Are blood donors satisfied with their donation experience? An evaluation based on the stages of blood donation in Cameroon

Purpose In Cameroon's blood banks, the shortage of blood bags is difficult to overcome because of the lack of donor loyalty and the complexity of recruiting new donors. This study explores the possibility of retaining donors and turning them into prospectors by analysing their satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach A Servqual questionnaire was administered to a sample of 109 donors obtained by voluntary sampling. We used customer satisfaction to determine the satisfaction score and the tetraclass model to analyse the contribution of the elements to satisfaction. Findings Our results show that the blood donor satisfaction score is low (60.33%) compared with the norm (80%). The post-donation follow-up stage is the factor with the greatest influence on improving blood donor satisfaction. The elements that require particular attention in the supervision of blood donors are the snacking and blood-taking stages, because they have a strong capacity to worsen donor satisfaction when they are badly perceived by donors. Originality/value The study focuses on aspects specific to the Cameroonian situation and sheds a unique light on blood donor satisfaction in this context, while offering a general understanding of this issue on an international scale.