Service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in automobile repair services sector

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL scale within non-western service setting as well as the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach was employed, using 32-item, seven-point Likert-scaled questionnaire administered to 384 participants with 55.99 per cent usable response rate. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s internal consistency and γ test to, respectively, measure scale suitability, usability and strength/direction of association. Findings – The outcome from the study was the reduction of the 32 items to 26 scale items with 0.929 total α score. Further outcomes show that service quality dimensions are significant predictors of customer satisfaction and loyalty with the commitment dimension accounting for the highest degree of this impact. Research limitations/implications – Findings failed to corroborate past research as it was established that distinct efforts to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty within non-western service contexts proved to be less useful. However, outcomes cannot be generalized and as such, the modified scale that emerged from this research should receive more rigorous tests in other emerging services contexts. Practical implications – Automobile repair services firms within Ebonyi State will be better placed in their strategic responses to customer loyalty if they boost customers’ satisfaction through excellent service quality improvement actions. Social implications – The best way to enhance the welfare of the consumers of automobile repair services in Ebonyi State is by improving the empathy, tangibles, responsiveness, reliability and commitment dimensions of service quality. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates that the commitment dimension of service quality emerged as the most significant predictor of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The research also demonstrates that satisfied customers will definitely be loyal because a distinct effort to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty was found to be less useful.

The Effect of Service and Food Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Hence Customer Retention

“…Izogo and Ogba (2015), Dedeoğlu and Demirer (2015) and Zamil, Areiqat and Tailakh (2012) all found the same results. In contrast, Qin, Prybutok and Zhao (2010) found that only three attributes, tangibles, reliability and responsiveness, were particularly salient dimensions in fast food restaurants in China.…”

“…That is, service quality is an outcome of the difference between service expectations and customer perceptions of actual service performance (Naik, Gantasala, & Prabhakar, 2010;Yeşilada & Direktör, 2010). Izogo and Ogba (2015) argued that service quality leads to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty as a result of several factors. They added that SERVQUAL is one of the best measures of service quality.…”

“…Many studies have been conducted examining service quality, food quality and customer satisfaction constructs in different settings in different countries, for example the healthcare industry (Yeşilada & Direktör, 2010), the automobile repair services sector (Izogo & Ogba, 2015), the hotel industry (Dedeoğlu & Demirer, 2015), retail settings (Anselmsson & Johansson, 2014;Omar, Shaharudin, Jusoff, & Ali, 2011), tourism industry (Debata, Patnaik, Mahapatra, & Sree, 2015;Al-Tit & Nakhleh, 2014), the gaming industry (Wu, 2014), the telecoms and cellular sector Ali, Rehman, Yilmaz, Nazir, & Ali, 2010;Omotayo & Joachim, 2008), public transport (Kumar, 2012), the banking sector (Malik, 2012) and hair care services (Jeon, Dant, & Gleiberman, 2014), as well as the food industry (Marinelli, Simeone, & Scarpato, 2015;Wang, 2015;Kafetzopoulos, Gotzamani, & Psomas, 2014;Bujisic, Hutchinson, & Parsa, 2014;Jang & Ha, 2014;Wettstein, Hanf, & Burggraf, 2011). The results of these studies have confirmed the significance of relationships between these constructs.…”

Percepção Da Qualidade Em Serviços Contábeis: Estudo De Caso Em Um Escritório Contábil Em Foz Do Iguaçu/Pr

“…Sendo assim, apenas quando o prestador de serviços entende o processo de percepção e avaliação dos clientes, é que se torna possível influenciá-los para seguir na direção desejada. Além disso, a qualidade do serviço é tida como um determinante importante da satisfação do cliente, o que, por sua vez, influencia a fidelidade dos clientes (Izogo & Ogba, 2015).…”

Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) of Service Quality for Virtual Reality Golf Center

“…Compared to physical products, service features are invisible, and the production and sale occurs simultaneously. As service occurs, customers also play a role in co-production (Izogo & Ogba, 2015), so it is not easy to measure the performance of service. Parasuraman et al (1985) proposed the concept of the service quality model, and established consumer perceptions of service quality systems.…”