Evaluation of Service Quality Gaps in Construction Professional Service Firms in Nigeria

Abstract

The study aims at evaluating and comparing service quality of consultancy firms who provide professional services in building projects in Nigeria. The article seeks to address the general perceptions of dissatisfaction with the quality of services in order to enhance performance of building projects and ensure competitiveness in the industry. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire as an instrument of data collection. The population of the study consisted of 488 representatives of public and private clients with a sample size of 385. Data were analysed using weighted mean and paired-sample t-test to determine the severity of differences in the expected service quality and perceived service quality. The result shows significant differences between the expected service quality and perceived service quality in structural engineering, mechanical/electrical engineering and quantity surveying services along all the dimensions of service quality. However, "Tangibles" dimension of architectural services had no positive differences in the service quality, but had differences in "Responsiveness", "Empathy", "Reliability" and "Assurance" dimensions. The results imply that professional service providers require fundamental improvement in their services to their clients. This study offers an opportunity for consultancy firms to evolve global best practices by creating and maintaining high service quality as a team.