic health records. A customer is satisfied when they feel they have gotten more than what they bargained for and put efforts in, and when they finally come to realization that their buying experience was as acceptable as they believed it would be. Reference [16] offers a more inclusive description of customer satisfaction as an individual's discernment of the performance of the product or service in comparison to his or her expectations. Power breaks, unsolved high bills coupled with long bank queues have shown a common situation. Complaints were seldom addressed and often disregarded. However, with the inauguration of technological innovations such as query bill, an online bill application and query service via the 95551 number, an online pay bill service, utilizing Safaricom's mpesa and Airtel money transfer systems, easy- pay service and surveillance report structure to ease report on wreckage of Kenya power transformers and other properties. Despite recent works by [17] on influence of technological innovation on customer satisfaction which was geared to assess the technological innovation deployed by Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd and determine the relationship between technological innovation and customer satisfaction in Kenya Power &Lighting Company Limited there is still need to investigate the phenomenon in a rural set up like Elgeyo Marakwet county being that the study was done in Nairobi which is an urban centre and the idea that technology changes very rapidly and timeless skills that are relevant today and remain relevant in the near future are therefore very desirable; being that the work was done about 3 years ago. 1.1 Statement of the problem Customer satisfaction is pivotal to organizational performance, development and general achievement but is also a construct that is most affected since it is mainly based on customer feelings and behavior which is always fragile. While there are various reasons for such fragility, one central reason attributed by researchers like [18] is lack of proactive and sustainable technological innovations but better yet lack of effective use. Ideally, a satisfied customer advances a firm's profit and performance in numerous ways like as through loyalty and breeds positive word- of mouth that brings in new customers to the firm [19] However, the extent to which technological innovations at KPLC like the query innovation, e-billing, prepaid metering and essay-pay influence customer satisfaction remains significantly uninvestigated. In fact, premised on the numerous customer complaints, the influence of these innovations need to be studied further. Various studies have been attentive to the idea of customer satisfaction and have tried to investigate the influence of technological innovation on customer satisfaction. However, the studies conducted have mainly been case studies and others generalized. This study is a descriptive survey and considers KPLC as a major study. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 276 Recent works by [17] on influence of technological innovation on customer satisfaction which was geared to assess the technological innovation deployed by Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd and determine the relationship between technological innovation and customer satisfaction in Kenya Power &Lighting Company Limited there is still need to investigate the phenomenon in a rural set up like Elgeyo Marakwet county being that the study was done in Nairobi which is an urban centre and the idea that technology changes very rapidly and timeless skills that are relevant today and remain relevant in the future are therefore very desirable; being that the work was done about 3 years ago. Further, his study classified the constituent in a demographic angle by age, income, gender and the level of education which this study will not do. Finally, the study did not measure customer satisfaction using the SERVEQUAL measures which this study does. Reference [20] in his work of technological banking service quality delivery and customer satisfaction at Barclays bank of Kenya found out that numerous customers were satisfied than dissatisfied with the technological innovations the bank had presented to its customers. Nevertheless, the study did not investigate the specific technological innovations and how they influenced customer satisfaction as this study hopes to do. Correspondingly, [21] in his study of the effect of modern technology on customer Satisfaction in banks contended that unceasing employment of technology boosts customer satisfaction. His study additionally suggested that Banks need to train customers to have satisfactory skills in the utilization and implementation of technology. The study however did not consider the target specific population that is unique to KPLC. Reference [22] in his study on innovation and customer satisfaction in the private sector concludes that innovation management and customer alignment have been extensively recognized as key factors in building the business performance and customer satisfaction. Businesses that make the buying transaction process quicker and easier through adopting technological systems was considered to have increased the likelihood of customers making repeat buying and moving steadily toward loyalty. The studies also fall short of discussing the specific technological innovations and how they influenced customer satisfaction. Based on these findings, the study examined various technological innovations employed by Kenya power and lighting company ltd and considered the following questions. Is there an influence of technological innovation on the level of customer satisfaction in Kenya power and Lighting Company? 