Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis of Service Quality Dimensions

Abstract

Globally, there is high competition in the market, leading organisations to set strategies that focus on customer satisfaction. Therefore, customers have remained the centre of focus in organisations, and there is a great need to satisfy them. One of the strategies is service quality, which is crucial for customer satisfaction. The study aims to examine the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction in the service industry. A desk review of the literature was used in the study. The SERVQUAL model was adopted, which is based on five dimensions: reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness. Assimilation theory explained the relationship between expectations and perceived product performance. There exists evidence that shows that there is a relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. However, customer satisfaction has a mediating effect between service quality and customer loyalty. The study concluded that reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness as dimensions of service quality had a significant relationship with customer satisfaction. Other studies used different dimensions such as credibility, competency, security, communication, courtesy, access and assurance. Competency, tangibility, assurance and credibility dimensions were found to have a high impact on customer satisfaction. The study recommends improving the reliability of the services through creating consistent quality and timelines to ensure quality delivery. The study further recommends that organisations should ensure a high-quality experience during provision to gain functional and competitive advantage