AKSU Journal of Communication Research (AJCR)

INFLUENCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMERS’PATRONAGEOF CHICKEN REPUBLIC, UYO

Author:  TRIUMPH-ARUCHI ETYEYEN NYONG, PHILOMENA UMOREN (PhD) & PROF.MBUK MBOHO

Abstract
This study examined the influence of Public Relations and Service Quality on Customer Patronage of Chicken Republic Outlets in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The objectives of the study included:identifying various public relations services rendered at Chicken Republic outlets in Uyo; examining the influence of service quality on customer patronage of Chicken Republic outlets in Uyo; determining the influence of food quality on customer patronage, and identifying other factors that influence customer patronage of Chicken Republic outlets in Uyo. The population of the study was 522,398 and a sample size of 384 was drawn based on the Topman Formula. The survey research method was adopted with the questionnaire as instrument of data gathering while the multistage sampling procedure was used to reach the final respondents. Frequency tables and simple percentages were adopted to analyse the research questions. The study was anchored on the Two-Way Symmetric Model and the Social Exchange Theory. Findings from the study revealed a strong and positive relationship between public relations activities and customer patronage of Chicken Republic outlets. It was revealed that service quality and food quality had tremendous influence on customer patronage of Chicken Republic outlets in Uyo. Results from the study also showed that price fairness wasanother factor that influenced customers’ patronage of Chicken Republic outlets. The study concluded that the quality of service rendered and the quality of food served were the major factors that influenced customer patronage of Chicken Republic outlets in Uyo metropolis. It was therefore recommended that attention should be given to cheerful and friendly disposition of staff to customers and the tastiness of food served to customers given the revelation thatspecific services and food qualityinfluenced customer patronage of Chicken Republic outlets in Uyo.