1.2 Objective of the study This study sought to investigate the influence of technological innovation on customer satisfaction in Kenya power and Lighting co. ltd. 1.3 Secondary information The payments of utility bill in Africa have been on postpaid model over the years. In recent years, though, most counties and utility companies are shifting to prepaid models so as to cash in on the merits by the model [23] Income to counties and Utility companies are contingent on trust between the country and the individual household. The Monthly or quarterly sequence of billing is an appearance of a mutual responsibility and trust ensuing out of the provision of services preceding the payment. However, this trust is often betrayed by customers who miss to remit their bills or not pay on time for various regions The Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited (KPLC) is a limited liability company that conveys, allocates and retails electricity all over Kenya. Over the recent decades, it was asserted that, electricity bill payments were just done after consumption American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 277 of electricity. However, per [24]drastic increase in non-payment of electricity bills by the customers, the many energy utilities have elected to gradually introduce pre-paid meters as a way of attempting to cut frequency of defaulters. Adoption of prepaid electricity meters empowers the customer to control electricity consumption through the pre-paid power system [24]. With a pre-paid meter, paper bills, disconnections and the hassle of reconnections are a thing of the past as one can buy credit slip from any authorized vendor or through the mobile phone. However, according to Prepayment Discussion Paper, 2014 adoption of pre- paid electricity billing has raised regular complains by the electricity consumers. In addition, the Kenya Power image as been put into question by consumers of electricity as they are finding it difficult to understand KPLC's complex domestic. Tariff (DC), when applied to prepayment therefore to its stepped nature. Despite the speedy dispersion of post payment systems, the opinions in favor of or against prepaid meters have not been expansively inspected before and neither has their welfare impact levels [25]. Some researchers nevertheless note the introduction of prepaid models as capitalistic administration of the poor [26] asserted that in some notable instances the customer is not referred to when the alterations to prepaid models are realized [26,27] Despite the good intensions, lack of consultation forces customers not to buy-in into the variations and thus negative and untoward perception of services and poor customers’ satisfaction. Use of prepaid electricity meters lead to efficiency where energy affordability, customer service, and customer satisfaction, to facilitating and prioritizing long term asset planning, meeting environmental goals, and increasing the dependability and stability of the power grid. According to [28] these are important in helping organizations to identify the gap sandwiched between a customers' expectations of a service and the perceptions of the service that is delivered. According to [29] the postpaid system has been blamed for very many customer complaints and loss of revenue through power theft, incorrect meter reading and billing, unwillingness and powerlessness of consumers to pay electricity bills on time. The application of prepaid energy meter, reduced customer complaints, results into a considerable savings, increased revenue, reduction of losses, efficiency, and overall profitability. Adoption of Prepaid electricity meters is therefore more reliable because, energy provision companies are unable to keep the trail of the changing demand for domestic consumers as some consumers encounter difficulties of being invoiced for bills that have previously been paid as well as inconsistent reliability of electricity supply in postpaid meters [24]. Through pre-paid model, consumers can effortlessly screen and by this means manage their budget, and by so doing lessen needless and uneconomical use of electricity such as non-economizing on lights, and appliances all day left turned on [30] With the poverty levels in Kenya many families live on a budget that they cannot manage to stretch. This is because they possess quite a host of needs to take care of one day to day bases. Therefore, they must take accountability for every penny they spend by controlling their consumption. Bleuel states that consumption control creates satisfaction such that they are in charge of their lives and in control of what they spend. The prepaid billing structure also has facilitated the reduction of the incidence of bribery amongst Electricity consumers and the Power Company. According to Kenya Power Annual Report (2009) subscribers who have not paid bills tend to bribe the Kenya Power company staff for free electricity and this doesn't help the Kenya power company generate the income due to it. The electricity is purchased as a monetary value encoded as a kilowatt-hour (KWH) value in tokens or codes or vouchers. The meter credit catalogue is only rationalized once the code is implanted and acknowledged by the consumer's meter. Reference [27] observed that pre-paid electricity offers consumers self-sufficiency of electricity use and divisibility of power purchases. Pre-paid model facilitates forms of sociability and social ordering that are not American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 278 just only exclusively economic, another benefit of prepaid meter billing structure is that it encourages saved funds on electricity consumption unlike the postpaid billing. An individual can select not to utilize electricity for the month and in this method, lessen his bills. The only bills one may have to pay may just be the service or maintenance bills which are at a flat monthly fee [31] A postpaid billing meter system, conversely, doesn’t boost savings on electricity consumption since there is continuously a monthly fee to be remitted for electricity supply. In Nigeria, the Power Company no longer reads the meters but somewhat makes use of projected billing system that guarantees that people remit