Complaint Redressal Effectiveness And Customer Loyalty In Mobile Telecom Services: A Consumer Survey From Punjab And Chandigarh

Abstract

Mobile telecommunication has become essential infrastructure for communication, education access, digital payments, work coordination, and social participation. As dependence has risen, consumer expectations about service reliability and speedy resolution of service problems have also increased. This paper investigates how perceived service quality and complaint redressal effectiveness shape customer satisfaction and loyalty intentions in mobile telecom services, using a consumer survey from Punjab and Chandigarh (U.T.). The research adopts a cross-sectional, quantitative design with a balanced stratified sample of 1,000 mobile users, equally representing public and private provider users. Service quality is measured as a multidimensional construct (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibles), while complaint redressal effectiveness is measured as a process experience (accessibility, timeliness, communication clarity, fairness, closure confidence). Results indicate that consumers evaluate overall service quality as moderate, but consistently rate responsiveness and empathy lower than other dimensions, reflecting frustration with slow support and mechanical handling. Complaint redressal effectiveness emerges as a strong driver of satisfaction and loyalty intentions, especially where customer effort is high, shown through repeated explanation of the same issue and delayed resolution. The paper argues that telecom loyalty is protected not only by routine network performance but also by recovery performance, where transparency, timeliness, fairness, and closure integrity define accountability in the consumer’s eyes. The paper concludes with an evidence-led recovery improvement pathway focused on reducing customer effort, strengthening communication clarity, and ensuring credible closure, with implications for telecom managers and consumer welfare.