CONCEPTUALIZING A FRAMEWORK FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN BURKINA FASO ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY

Abstract

Burkina Faso has experienced a massive electricity crisis for many years. With 18 million people without electricity, Burkina Faso posts 20% of the electrification rate, which makes the county one of the least electrified countries in the world. As for rural areas, the electrification rate is only 1.8%. Institutions, companies, hospitals, and schools permanently struggle with electrical instability, even though the country has abundant sunlight, a great potential energy source. This poor electrification negatively impacts the socioeconomic development of the country. Despite the poor electrification and the absolute poverty in Burkina Faso, the price of electricity remains one of the highest in West Africa. SONABEL (National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso) is responsible for the electricity supply to the entire country. The objective of this paper is to conceptualize a framework for residential customer satisfaction in the electricity industry in Burkina Faso. Furthermore, the paper proposes a conceptual model which discusses factors that affect customer satisfaction in the electricity industry in Burkina Faso. Hence, this paper provides an overview of the existing literature on customer satisfaction. Numerous studies have been done on the electricity industry in Burkina Faso. However, the electricity problems remain unsolved. This study aims to conduct a literature review on factors affecting customer satisfaction in the electricity industry in Burkina Faso and provide a conceptual framework for this study. The study seeks to benefit the population of Burkina Faso through the improvement of the electricity supply system in the country.