A Study on Service Quality Perception Using the SERVQUAL Model in the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico

Abstract

Increases in international trade have generated greater demand at maritime ports worldwide. Shipping companies are demanding better sea connections that integrate their logistics services. In general, maritime port users demand better services to address the needs of international markets. The importance of evaluating the service offered by the port of Manzanillo is because its contribution is the second ranked in national revenue. Also, its main maritime route connections come from the world biggest economies, such as China, South Korea among others. This paper aims to identify fundamental aspects considered by users of the maritime port of Manzanillo, which affect port service quality using the SERVQUAL model. This model consists of five dimensions to evaluate the following: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The model was validated through a survey of 53 port companies’ clients, and the collected study data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 19. By analyzing the results, it was found that in general, port user perception shows a negative tendency, since observed results are lower than expected. Finally, the study proposes strategies to address the areas of opportunity observed, specifically in the responsiveness and empathy dimension, where the lowest results are found.