a flat fee every month and this has been increasing over the years. According to [32] adoption of pre-paid meters has given customer control to a large extent. It is a product that has allowed people to control the electricity they use and therefore the money they spend. They achieve this by purchasing electricity tokens that they can afford. Then they use appliances in their house in such a method that they do not need to purchase any more tokens. Consumption control has been enabled by the idea that the meter records can be taken to calculate the average consumption. This allows deliberate measure to be taken that will allow minimal deviation from what is normal. Pre-paid meters have proven revolutionary in ensuring bill accuracy. They have solved the difficulty of lack of readings, wrong readings taken and irregular readings that was being experienced by postpaid meters. This has reduced the quantity of complaints that the customer service department has had to deal with. The statistic that clients can purchase the sum of electricity they need means there is no excess electricity is in supply and that the customers do not have to depend on other people to check on their meter readings. This is especially because meter readers were prone to making mistakes and were too few to serve the entire KPLC customer base. Some places were too far to reach or generally inaccessible which hindered taking records for bill control. However pre-paid meters have overcome these challenges. As part its approval, the research asserted that there was a necessity for consumers to accept the prepaid meters. It guarantees that the consumer remits only for energy expended and not the projected bill in postpaid [32]. The meter reading structure has proven efficient in customer bill control. The few complaints are proof that customer satisfaction can be achieved [33]. The transparency of the meters has encouraged the customers to be self- assured in the suppliers and therefore invest more and more in the product. Customers feel more in control of the finances spent on electricity. Customer satisfaction is embraced when the client is given control of the product that they are investing in. 1.4 Methodology The study adopted a quantitative and qualitative approach using descriptive survey research design which, according to [34] is structured to inspect a number of logical sub-units or components of analysis inside organizations. Reference [35] recognized the significance of descriptive design particularly when the resolve of the researcher is the acquisition of wider understanding of the context of the research and processes being enacted. The population under study comprised of customers in Elgeyo Marakwet County. According to the records obtained from KPLC office in Elgeyo Marakwet County on 30thFebruary 2017 there were 28,672 customers who were connected to the grid and were actively using power. A sample of 384 customers was collected from Elgeyo Marakwet County in the company office. Data was also collected from the 42 service staffers working at the KPLC county office, 10 of whom were selected. According to Fischer’s formulae is sufficient in determining sample size in cases whereby the study involves one parameter of the population. Since the population size of the study was greater than 10,000, then the fishers Formulae was applied. The sample size American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 279 was represented in table 3.1 below Table 3.1: Customers and staff members Constituencies Target Population Sample Size Keiyo North 9243 9243/28672x384=124 Keiyo South 8894 8894/28672x384=119 Marakwet West 6059 6059/28672x384=81 Marakwet East 4476 4476/28672x384=60 Total 28672 384 Staff members Management 8 8/42x10=2 Union Staff 34 34/42x10=8 Total 42 10 Source: KPLC Elgeyo Marakwet Office The research adopted the utilization of questionnaires as its data collection tool as attached in appendix I. This method was appropriate as a large amount of data could be collected from a large figure of respondents in a short span of time and at a relatively low cost. Questionnaires can be analyzed more methodically and accurately than other forms of data collection methods. The questionnaires were distributed to both staff and customers. The respondents filled the questionnaire with the help of research assistants to improve response rates and assist illiterate customers. The questionnaires were structured as follows: Section 1 covered general information on the respondents and demographic information for each while Section 2 consisted of information relating to the satisfaction of customers on technological innovation deployed. Section 3 comprised information on the influence of prepaid metering on customer satisfaction; Section 4 had information on the influence of e- billing on customer satisfaction; section 5 had information on the influence of query service on customer satisfaction; and section 6 had data on the influence of easy-pay on customer satisfaction. A 7-Likert scale was used to rate customers' perception on various innovations and their contribution towards customer satisfaction. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in form of percentages, frequencies standard deviations and means. Qualitative data obtained from the open ended sections of the questionnaires was transcribed, organized into categories, sub categories and themes as they emerged from the field and presented in prose form and peoples quoted words according to the themes and objectives of the study and later analyzed using narrative analysis. The Social Package for Statistical science (SPSS) Version 21 software aided in data analysis. Both linear regression and Pearson’s correlations were used to test the hypotheses. The inferential statistics were used to test the hypotheses at 95% confidence level. 