Factors influencing customer satisfaction with educational services offered by Technical Training Institutes in Meru County
Abstract
The study sought to find out the factors int1uencing customers (students) satisfaction with educational services offered by technical training institutes in Meru County. The study was
aimedat establishing whether service quality, fees charged, students' expectations and employee
performance affect student satisfaction with the educational services offered by the institutes.
The study was carried out in Meru County in Eastern Province and in three Technical Training
Institutes Meru Technical Training Institute, Nkabune Technical Training Institute and Kiirua
Technical Training Institute. A sample of 331(three hundred and thirty one) students was
selected from a student population of 221 1(two thousand two hundred and eleven).The study
employed a descriptive survey design for data collection. It employed a questionnaire for the
students to collect the data. The statistical package for social sciences, (SPSS) was used to
analyze the data. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as
frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation and factor analysis. This was reported
in summary form using frequency distribution tables and bar graphs. The study revealed the
following first, the students were satisfied with feedback on assignments, adherence to exam
schedules and competence of lecturers while they were rather dissatisfied with the availability
andreliability of internet services, computer resources and facilities for the disabled, the price of
educational services was generally satisfactory. Third, the students were generally satisfied with
the employees' performance. Fourth, the students were generally satisfied with the expectations
established in their minds concerning various services. The study recommends that the
management of technical training institutes should embrace technological advancement by
providing computers and internet services in the institutes. The government should also consider
extending loan facilities to the students of TTIs. The study is significant in that findings of the
studywill benefit the government, management of technical training institutes and the education
sector in general in that the study will provide information on the current level of student
satisfaction with the various aspects of educational services offered by technical institutes and
also identify the factors affecting their satisfaction. This will help the management of these
institutions to improve the quality of various services offered