European Customer Satisfaction Index Research Articles

Measuring automobile service quality with the European customer satisfaction index model (ECSI): the moderating effect of trust

PurposeIn this study, the service quality of an automobile authorized service center was investigated based on the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model. The ECSI model includes image, customer expectations, perceived quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction, customer complaints and customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approachIn the study, an attempt was made to improve the ESCI model by adding the trust factor as a moderating variable. After an extensive literature review, measurement questions were developed to best represent the factors in the research model. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the fit of the research model and test the hypotheses.FindingsAs a result of the analysis, only one of the 13 hypotheses tested was not supported. According to the results of hypothesis testing, the highest effect was found in the relationship between customer satisfaction customer complaints, customer expectations and perceived quality. In addition, customer expectations affect customer satisfaction indirectly rather than directly. In this case, customer expectations, perceived value and perceived quality influence customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe customer satisfaction quality index score of the authorized automobile service whose service quality was measured was calculated as 72.75. Although customers were generally satisfied with the authorized service, their expectations were not fully met.Originality/valueIn the study, an attempt was made to improve the ECSI model by adding a trust factor. Trust, which was added to the model as a moderator variable, fit the model. As a result, it was revealed that trust has an increasing regulatory effect on the relationship between perceived quality and customer satisfaction.

How to make you spend more in the airport? An investigation towards ECSI model on willingness to spend more in airport

This study intends to uncover the potential drivers that motivate air passengers to spend more in the airport. To address the gaps in the literature, this study proposed a model that integrated the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) and Experience Economy Theory. Data was collected from 341 passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and analyzed using Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The structural model results suggested that willingness to spend more depended on the passengers’ satisfaction and perceived value. Experience economy was found to mediate the path between airport image and passenger expectation on perceived value. Implications and suggestions for further research were discussed.

Using the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) Model to Examine Student Satisfaction in the Context of Universities in Uganda

Student satisfaction (SS) is one of the strategic tools for a university in a competitive environment. Hence the need to investigate SS in universities. The aim of our study was to use the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model to examine SS in universities in Uganda. The ECSI model suggests that SS is dependent on university image (UI), student expectations (SE), service quality of infrastructure and tangible service elements (SQITSE), service quality of people and processes (SQPP) and perceived value of investment (PVI). The ECSI model further suggests that PVI is dependent on UI, SE, SQITSE and SQPP. It also suggests that student loyalty (SL) is dependent on UI, SS and SQPP and finally that SE is dependent on UI. We designed a self-administered questionnaire on those constructs and had a sample of 704 students from seven universities in Uganda respond to it. We analysed our data using linear regression. Our findings gave support to the ECSI model in examining SS. We established that all the relationships among the constructs in the ECSI model were significant except the relationship between SQITSE and SS. We concluded that the ECSI model was appropriate for examining SS in the context of universities in Uganda. We recommend that university authorities allocate resources to improving their respective UI, SE, SQPP and PVI so as to enhance SS which invariably leads to SL.

Does Demographics Matter in Measuring Customer Satisfaction: Hypothetical Evidence from Indian Telecom Sector

Virtually all the sectors of economy such as finance, banking, hospitality and other businesses have grown up substantially in the past few years due to the growth of mobile service sector. From the inception of Reliance Jio in Madhya Pradesh, It has occupied a large number of customers in terms of no. of subscribers. This creates unrest among the telecom service operators operating in Madhya Pradesh. As the market moves forward, customer satisfaction becomes imperative for service firms to remain combative at marketplace. To study customer satisfaction, it is mandatory to study socio demographics of customers. Hence efforts have been made in this research paper to study the satisfaction level of customers from several demographic variables. This is a hypothetical research study in which primary data is collected from 500 active mobile users of Bhopal (MP), India. One way ANOVA and T-test were used to analyze the data through SPSS 21.0 software. Specific variables of American customer satisfaction index (ACSI) and European customer satisfaction index (ECSI) were being studied with different socio demographic variable of customers to move ahead in present research study. Significant difference was found in level of customer satisfaction with the age group and type of connection in telecom sector.

