Bank service quality: evidence from five Balkan countries

Abstract

PurposeDespite the rapid growth and internationalisation of services and financial services in particular, managers realise that to successfully leverage service quality as a global competitive tool, they first need to correctly identify the antecedents of what the international consumer perceives as service quality. This paper aims to examine the differences: in perceptions of service quality; and in the ranking of quality dimension between the bank customers of five Balkan countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, FYROM and Serbia.Design/methodology/approachBahia and Nantel proposed a specific scale for measuring perceived service quality in retail banking consisting of six dimensions of service quality: effectiveness and assurance; access; price; tangibles; service portfolio; and reliability. This instrument was used for collecting data in the context of banking services from the five Balkan countries. T‐test and factor analysis were employed to answer the research questions.FindingsThe results suggest that Greek customers perceived receiving the highest level of service quality. Differences and similarities between the countries were also reported related to the degree of importance attached to the BSQ dimensions of service quality.Practical implicationsThe results have significant implications for banks in developing operational, marketing and human resource strategies in the Balkan context.Originality/valueThe international bank managers need to understand the value of environmental differences between countries in terms of economic development, political situation, socio‐cultural system and the level of sector maturity. Accordingly they can emphasise the various dimensions of service quality differently and in addition focus on commonalities to introduce quality initiatives in the Balkans.