CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH RAYFIELD RESORT, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
1. 1T. O. IIRMDU; 2T. K. GONTUL; 3J. D. GYANG.
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING,
UNIVERSITY OF JOS, NIGERIA.
2. ABSTRACT
This study examines customers’ satisfaction with the Rayfield Resort in Jos town Plateau
state, Nigeria. The research methodology used is literature search, face to face oral
interview, direct field observation, and administration of a well structured questionnaire
to sampled tourists found at the resort using the availability sampling technique (a non
probability sampling technique). Results from the analyses of the data show that with
regards to service provision at the resort about 60% of the sampled tourists considered the
services as poor. The data also reveals very serious facility decay at the Resort. The
research equally reveals the role of facilities and basic service provisions in meeting
customers’ needs. The study concludes by elucidating the relationship between adequate
provision of facilities, efficient management and goal achievements. Findings of the study
led to the recommendation that the management of the resort should rise up to the task of
improving the facilities and the resort by providing adequate and world standard facilities
that can give high satisfaction to the tourists while luring more tourists to visit the resort.
3. INTRODUCTION
Customers’ satisfaction in any tourist resort is defined by the quality of the
facilities. Tourism facilities consist of accommodation, availability of necessary
infrastructural and recreational facilities, basic service provided and the
totality of how these facilities and services meet the customers’ needs. The
satisfaction derived from the facilities provided in any tourist location towards
meeting their recreational needs are affected by some variables. These are the
physical (objective) attributes and the attitude (subjective) variable. The later
is based on people’s perception and the former is concerned with the objective
variable affecting peoples’ satisfaction with respect to the provision of facilities.
Peoples quality of ideal recreation in a tourist resort is determined by the
number of facilities provided as attested to by the results of this study.
4. Aim and Objectives of the study
The survey aimed at examining customers satisfaction
with facilities/services provided at the Rayfield Resort.
The specific objectives being:
To identify the tourism potentials and endowment of
the resort.
To identify the management efforts of the resort viz-a-
viz their resources in meeting customers’ needs.
To examine the extent to which customers to the resort
have been satisfied with the recreational facilities and
services provided.
5. METHODOLOGY
Types and sources of data
The main sources of information for this study are
direct field observation, questionnaire administration
and oral interview. The data required for the study
include
Information on the management of the resort which
was derived from interviews with some of the
management staff.
Information on tourism endowment of the resort was
obtained through the management library.
Information on the characteristics of tourists and their
satisfaction with facilities and services of the sampled
resort was acquired through the questionnaire.
6. DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
AND ANALYSIS
Data used for this study were gathered from both primary
and secondary sources. The research methodology used is
literature search, face to face oral interview and direct field
observation. Retrieval of information from primary
sources entailed information gathering from officials of the
Rayfield Resort through face to face oral interview and
from direct field observation. Secondary data were
gathered from existing literature of studies conducted on
the Jos Plateau region related to customer’s satisfaction.
The survey adopted the availability (purposive) sampling
technique targeted at the tourist site that best fits the
study. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive
statistical technique.
7. FINDINGS
The activities undertaken by customers, visitors and tourists at the resort include scenic
admiration, game viewing, boating, bathing, swimming, entertainment, education and
picnicking among others. With respect to meeting their customers’ needs, provisions are made
by the management staff in the form of facilities and services that can make the visits to these
resorts adventurous.
From the data collected and the analysis, the following are the findings of this research:
The study revealed that the resort has great tourism potentials and endowment that needs to
be properly harnessed .
The study also revealed that facility and basic service provision is peculiar with the type of
management as indicated by the data.
8. FINDINGS
The main attractions and tourism potentials of the Rayfield resort are mostly social (man-
made).
The facilities and basic service provision at the Rayfield resort are in a dilapidated state. This is
because the resort is at its developmental stage; phase I and II.
With regards to service provision at the resort about 60% of the sampled tourists considered
the services as poor.
Visitors to the resort appeared not to be completely satisfied because of the state of the
undeveloped and dilapidated facilities. The respondents’ general opinion regarding the resort
is to embark on further physical planning and development of the resort.
12. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
With regards to service provision at the resort out of the 100
respondents, 16 of them representing 16% considered the basic service
provision as fair, 24% as inadequate while 60% who were not satisfied
with the resorts services considered it poor.
Assessing the management of resort, the study revealed that at the
Rayfield resort 23% of its staff are skilled, the remaining 77% accounts
for the unskilled labour force. None of these staff have been sent on
training since its establishment and this has affected their interaction
with customers and tourists whom they owe the duty to satisfy.
13. CONCLUSION
This study investigated customers’ satisfaction with the Rayfield Resort. It focused on the nature of
the management of the resort, tourist resources and the state of the resorts basic facilities and service
provisions. It also assessed the customers’ satisfaction in line with the facilities and basic service
provision at the resort. The research also revealed from its findings the role of facilities and basic
service provisions in meeting customer’ needs. It elucidates the relationship between efficient
management of tourist sites and goal achievements. With the information provided in this study, it is
recommended that the managers of the resort should rise up to the task of appraising the planning
and development of the resort by providing adequate and world standard facilities that can give high
satisfaction to the tourists.
14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
AUDIENCE AND HOPE TO MEET
YOU AGAIN SOMEDAY.