The effect of user manual quality on customer satisfaction: the mediating effect of perceived product quality

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the elements of user manual quality and its influences on perceived product quality and customer satisfaction in an integrated model structure. Design/methodology/approach Survey method was used to evaluate user manual quality and its influences on perceived product quality and customer satisfaction. Electrical appliances consumers were chosen in our sample. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed to introduce, test and validate the user manual quality dimensions and also test the hypotheses. Findings The findings show a positive significant relation between user manual quality and perceived product quality, and this result demonstrates that consumers perceive user manual quality as a part of their quality evaluation related to the product. The results point out that user manual quality is essential for both low- and high-value products regarding customer satisfaction. The findings also reveal that perceived product quality mediates the influence of user manual quality on customer satisfaction. Practical implications This study reveals that providing a high-quality user manual should be an essential element of product management and development strategies. The findings also highlight the need for companies that particularly sell complex products with long product life cycles must invest in providing high-quality user manuals. This will enhance perceived product quality and in turn customer satisfaction. Originality/value Although some prior studies address user manuals in the relevant literature, these studies did not examine the elements of user manual quality and their impact on consumers’ perceptions of the product quality and their satisfaction evaluations in a research model. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature. In addition, the authors found two major dimensions of user manual quality as content-related elements and representational/format-related elements of the user manual.

The Influence of Product Quality, Price Fairness, Brand Image, and Customer Value on Purchase Decision of Toyota Agya Consumers: A Study of Low Cost Green Car

“…Data collected for all variables use a five-point Likert scale from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5). The items of product quality are adapted from Gök et al (2019) and Xu et al (2017). It consists of eight items with Cronbach's alpha of 0,884.…”

“…Then, the company will have the ability to survive in the long run. In a simple sense, the product quality is a product or service that can meet consumers' needs explicitly and implicitly (Armstrong & Kotler, 2015), product excellence perceived by consumers (Gök, Ersoy, & Börühan, 2019), and overall evaluation of a product by customers (Xu, Blankson, & Prybutok, 2017).…”

Does quality stimulate customer satisfaction where perceived value mediates and the usage of social media moderates?

“…Over the time, the quality of a physical product was prioritized in the research of Calantone and Knight (2000) ; Cho and Pucik (2005) ; Forker et al (1996) ; Martínez-Costa et al (2009) ; Molina-Castillo et al (2013) ; Morgan and Vorhies (2001) and Prajogo and Sohal (2004) . Very recently, Kotler and Armstrong (2018) ; Lin et al (2018) and Gök et al (2019) also studied product quality.…”

“…He also added that customer-oriented and product-selling firms practice quality and persuade consumer satisfaction. Lin et al (2018) and Gök et al (2019) found that product quality is a strong antecedent of customer satisfaction. Gök et al (2019) stated that contrast theory explains the clarification of the product evaluation process and the quality of the product that customer magnifies the gap between the product received and the product expected.…”

“…Lin et al (2018) and Gök et al (2019) found that product quality is a strong antecedent of customer satisfaction. Gök et al (2019) stated that contrast theory explains the clarification of the product evaluation process and the quality of the product that customer magnifies the gap between the product received and the product expected. If the actual performance of the product fails to meet expectations, the customer will evaluate the product less favourably ( Anderson, 1973 ; Korgaonkar and Moschis, 1982 ).…”