An analysis of the factors affecting customer satisfaction at National Hospital Insurance Fund, Kenya

Abstract

Customer satisfaction is becoming a widely embraced measure of how well the enterprise is doing. Customer satisfaction is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation, It focuses on measuring customer perception of how well the Organisation delivers on the critical success factors and dimension of the business. These usually include factors such as service promptness, quality of service, product offered, staff responsiveness and understanding customers problems and providing solutions. This study therefore sought to analyze the factors affecting customer satisfaction at NHIF from the customers' point of view. The objectives of the study were to: analyze customer satisfaction with NHIF products; analyze customer satisfaction against the ability to contribute by NHIF customers; analyze customer satisfaction against accessibility to the NHIF offices; establish the challenges that customers encounter in their consumption of NHIF Products and find ways of improving NHIF customer satisfaction. The study adopted a descriptive study design, targeting all the NHIF members countrywide. Thika District, which has 1006 employers, both in public and private sector with 82,014 registered contributors will be selected for this study. Systematic random sampling method was used to select a sample for the purpose of this study in which 150 respondents were selected. Questionnaires were employed as the main data collection instruments. Data was both quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data collected was coded and entered into an SPSS programme for analysis. The qualitative data was presented thematically in line with the objectives of the study. The results of data analysis were presented using frequency distribution tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study established that that the NHIF customers were satisfied with the products offered by the NHIF apart from the fact that they would like NHIF to have more products. The study established that most customers could make their NHIF payments in time, and also found the payments to their level. The study also established that NHIF held forums with its customers regarding the pricing of products, therefore ensuring that the customers' needs and ability to contribute were taken into consideration, thus leading to customer satisfaction. The study further established that customers could easily access the NHIF offices since they were within their reach. However, it emerged that some offices were upstairs and some customers, especially the disabled ones, could not get easy access. The study also established that the challenges faced by NHIF customers were: long queues during payment, offices are crowded and few in town, slow operations, some hospitals are not covered, for instance, some private hospitals, children above 18 who are dependants are not covered by NHIF and also that NHIF does not cater for outpatients. The study recommends that: NHIF should have many offices to cater for the rising number of its customer and also come up with a system that ensures people do not queue for long periods of time without being attended to; NHIF should come up with covers for people with more than One spouse as well as for children over the age of 18 who are still under the care of their parents; among other recommendations.