Application of the Extended of European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) to Evaluate Tourist Loyalty: An Empirical Study from Dong Thap Province, Viet Nam

Application of the Extended of European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) to Evaluate Tourist Loyalty: An Empirical Study from Dong Thap Province, Viet Nam

Assessing customer satisfaction of O2O takeaway based on online reviews by integrating fuzzy comprehensive evaluation with AHP and probabilistic linguistic term sets

In recent years, O2O takeaway has a rapid development with increasingly fierce market competitions. The online reviews of these takeaway platforms give restaurants an opportunity to better understand their customers and find their own shortages. However, how to dig customer satisfaction information from online reviews of restaurants is a challenge. Therefore, we establish an O2O takeaway customer satisfaction evaluation system and evaluate the satisfaction degree for restaurants by analyzing online reviews. First, we use European customer satisfaction index and Service performance-aware service quality measurement method as a logical framework. Meantime, we adopt content analysis to construct the evaluation system of customer satisfaction. Taking probabilistic linguistic term sets and the frequency into consideration, we improve analytic hierarchy process and develop a combination way to calculate the index weights of the evaluation system. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method is further designed to calculate the customer satisfaction level. Finally, we have an empirical analysis on Meituan and Ele.me platforms to validate our method.

Tourist Satisfaction Index for Tourism Destination, Integrating Social Media Engagement into the European Customer Satisfaction Index: A Conceptual Paper

Tourist Satisfaction Index for Tourism Destination, Integrating Social Media Engagement into the European Customer Satisfaction Index: A Conceptual Paper

A graduates ’ satisfaction index for the evaluation of the university overall quality

In the higher educational setting, students provide a relevant contribution to the quality of educational services. In such a context, the measurement of the perceived quality and related satisfaction for the university experience are of primary interest to evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of the learning processes. In this contribution, we aim at assessing the overall quality of the graduates’ university experience in terms of internal and external efficacy by applying the ECSI (European Customer Satisfaction Index) methodology, based on structural equation models and primarily developed in the context of customer satisfaction. For this aim, we propose a modified ECSI model tailored for the higher educational setting, explicitly taking into account the differences among groups of degree program. The study is carried out on data collected by the AlmaLaurea surveys at the University of Florence (Italy) in the period 2014–2017 and concerns a sample of more than 2,000 graduates. We find out eight latent variables that contribute to define the overall quality of university experience. These variables are differently affected by the type of degree program, with the highest levels of external efficacy observed for degree programs belonging to the educational, health, and engineering groups. It also turns out that interventions on the internal efficacy (i.e., quality of hardware and quality of humanware) have a direct positive effect on the university (i.e., loyalty) and an indirect positive effect on the society (i.e., external efficacy).

Influence mechanism of the corporate image on passenger satisfaction with public transport in China

Exploring the influence mechanism of corporate image on passenger satisfaction with public transport (PT) and significantly improving passenger satisfaction is prominent. This is because it is an essential determinant for increasing passenger numbers and revenue for PT. Taking into consideration the characteristics of PT in China, we adjust the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI), and build the structural model and measurement model of the passenger satisfaction index. Based on the passenger satisfaction data in Hangzhou, empirical evidence has been verified based on Partial least square-Structural Equation Mode (PLS-SEM). The significant findings of this study are as follows: ➀ corporate image promotes perceived quality and value directly, while it does not significantly affect the satisfaction directly. ?2¡ð2 The safety, convenience, reliability, comfort, economy, and rapidity, which are described the characteristics of perceived quality, significantly affect the perceived value and passenger satisfaction directly. Meanwhile, the perceived value affects passenger satisfaction with PT positively. When formulating a satisfaction promotion strategy, public transport enterprises can focus on three major aspects of service characteristics: convenience, safety, and comfort.

