Marketing Mix And Customer Relations In Soapstone Carving Businesses In Tabaka, Kisii County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Curving businesses are doing poorly concerning customer relations. The ability of the

organization to adjust itself to fit customer needs is one of the requirement for them to

remain competitive in the market. In absence of marketing mix customer relations

suffer in terms of customer loyalty, retention and acquisition. The current study

sought to assess the effects of marketing mix on customer relations in soapstone

carving business in Kisii County, Kenya. Specific objectives were: to assess the effect

of product on customer relations, to find out the effect of price on customer relations,

to determine the effect of place on customer relations and to evaluate the effect of

promotion on customer relations. The study helps the County Government and the

entrepreneurs in decision making concerning enterprise planning . The study was

based on equity, assimilation and contrast theories. The study used descriptive

research design. The target population of the study was 857 employees of the 53

enterprises in Tabaka town majorly dealing in soapstone carving business. Purposive

and stratified sampling techniques were used. A sample size of 86 respondents was

selected for the study, which comprised of 10% in each category. Data was obtained

by use of self-administered structured questionnaire, which was collected later after

one week. The validity and reliability of the study instrument was determined by help

of the supervisor and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha respectively. Data for this study

was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics like and percentages while inferential

statistics of correlation and regression analysis were used. The data was presented by

means of tables. The study found that: product, place, price and promotion had a

positive relationship with customer relation. The study concluded that product, place

and promotion significantly affected customer relations while price had insignificant

but positive influence on customer relation. The study recommended that curving

businesses should embrace market mix to enhance customer relation.