1.5 Results American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 280 There was a total of 384 questionnaires distributed to the customers of KPLC. Only 212 of the targeted respondents gave their responses in all questions asked. This means that the questionnaire response rate was 55.2% which is acceptable going by [36] assertion on response rate; that any figure above 50.0% is acceptable. The study sort to find out how prepaid metering contributed to consumer satisfaction and the results were presented in table 4.1. Table 4.1: Prepaid Metering and Customer Satisfaction Statements SA A N D SD Mean Stdev. C % C % C % C % C % I have prepaid meter in my house 12 5.7 132 62.3 10 4.7 12 5.7 46 21.7 2.60 1.15 Generally, prepaid meter is cheaper than the postpaid I used to have before 10 4.7 128 60.4 10 4.7 50 23.6 15 6.6 2.07 0.930 Prepaid meters have fewer technological problems and works fine all the time 12 5.7 112 52.8 18 8.5 54 25.5 16 7.5 2.85 0.902 I know how to use it well 22 10.4 116 54.7 14 6.6 46 21.7 14 6.6 2.60 0.782 Generally, I am more satisfied with my prepaid meter than ever before 14 6.6 104 49.1 16 7.5 54 25.5 22 11.3 3.26 0.838 From Table 4.1 majority at 68.0% agreed that they had prepaid meters in their houses. Only 26.4% disagreed and 4.7% were undecided. This implies that there is a significant number of customers in Elgeyo Marakwet who are enjoying prepaid metering in their houses. Literature is of course awash with evidence of this situation. The payments of utility bill in Africa have been on postpaid model over the years. In recent years, though, most counties and utility companies are shifting to prepaid models so as to cash in on the merits by the model [23]. When the respondents were asked if generally, prepaid meter was cheaper than the postpaid they used to have before, 65.1% agreed, 30.2% disagreed and 4.7% were undecided. This implies that prepaid meters were cheaper thus having a desirous influence among the customers. Over the recent decades, it was asserted that, electricity bill payments were just done after consumption of electricity. However, according to [24] drastic increase in non-payment of electricity bills by the customers, the many energy utilities have elected to gradually introduce pre-paid meters as a way of attempting to cut frequency of defaulters. Adoption of prepaid electricity meters empowers the customer to control electricity consumption through the pre-paid power system (Geraldo Burns 2010). With a pre-paid meter, paper bills, disconnections and the hassle of reconnections are a thing of the past as one can buy credit slip from any authorized vendor or through the mobile phone and is touted to be cheaper. When the respondents were asked whether prepaid meters had fewer technological problems and worked fine all the time, 58.5% agreed, 33.0% disagreed and 8.5% were neutral. This gives an indication that American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 281 customers found it easy to use the prepaid meters at their disposal. This is in disagreement to a literature assertion by Prepayment Discussion Paper, (2014) that adoption of pre- paid electricity billing has raised regular complains by the electricity consumers. In addition, the Kenya Power image has been put into question by consumers of electricity as they are finding it difficult to understand KPLC's complex domestic. This result shows that customers find it easier than difficult to use them. Therefore, when then asked if they knew how to use the prepaid meters well, 65.1% agreed, 28.3% disagreed and 6.6% were undecided. Finally, the respondents were asked if generally, they were more satisfied with their prepaid meter than ever before, 55.7% agreed, 36.8% disagreed and 7.5% were undecided. This gives an indication of substantial satisfaction with the prepaid meters. However, at certain times and areas, the satisfaction is not as high [26] asserted that in some notable instances the customer is not referred to when the alterations to prepaid models are realized [26,27] Despite the good intensions, lack of consultation forces customers not to buy-in into the variations and thus negative and untoward perception of services and poor customers’ satisfaction. 1.6 Correlation Analysis As part of the inferential analysis, Pearson’s Correlation Analysis was done on the Independent Variables and the dependent variables. Summative scales were utilized to analyze both regression and correlation analyses. The results is as seen on Table 4.2. Table 4.2: Correlations Customer Satisfaction Prepaid Metering Customer Satisfaction Pearson Correlation 1 .711** Sig. (2-tailed) .000 N 212 212 Prepaid Metering Pearson Correlation .711** 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 N 212 212 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Pearson correlation analysis was steered to scrutinize the relationship between the two group variables. The measures were erected using summated scales from both the independent and dependent variables. As cited in Wong and Hiew (2005) the correlation coefficient value (r) series from 0.10 to 0.29 is measured as weak, from 0.30 to 0.49 is measured as medium and from 0.50 to 1.0 is measured as strong. Nevertheless, noted by Field (2005), correlation coefficient must not go above 0.8, to circumvent multicollinearity problems. Since the greatest correlation coefficient is 0.711 which is less than 0.8, there is no multicollinearity challenge in this research (Table 4.2). From table 4.2 prepaid metering against customer satisfaction had a positive correlation of (r=0.711, p< 0.01). This indicates that the variable had statistically significant at the 99% confidence interval level 2-tailed. This showed that the variable under deliberation (Prepaid metering) had a positive relationship American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 282 with the dependent variable (Customer satisfaction). 