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The Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction: The Case of Cameroon’s Transport Sector.
Authors
Pavel Berinyuy, Joshua Sopuru
Abstract
One of the most crucial factors for the success of any business is customer satisfaction. In the public transportation sector, where retaining customers depends mainly on the quality of service offered to them, this is even more pronounced. In this study, we investigated how service quality impacts customer satisfaction in Cameroon's passenger transport industry, focusing on NSO BOYZ EXPRESS. To assess these dimensions, we adopt a quantitative approach using a model developed from SERVQUAL. The surveys were conducted among 150 passengers of NSO BOYZ EXPRESS, and Excel 2016 and SPSS Version 21 were used for data analysis. According to the research, customer satisfaction in the passenger transportation industry is significantly enhanced by service responsiveness, including empathy, reliability, as well as tangibles. In order to guarantee customer satisfaction and loyalty, considerable modification of public transportation systems in accordance with these elements is vital.
Keywords
Service quality, customer satisfaction, transportation, Cameroon
DOI
References
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Amponsah, C. T., & Adams, S. (2016). Service quality and customer satisfaction in public transport operations. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 25(4), 531-549. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijsom.2017.10000365
Andaleeb, S. S., Haq, M., & Ahmed, R. I. (2007). Reforming intercity bus transportation in a developing country: A passenger-driven model. Journal of Public Transportation, 10(1), 1-25.
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Deakin, E. (2001). Sustainable development & sustainable transportation: strategies for economic prosperity, environmental quality, equity (No UCTC No. 519).
Eboli, L., & Mazzulla, G. (2007). Service quality attributes affect customer satisfaction for bus transit. Journal of Public Transportation, 10(3), 21-34.
El Saghier, N., & Nathan, D. (2013, April). Service quality dimensions and customers’ satisfaction of banks in Egypt. In Proceedings of 20th International Business Research Conference (Vol. 13).
El Zein, A. (2019). A study of service quality and customer satisfaction of using public transport in Lebanon. Unpublished Master's Thesis of Science in Civil Engineering, School of Applied Science, Near East University, NICOSIA, Cyprus.
Fonseca, F., Pinto, S., & Brito, C. (2010). Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Public Transport. Repositorio-Aberto.up.pt, no. https://hdl.handle.net/10216/71072
Friman, M., Edvardsson, B., & Gärling, T. (1998). Perceived service quality attributes in public transport: Inferences from complaints and negative critical incidents. Journal of Public Transportation, 2(1), 67-89.
Gobena, A. G. (2019). The impact of service quality on customer satisfaction: A case study on Nekemte municipality, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Annals of Social Sciences & Management studies, 4(1), 14-25.
Horsu, E. N., & Yeboah, S. T. (2015). Influence of service quality on customer satisfaction: A study of minicab taxi services in Cape Coast, Ghana. International journal of economics, commerce and management, 3(5), 1451-1464.
Islam, R., Chowdhury, M. S., Sarker, M. S., & Ahmed, S. (2014). Measuring customer satisfaction on bus transportation. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 6(1), 34-41.
Jain, S.K., & Gupta, G. (2004). Measuring service quality: SERVQUAL vs. SERVPERF scales. Vikalpa, 29(2), 25-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0256090920040203
Kulašin, D., & Fortuny-Santos, J. (2005). Review of the SERVQUAL concept. In The 4th Research/expert Conference with International Participation, in Macau (pp. 133- 137).
Mohajan, H. K. (2020). Quantitative research: A successful investigation in natural and social sciences. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 9(4), 50-79.
Mudenda, C., & Guga, D. (2017). An assessment of the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction case of a public passenger road transportation company in Zambia. International Review of Management and Business Research, 6(2), 541.
Njau, H. P. (2020). “Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Public Transport in Tanzania: A Case of Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (Brt) (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
Nkyami, R. T. (2016). The influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in intercity public transportation: A case of Alsaedy high-class bus service (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
Panda, T. K., & Das, S. (2014). The role of tangibility in service quality and its impact on external customer satisfaction: A comparative study of hospital and hospitality sectors. IUP Journal of Marketing Management, 13(4).
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41-50.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). Servqual: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perc. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12.
Parasuraman, R., Molloy, R., & Singh, I. L. (1993). Performance consequences of automation-induced ' complacency'. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 3(1), 1-23.
Putri, D. A., Azizi, P., & Sari, Y. P. (2022). The Influence of Transportation Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction with Trans Padang Bus Service Users. Journal of Business and Management Review, 3(1), 057–068. https://doi.org/10.47153/jbmr31.3082022
Rachman, A. (2017, March). Analysis of the effect of physical evidence and service assurance on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in using car rental service (PT Pusaka Prima Transport Cases). In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 180, No. 1, p. 012256). IOP Publishing.
Sanita, S., & Mutuku, B. (2019). Effects of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in the real estate industry in Kenya. International Journals of Academics & Research, 2 (1), 45, 63.
Tay, R. (2017). Correlation, variance inflation, and multicollinearity in the regression model. Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 12, 2006-2015.
Vicente, P., Suleman, A., & Reis, E. (2020). Index of satisfaction with public transport: A fuzzy clustering approach. Sustainability, 12(22), 9759.
Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design?
Guilford Press.
Wu, J. H. C., Yu-Chiang, L., & Fu-Sung, H. (2011). An empirical analysis of synthesizing the effects of service quality, perceived value, corporate image, and customer satisfaction on behavioral intentions in the transport industry: A case of Taiwan high-speed rail. Innovative Marketing, 7(3).
Yazid, M. F., Ali, A. M., & Manaf, S. A. (2020). Customer satisfaction in public transport service. European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, 7(3), 4108-4127.
