The Impact Of Coins Shortage On The Satisfaction Of Subsistence Marketplace Consumers. An Exploratory Study Of Subsistence Consumers Of Mobile Telecommunications Products And Services In Cameroon

Njomo Louis Mosake, Belinda Mbah Njomo

Abstract


This study examines the impact of coin shortages on the satisfaction of subsistence consumers in the mobile telecommunications industry in Cameroon, with particular focus on consumers in Douala. Although mobile telecommunications increasingly rely on digital technologies and mobile money, cash remains important for many low-value transactions among resource-constrained consumers. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory research approach and collected data through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 31 consumers of mobile telecommunication products and services. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in consumers’ experiences with coin shortages. The findings reveal that the shortage of small-denomination coins affects consumer satisfaction through several interconnected mechanisms, including difficulties in receiving exact change, involuntary additional expenditure, transaction delays and inconvenience, and perceptions of unfairness and financial loss. Repeated difficulties in obtaining change were also found to weaken trust in telecommunications agents and influence consumers’ choice of service outlets. These effects are particularly significant for subsistence consumers because limited financial resources increase the economic and psychological importance of even small monetary losses. The study demonstrates that consumer satisfaction in subsistence marketplaces is influenced not only by core telecommunications service attributes but also by the fairness, convenience, and monetary accuracy of the transaction process. The findings highlight the need for telecommunications operators and their agents to improve cash-handling practices, promote transparent procedures for managing small balances, strengthen complaint mechanisms, and provide accessible digital payment alternatives.

Keywords


Coin shortage; Subsistence consumers; Consumer satisfaction; Mobile telecommunications; Transaction convenience; Perceived fairness; Resource constraints; Cameroon.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v59.1.8636

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