Different Effects of Contractual Form on Public Transport Satisfaction: Evidence from Large- and Medium-Sized Cities in China

This paper discusses and explores the different effects of contractual forms on the satisfaction with public transport (PT) at different urban scales. Using public transport systems in 12cities in China as the focus (four large-I-sized cities, four large-II-sized cities, and four medium-sized cities), a measurement model of the passenger satisfaction index (PSI) is constructed and estimated on the basic of the adjusted European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) and Partial least square-structural equation model (PLS-SEM), respectively. Then, a two-stage truncation regression bootstrap model is proposed to assess the different effects between them. The major findings of this study are summarized as follows: (1) different effects of contractual forms on PT satisfaction in large- and medium-sized cities are confirmed. (2) In large-I-sized cities and lager II sized cities, operators supervised by management contracts incite higher PT satisfaction levels than those supervised by gross and net cost contracts. (3) In medium-sized cities, operators supervised by gross cost contracts provide incentives to be the satisfaction compared to those of management and net cost contracts. According to different urban scales, different and appropriate contractual forms and supervision mechanisms should be chosen to regulate public transport services.

Research on satisfaction model of nutrition support nursing service for inpatients based on structural equations

Objective To design a satisfaction scale on nutrition support nursing service for inpatients, and establish a structural equation model of inpatient satisfaction with nutrition support nursing service in central city area to test the scale, so as to construct a tool for evaluating the satisfaction with nutrition support nursing service. Methods This study selected 18 indicators affecting the satisfaction with nutrition support nursing services of inpatients based on the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) , the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Model, and the China Customer Satisfaction Index Model. From September to December of 2017, a convenience sampling investigation was carried out among the inpatients receiving nutritional support in a Class Ⅲ Grade A medical institution. Through factor analysis, the 18 impact indicators were categorized into 6 dimensions, namely, perception of nutrition support nursing quality, nursing expectations, nutrient support nursing brands, nutrient support nursing service satisfaction, patient nutrient support nursing loyalty, patient nutrient support nursing complaints. Results A structural equation model for satisfaction of nursing support services for inpatients was constructed, and the rationality of the 6 dimensions was verified. The Cronbach's α indexes of the 6 dimensions were all equal or greater than 0.80. KMO test coefficient was 0.745. Bartlett spherical test results showed χ2=3 402.132 (P<0.01) . The reasonableness of the six dimensions was verified, and the fitting effect of the model was good (χ2/df=1.416, RMS of residual=0.030, goodness of fit index=0.945, adjusting goodness of fit index=0.927, standard fitting index=0.947, value-added fitting index=0.984, comparing fitting index=0.984, root mean square of approximate error=0.035) . Conclusions With this model, nurse managers can identify the factors affecting the satisfaction of patients receiving nutritional support, and propose continuous improvement strategies that will help improve the effectiveness of nursing services, and improve patient satisfaction with inpatient nutritional support, so as to provide reference for the research of satisfaction model for inpatients. Key words: Hospitalization; Nutrition support; Nursing service satisfaction; Structural equation model

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty as a Part of Customer-Based Corporate Sustainability in the Sector of Mobile Communications Services

In the service sector, the issue of customer satisfaction is being paid great attention. It has become central concern for companies of services to improve service quality, and to maintain customer loyalty within a highly competitive marketplace. The success of customer satisfaction is not only closely related to a company&rsquo;s quality management and marketing activities but it also has significant impacts on the company&rsquo;s future and its customer-based corporate sustainability. Customer satisfaction influences variables that are indicators of customer loyalty and long-time customer relationships. The aim of this paper is to provide information about customer satisfaction with quality of electronic communications services and show the results of application of the European customer satisfaction index (ECSI) model carried out in Slovak electronic communications market. Our marketing research pointed out that the ECSI model can provide a better understanding of the complex relationships of the variables of customer loyalty and customer satisfaction and their impact to sustainability of Slovak telecom provider.

