A critical review of alternative measures of telecommunications service quality

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the service quality (SQ) models established in various empirical studies conducted across the world specifically applied to telecommunications services. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines different SQ models reported in the literature applicable to the telecommunications sector. The selected 29 studies were limited to empirical English studies based on survey data and statistical methods of analysis and having the SQ construct defined from the customers’ perspective. Findings The review of various SQ models in telecommunications revealed that the meaning of SQ may have some universal aspects, as demonstrated by the similarities in the underlying dimensions as proposed in different studies. This paper lends support to the contention that the dimensions of the telecommunications SQ construct and their importance vary with the cultural and country context. A proposed model for measuring telecommunications SQ was presented as a trial to extract the best of previous models. Research limitations/implications This paper reviews only empirical studies based on survey data and statistical methods of analysis from 2001 to 2019. Practical implications The paper indicates that a generic instrument for measurement of SQ or even one specifically developed for telecommunications may not be applicable in its original form for all cultural contexts. The development of a customized scale, such as a modified SERVQUAL for measuring the SQ for a particular cultural or country context at that particular time, is warranted. Originality/value The reported study describes and contrasts a large number of SQ measurement constructs and highlights the usage of dimensions.

The synergetic effect of after sales service, customer satisfaction, loyalty and repurchase intention on word of mouth

“…Literature review 2.1 After sales service quality Importantly, the service quality (SQ) may only be gauged when the service has actually been rendered/delivered (Losada-Otalora et al, 2021). This is why researchers in the past have looked to elaborate upon its relation to an organization's overall performance, which includes its profitability, stemming from both CS and CL (Abd-Elrahman et al, 2020). Furthermore, significant research has been done, reporting the causal connection between SQ and CS (Slack et al, 2020;Pantouvakis and Karakasnaki, 2021).…”

Corporate image as an enabler of customer retention

“…However, because of the technology-based nature of telecommunication, human-to-human (i.e. service providers and customers) interaction is insufficient to explain customers’ perception of telecommunication quality (Abd-Elrahman et al , 2019). Some studies revealed that the service quality of mobile telecommunication providers is multi-dimensional (Kim et al , 2004; Santouridis and Trivellas, 2010).…”

Work from home connection: a cluster analysis based on the Internet service attributes towards subscribers profile

“…Stability, transmission speed and network coverage are the core attributes of network quality. Breaks in Internet connectivity can lead to poor perceptions of network quality from the customer's perspective (Abd-Elrahman, Hassan, El-Borsaly, & Hafez, 2019).…”

“…Stability, transmission speed and network coverage are the core attributes of network quality. Breaks in Internet connectivity can lead to poor perceptions of network quality from the customer’s perspective (Abd-Elrahman, Hassan, El-Borsaly, & Hafez, 2019). Network quality helps to create the necessary competitive advantage for ISPs by being an effective differentiating factor (Oluwafemi & Adebiyi, 2018; Santouridis et al.…”