2. Conclusion The first hypothesis stated that prepaid metering does not have significant influence on customer satisfaction at Kenya Power and Lighting Company Ltd. On this Prepaid metering had a correlation of (=0.711 p< 0.01) and regression results (β=.373, t=5.848, p<0.001). This is an indication that organizational culture had a statistically significant effect on implementation of County Integrated Development Plans in the public service. Prepaid metering was in most households in Elgeyo Marakwet County. The prepaid metering was cheap, easy to use and had made it easier for customers to take control of their daily power consumption and payments. It can therefore be concluded that the introduction and implementation of prepaid metering had a positive influence on the customer satisfaction among KPLC customers in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Acknowledgment First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisors Mr. Yona Sakaja and Mr. Raphael Murei for their invaluable support, guidance and involvement which have improved my research project. Their endurance, devotion, sacrifices and motivation was irreplaceable. I would also wish to acknowledge my lecturers who have imparted the requisite knowledge and set me up for this study. Sincere gratitude goes to my almighty God for his unrelenting providence and his grace which has made it possible for me to accomplish this work. He has provided me with intellectual ability through other people which was paramount in the success of this piece of work. Vote of thanks also goes to my classmates for their moral support and sense of togetherness they provided which helped me conceptualize the study problem. I would also wish to acknowledge the University of Nairobi support staff based at Eldoret center for the assistance they accorded to me during my two years of study. It will be wrong for me to fail to acknowledge Marvin Otieno who was at hand to assist me in typing of the document and making some corrections in the document. I also would wish to acknowledge all the respondents who offered the necessary data that was important for the completion of this work. I sincerely wish to thank you all for the invaluable support that you accorded to me in my two years’ journey in search of my scholarly excellence at the University. References [1]. Stopford, J. M.(2001). Organizational learning as guided responses to market signals. Handbook of organizational learning and knowledge, 264-281. [2]. Barnett, W. P., & Hansen, M. T. (1996). 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Customer dissatisfaction and the zone of uncertainty. Journal of Services Marketing, 4(1), 49-52. [34]. Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International. [35]. Morris, T., & Wood, S. (1991). Testing the survey method: continuity and change in British industrial relations. Work, Employment and Society, 5(2), 259-282. [36]. Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (1999). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Acts press. 3. Appendices SECTION A : DEMOGRAPHIC DATA 1. Gender Male [ ] Female [ ] 2. Age [ ] 18-25 years [ ] 26-35 years [ ] 36-45 years [ ] 46-55years [ ] Over 55 Years 3. Highest level of education attained [ ] KCPE [ ] KSCE [ ] Certificate [ ] Diploma [ ] Degree 4. How many years have you been Using the electricity power from KPLC? [ ] Below 5 [ ] 5-10 American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 285 [ ] 10 -15 [ ] 15, and above SECTION B- Customer Satisfaction Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. Please indicate by ticking [√] your view. The Value of Scale is given below 4. SA-Strongly Agree (5), A-Agree (4), U-Undecided (3), D-Disagree (2), SD-Strongly Disagree (1) Table 3 Dimension Item Perception Expectation Reliability 1. When an excellent KPLC staffer promises to do something by a certain time, he does so 6. When customers have problems employees at KPLC will be sympathetic and reassuring 7. An excellent KPLC staff performs the service right the first time 8. An excellent KPLC staff provides its services at the time it promises to do so 9. An excellent KPLC staff insists on error-free records Responsiveness 10. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff tell exactly when the services will be performed 11. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff give prompt services. 12. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff are always willing to help customers 13. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff are never too busy to respond to Customers’ questions Assurance 14.Employees in an excellent KPLC staff instill confidence in customers 15. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff provide sufficient trust to customers placing confidence in employees in this respect. 16. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff always respect customers. 17. Employees in an excellent KPLC staff have necessary knowledge to answer customers’ questions. Empathy 18. An excellent KPLC staff gives customers individual attention 19. An excellent KPLC staff has working hours suitable for all customers 20. An excellent KPLC staff has employees who give customers personal Attention 21. An excellent KPLC staff has customer’s best interest at heart 22. The employees of an excellent KPLC staff understand customer specific Needs SECTION C: Prepaid Metering American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS) (2017) Volume 37, No 1, pp 273-286 286 Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. Please indicate by ticking [√] your view. The Value of Scale is given below (5)SA-Strongly Agree (5), A-Agree (4), U-Undecided (3), D-Disagree (2), SD-Strongly Disagree (1) Table 4 SA 5 A 4 U 3 D 2 SD 1 I have prepaid meter in my house Generally, prepaid meter is cheaper than the postpaid I used to have before Prepaid meters have fewer technological problems and works fine all the time I know how to use it well Generally, I am more satisfied with my prepaid meter than ever before In your opinion, are there any other issues of prepaid meters and how satisfied you are that needs to be mentioned? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………