Using the SERVQUAL and the Kano’s Models for Assessing the Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Automobile Service Industry in Palestine رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

The importance of service quality in forming customer satisfaction and consumer perceptions of industry image has attracted the attention of many researchers. Despite the fact that SERVQUAL was the most widely used framework for assessing the quality of services in various sectors, recent studies indicated that customers value is best evaluated when integrating SERVQUAL with other models. This research uses both SERVQUAL and Kano models to explore the quality-of-service aspects of service of automobile service sector in Palestine. The study aims to determine the critical service quality categories from customers' perceptions and the overall level of customer satisfaction towards automobile service. The decision to combine two models is made to offer a thorough evaluation of customer voice. However, the gap only reflects the level of service provision without disclosing information about what are the essential service features. SERVQUAL tool provides information about differences between customers' initial expectations toward the service they receive and the actual perceptions after service provision. Whereas the Kano model addresses the classification and ranking of services in terms of importance from the customers’ perception by demonstrating how well these traits may meet customer wants. Despite the fact that both tools can be used independently, the integration offers a thorough analysis of the service quality, highlighting crucial service quality that requires immediate improvement to raise customer satisfaction with automotive servicing. A sample of 250 car service clients were surveyed using a random sampling technique xii using online and personally-administered questionnaires that were available in both Arabic and English. The SERVQUAL paradigm and Kano questionnaires served the foundation for developing the survey. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, using both descriptive and inferential statistics. More specifically, non-parametric tests, namely, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test as well as multiple regression analysis were conducted in this study. Results showed that customers had higher expectations toward all SERVQUAL dimensions (namely, Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy) when compared to actual received service; however, findings revealed that the overall level of customer satisfaction toward the service provided by the automobile service was high. Multiple regression analysis showed that about 63% of the variation in customer satisfaction is explained by variation of the five service quality dimensions. Results also showed that seven items within Kano analysis have relative importance from customers perspective; those are Reliability item 1 and 2, 3, 4, 5, and responsibility item number 1 , and Empathy number 3 that are related to automobile service employees work as promised, interest and care in solving customers’ problems, automobile services are dependable, services in a timely manner, automobile service keeping accurate records, automobile employees tell the customers exactly when the service will be performed, and employees should understand the needs of the customers. These items scored high gap scores between customers initial expectations toward quality of service of automobile service and the actual perceptions. But the highest gab xiii scores were for the Reliability item 1 3, 5, and Empathy number 3 that are related to automobile service employees work as promised, automobile services are dependable, automobile service keeping accurate records, and employees should understand the customers’ needs. Results of integration showed the need for improving toward three items concerning to reliability and one item of empathy SERVQUAL dimensions. The results of integration analysis are useful to automobile service because they suggest how to allocate appropriate level of resources to different aspects based on the importance they have in contributing to customer satisfaction. The results showed that the level of Service Quality perceived by automobile service customers is affected by level of education and number of years owning the vehicle. In conclusion, the overall level of customer satisfaction indicated satisfied customers; the average score was lowered by two dimensions related to cost of services and understanding customer’s needs that could be considered to increase additionally the overall satisfaction toward automobile service. Service quality dimensions presented a positive gap indicating that initial expectations about service quality are higher than actual received service. Empathy elements have the higher gap scores between expectations and perceptions, followed by Reliability and Tangibility then Responsiveness and Assurance elements. Upon the study results, the researcher recommended that the main elements that need re-assessment in terms of importance are concerned to work as promised, care in solving customers’ problems, being dependable, delivering services in a timely manner, xiv keeping accurate records, telling customers exactly when the service will be performed, and understanding the customer’s needs.