Validation and improvement of the European Customer Satisfaction Index for the Spanish wine sector

PurposeA study of the Spanish wine sector, in this case specifically the Designation of Origin (DO) Somontano, requires validation of the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI), which also needs to be improved and adapted to obtain more information on customer satisfaction. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper the ECSI model was applied, based on structural equation modeling (SEM) using the partial least squares.FindingsAn empirical analysis shows that the importance of customers’ expectations and perceived quality are the most influential factors in achieving satisfaction. Also highlighted in the new model is the linkage between service and product qualities in a unique variable, total quality.Originality/valueIn addition to validating the ECSI model for DO Somontano, a new innovative implementation was developed and tested to improve the calculation of satisfaction.

Quality And Prosumership. Proserv: A New Tool For Measuring The Customer Satisfaction

The current paper aims to present a new modelfor assessingthe Customer Satisfaction. The model, named Prosumership Service Quality Model (PROSERV), can be seen as an extension ofthe European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI), where the centrality of the customer is developed in order to take into account the prosumership as a fundamental part of service quality and satisfaction. The theoretical model has been formalized in 4hypotheses: (HP1) the PROSERV-Q questionnaire has a good level of reliability; (HP2) the PROSERV-Q underlies the three level abstraction modelled by PROSERV; the estimated level of overall satisfactionhas high correlation with the external global satisfaction index (HP3) and Loyalty (HP4).In order to test these hypotheses, the PROSERV -and the associated questionnaire PROSERV-Q –are applied to a sample of 680 customers of services. The theoretical model has been conceptualized as a three levels hierarchical structure, and statistically formalized with the PLS Path Modelling (PLS-PM) with higher-order constructs.Results are consistent with hypotheses, in that providing evidence that the three-level PROSERV model is able to capture the fundamental constitutive components of customer satisfactionand, at same time, affects the loyalty.

Assessing customer satisfaction and loyalty in the retail sector

PurposeThe effects of customer satisfaction on loyalty have been widely discussed by the academic community. Although the results of the studies reported in the literature are often contradictory, the existence of a relationship between satisfaction and loyalty is acknowledged, despite the influence of moderators and constraints of various kinds. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this relationship in the specific context of the retail sector, since this sector presents major challenges in terms of competition, and efforts placed on customer satisfaction and loyalty are more evident.Design/methodology/approachA survey based on the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model was applied to a retail store in Portugal. This model has its roots in Switzerland, where in 1989, Claes Fornell developed a new complementary method for measuring the overall quality of companies’ output, through the calculation of an aggregated customer satisfaction index. The proposed model is based on a set of causal relationships established between a set of constructs. The ultimate goal is to calculate both satisfaction and loyalty indexes as well as to estimate the relationship between both constructs. Structural equation modelling, based on a partial least squares (PLS) estimation methodology, is the statistical technique used to estimate the model parameters, as well as to compare the aggregated indexes. PLS is based on the principles of linear regression and combines multiple regression aspects with factor analysis, in order to estimate a series of interrelated relationships.FindingsThe results confirm a positive influence of satisfaction on customers’ loyalty to the retail store. The study also shows the importance of the image construct, due to its strong direct effects on satisfaction, which makes it essential for influencing the loyalty index, both directly and indirectly. The impact of the image construct is also evident on the expectations, as the latter has shown a considerable direct effect on perceived quality.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based on a single case study of a Portuguese sports retail store. In future it would be interesting to study a representative sample of the whole retail sector.Practical implicationsThe study is useful for the specific retail store where it was undertaken to help it devise better customer service, in order to increase satisfaction and loyalty. It is also useful for the entire network of stores for that retailer and other retail chains.Social implicationsThe systematic application of customer surveys to whole sectors of the economy would improve competition, customer service and, ultimately, contribute to development and economic growth.Originality/valueThe ECSI has been applied to various industry sectors in different countries, including Portugal. It has never been used in the context of the Portuguese retail sector and it adds to the discussion on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty, which is a pertinent topic of interest for researchers in quality management.

