Abstract:
This study examined the role of service employee empathy on customer satisfaction among
clients of Tier Three banks in Kenya, with a focus on African Banking Corporation Limited. The
study was anchored on the SERVQUAL model, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, and Social
Exchange Theory. An explanatory research design was adopted, and primary data were collected
using a structured questionnaire administered by the researcher. Descriptive statistical tools such
as mean, median, and variance were used to analyze measures of central tendency, variability,
and distribution. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation was employed to assess the strength and
direction of the relationship between employee empathy and customer satisfaction, while simple
linear regression was used to test the direct effect of the independent variable on the dependent
variable. Findings were presented in tabular form. The results revealed that service employee
empathy accounted for customer satisfaction. The study concluded that service employee
empathy encompassing employee courtesy, service knowledge, and customer trust has a
significant positive influence on customer satisfaction in Tier Three banks in Kenya.
