Assessing the service quality of container shipping lines in the international supply chain network – shippers' perspective

Abstract

Perceptions of service quality can differ between consumer and business-to-business services. The importance of container shipping services has grown tremendously with the increase in globalisation, especially in the burgeoning Asia-Pacific market. Shipping services comprise of different components or sub-services like sales and marketing, cargo booking, documentation, operations and claims handling. Based on data collected from shippers in Singapore, one of the leading container ports in the world, the study analysed shippers' evaluations of the various service delivery components of their most preferred shipping line. The analysis revealed that personal visits and claims handling were rated the lowest. Additionally, it was found that the different types of company ownership of organisational buyers exhibited significant differences in their overall satisfaction scores. Foreign companies gave the shipping line a higher rating than local and joint venture companies. The implications of the findings for researchers and the management of container shipping lines are discussed.