Efficiency of Service Delivery Channels in the Banking Industry: An Importance-Performance Gap Analysis in the Philippine Setting

Abstract

Driven by a number of changes in the business environment, the adoption and development self-service technology in providing traditional banking services has steadily gained wide usage over the years as a way of ensuring customer loyalty, growing market share and meeting other challenges posted by such changes (Ibrahim, Joseph, & Ibeh, 2006; Joseph & Stone, 2003; Rod, Ashill, Shao, & Carruthers, 2009; Roig, Garcia, Tena, & Monzonis, 2006). This study focuses on the evaluation of the alternative banking delivery channels utilized by banking institutions in the Philippines. Through a survey questionnaire, customers were asked to rate 26 quality attributes in terms of their importance and perceived performance level. These items were categorized into five general quality dimensions – accuracy and reliability, efficiency and convenience, security and accessibility, personalization and customer service, and general management. The delivery channels evaluated were the Teller, ATM, Internet and Telephone banking. The results show that customers attach varying degrees of importance to the quality dimensions under study, and that they perceive different performance levels as well. This is true across the different channels considered. Thus, as banks come to realize the potential of these alternative delivery channels as a competitive weapon and source of distinction from competitors, it is critical for banks to design strategies and implement plans that address specific customer expectations for each delivery channel.