CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE NIGERIAN AVIATION SECTOR

Abstract

Due to competition that is evolving in Nigerian aviation industry and the need to build 
relationship with customer has results in the aviation sector’s quest to device effective 
marketing communication elements to generate satisfaction. This study investigated the impact 
of marketing communication on customer relationships on the selected aviation businesses in 
Lagos state. The study employed an exploratory research design. The study further utilized a 
survey method with questionnaires to collect primary data from domestic customers of the 
chosen airlines. The sample size of 246 was determined using Godden (2004) model as a result 
of infinite nature of the population of the study and multistage sampling techniques was also 
used. A total of 150 copies of questionnaires were gathered for data analysis from the 246 
copies of questionnaires distributed. Standard multiple regression was employed to analyze the 
data. The findings indicated that advertising showed a significant relationship with customer 
relationships (β = .227, t = 2.015, p < .011), and sales promotion also exhibited a positive and 
significant relationship with customer relationships (β = 0.412, t = 1.925, p = .005). The study 
concluded that implementing effective marketing communication elements such as advertising 
and sales promotion by aviation service providers enhances the relationship between the firm 
and its customers by facilitating interaction between customers and the service providers. The 
study recommends that aviation service providers should formulate their communication 
strategies to raise awareness, stimulate interest and desire, and prompt actions among customers 
toward their services. This approach aims to establish robust customer relationships capable of 
enduring the dynamic business environment and enhancing customer satisfaction.