Zeithaml, V. A., & Parasuraman, A. (2004). Service quality. Cambridge, MA.
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 31-46.
Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuram, A., & Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering quality service: Balancing customer perceptions and expectations. Simon and Schuster.
Zeithaml, V.A., Bitner, M.J. and Gremler, D.D. (2006). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus across the Firm. 4th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Adil, M., Al Ghaswyneh, O. F. M., & Albkour, A. M. (2013). SERVQUAL and SERVPERF: A review of measures in services marketing research. Global Journal of Management and Business Research Marketing, 13(6), 65-76.
Amponsah, C. T., & Adams, S. (2016). Service quality and customer satisfaction in public transport operations. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 25(4), 531-549. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijsom.2017.10000365
Andaleeb, S. S., Haq, M., & Ahmed, R. I. (2007). Reforming intercity bus transportation in a developing country: A passenger-driven model. Journal of Public Transportation, 10(1), 1-25.
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297-334.
Deakin, E. (2001). Sustainable development & sustainable transportation: strategies for economic prosperity, environmental quality, equity (No UCTC No. 519).
Eboli, L., & Mazzulla, G. (2007). Service quality attributes affect customer satisfaction for bus transit. Journal of Public Transportation, 10(3), 21-34.
El Saghier, N., & Nathan, D. (2013, April). Service quality dimensions and customers’ satisfaction of banks in Egypt. In Proceedings of 20th International Business Research Conference (Vol. 13).
El Zein, A. (2019). A study of service quality and customer satisfaction of using public transport in Lebanon. Unpublished Master's Thesis of Science in Civil Engineering, School of Applied Science, Near East University, NICOSIA, Cyprus.
Fonseca, F., Pinto, S., & Brito, C. (2010). Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Public Transport. Repositorio-Aberto.up.pt, no. https://hdl.handle.net/10216/71072
Friman, M., Edvardsson, B., & Gärling, T. (1998). Perceived service quality attributes in public transport: Inferences from complaints and negative critical incidents. Journal of Public Transportation, 2(1), 67-89.
Gobena, A. G. (2019). The impact of service quality on customer satisfaction: A case study on Nekemte municipality, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Annals of Social Sciences & Management studies, 4(1), 14-25.
Horsu, E. N., & Yeboah, S. T. (2015). Influence of service quality on customer satisfaction: A study of minicab taxi services in Cape Coast, Ghana. International journal of economics, commerce and management, 3(5), 1451-1464.
Islam, R., Chowdhury, M. S., Sarker, M. S., & Ahmed, S. (2014). Measuring customer satisfaction on bus transportation. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 6(1), 34-41.
Jain, S.K., & Gupta, G. (2004). Measuring service quality: SERVQUAL vs. SERVPERF scales. Vikalpa, 29(2), 25-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0256090920040203
Kulašin, D., & Fortuny-Santos, J. (2005). Review of the SERVQUAL concept. In The 4th Research/expert Conference with International Participation, in Macau (pp. 133- 137).
Mohajan, H. K. (2020). Quantitative research: A successful investigation in natural and social sciences. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 9(4), 50-79.
Mudenda, C., & Guga, D. (2017). An assessment of the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction case of a public passenger road transportation company in Zambia. International Review of Management and Business Research, 6(2), 541.
Njau, H. P. (2020). “Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Public Transport in Tanzania: A Case of Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit (Brt) (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
Nkyami, R. T. (2016). The influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in intercity public transportation: A case of Alsaedy high-class bus service (Doctoral dissertation, The Open University of Tanzania).
Panda, T. K., & Das, S. (2014). The role of tangibility in service quality and its impact on external customer satisfaction: A comparative study of hospital and hospitality sectors. IUP Journal of Marketing Management, 13(4).
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41-50.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). Servqual: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perc. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12.
Parasuraman, R., Molloy, R., & Singh, I. L. (1993). Performance consequences of automation-induced ' complacency'. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 3(1), 1-23.
Putri, D. A., Azizi, P., & Sari, Y. P. (2022). The Influence of Transportation Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction with Trans Padang Bus Service Users. Journal of Business and Management Review, 3(1), 057–068. https://doi.org/10.47153/jbmr31.3082022
Rachman, A. (2017, March). Analysis of the effect of physical evidence and service assurance on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in using car rental service (PT Pusaka Prima Transport Cases). In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 180, No. 1, p. 012256). IOP Publishing.
Sanita, S., & Mutuku, B. (2019). Effects of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in the real estate industry in Kenya. International Journals of Academics & Research, 2 (1), 45, 63.
Tay, R. (2017). Correlation, variance inflation, and multicollinearity in the regression model. Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 12, 2006-2015.
Vicente, P., Suleman, A., & Reis, E. (2020). Index of satisfaction with public transport: A fuzzy clustering approach. Sustainability, 12(22), 9759.
Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design?
Guilford Press.
Wu, J. H. C., Yu-Chiang, L., & Fu-Sung, H. (2011). An empirical analysis of synthesizing the effects of service quality, perceived value, corporate image, and customer satisfaction on behavioral intentions in the transport industry: A case of Taiwan high-speed rail. Innovative Marketing, 7(3).
Yazid, M. F., Ali, A. M., & Manaf, S. A. (2020). Customer satisfaction in public transport service. European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, 7(3), 4108-4127.
Zeithaml, V. A., & Parasuraman, A. (2004). Service quality. Cambridge, MA.
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 31-46.
Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuram, A., & Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering quality service: Balancing customer perceptions and expectations. Simon and Schuster.
Zeithaml, V.A., Bitner, M.J. and Gremler, D.D. (2006). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus across the Firm. 4th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.