Abstract:
Complaint resolution refers to the procedures and actions taken by service providers to address
customer complaints and recoup dissatisfied customers. This study aimed to examine the
effectiveness of complaints resolution approaches on customer satisfaction in LGAs taking
Arusha City Council as case study. Specifically, the study determined the complaints resolution
approaches commonly used by the council and their contribution to the customer satisfaction, assessed the extent to which complaints resolution approaches have enhanced the customer
satisfaction and investigated the complaints resolution challenges facing the councilThe study
used a descriptive research design, with customers and employees of Arusha City Council as
the population. Respondents were chosen through simple random and purposive sampling. Data collection included self-administered questionnaires and interviews for primary data, supplemented by secondary data from scholarly articles. Descriptive analysis via SPSS version
26 was applied to quantitative data, and content analysis was used for qualitative data.The study
revealed that the council promptly addresses and resolves customer complaints and effectively
communicates with customers during the complaints resolution process to a moderate extent. The findings also unveiled that the dedication and commitment of the council in resolving
complaints have significantly improved customer satisfaction, influencing how customers
perceive the quality of services provided. Findings indicated that there lack of effective
communication, struggle to take ownership and responsibility, lack of attentiveness and
unresponsive and slowness are the complaints resolution challenges facing the council. The
study advises the council to uphold effective complaints resolution for higher customer
satisfaction. Future research should examine how cultural and demographic factors impact
complaint resolution and customer satisfaction, offering insights into diverse expectations and
experiences among