Enriching the ECSI model using brand strength in the retail setting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the retailer’s brand strength as a potential predictor of loyalty. It also examines the role of customer satisfaction (CS) to the retailer’s loyalty as well as its impact on the retailer’s brand strength. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in the grocery context and in a market under recession using the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model. Data were collected through a telephone survey from 2,000 participants responsible for the household grocery shopping with a quota of 250 respondents from each of the leading grocery retailers in Greece. A formative measurement model was developed and the collected data were analyzed using partial least square path modeling. Findings The findings revealed that the strength of the retailer’s brand and CS influence retail loyalty and that brand strength mediate the strength of CS to loyalty. Results also suggested that the expectations and the perceptions toward the retailer’s product offering are the most important drivers of CS and loyalty. Thus, the study has proved the importance of the functional store attributes to CS and loyalty in the grocery store setting. Originality/value Research examining the suitability of the ECSI model in the grocery setting and in a market under economic crisis is scarce. This paper addresses these shortcomings by examining a customer loyalty model which incorporates the brand strength construct and investigates the role of brand strength as a potential predictor of loyalty as well as the role of CS in the brand strength and loyalty.

Measuring farmer’s satisfaction and brand loyalty toward Indian fertilizer brands using DEA

The present study has attempted to identify Indian farmers’ level of satisfaction and loyalty pertaining to the purchase and use of different fertilizer brands. Fertilizer brands have to operate under certain prevailing constraints, such as uncertainty in weather conditions, the nature of the product and its usages. Added to this, there has been a reduction in the subsidy offered by the government of India, resulting in the escalation of complex fertilizer prices from INR 500 per bag to more than INR 1200 per bag. In order to gain competitive advantage through larger market share and increased profitability under the aforementioned constraints, retention of existing customers and strengthening brand loyalty have become significant preferences for fertilizer-selling firms. The study has employed data envelopment analysis as a tool to measure farmers’ satisfaction and brand loyalty efficiency toward existing fertilizer brands. The European Customer Satisfaction Index model has been used as a reference for the paper. The data analysis reveals that Paradeep Phosphates Limited featured as the most preferred brand. The study has several implications. Managers can use these findings for their self-assessment of the fertilizer brands and then improve upon or manage the farmers’ satisfaction and loyalty patterns.

Corporate Responsibility under the ECSI model: An application in the hotel sector

This article deals with the study of Corporate Responsibility (CR) under the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI). The methodology of this empirical study, conducted among 629 customers staying at hotels in the city of Seville, is based on structural equation modeling (PLS). The results obtained demonstrate the applicability of the European model to the hotel sector, although not all the relationships from the original model have been proven. The main contributions are derived from a better understanding of the model's components, a variable not studied before having been incorporated: the importance of Corporate Responsibility (CR). Moreover, it means to contribute to the field of research on CR as, despite the growing interest in the subject, the effects of this construct are still poorly understood.

English

This paper analyzes the differences between customer satisfaction in the catering industry in two different countries: Lithuania and Portugal. The adjusted European Customer Satisfaction Index is applied for the measurement of the customer satisfaction in the catering industry. Data were collected in 2014, with the aim to identify the key factors that could affect the customer satisfaction in the catering industries in these two countries. The results indicate that the determinants of customer satisfaction with catering facilities are quite similar in both countries. Eight structural relations are significant: image influences expectations and loyalty; expectations influence perceived quality; perceived quality influences perceived value and satisfaction; perceived value influences satisfaction; and satisfaction influences loyalty and complaints. Three statistically non-significant direct causal relations are presented: complaints do not influence loyalty; expectations do not influence perceived value as well as satisfaction. Only one country-specific relation is detected: the effect of image on satisfaction is statistically significant only for Portuguese consumers.

An application of European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) in business to business (B2B) context

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the most important antecedents of customer loyalty in business-to-business (B2B) context using European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire is designed consisting of measures of customer loyalty gathered mainly from previous related studies. A survey of business customers in construction and mining equipment industry in Iran is conducted, and a total of 90 responses are obtained. The collected data are analyzed according to the structural equation modeling technique using partial least square path modeling software. Findings – The ECSI model shows sufficient explanatory power in explaining loyalty in the B2B context. Adding trust to the original model leads to a better explanation of loyalty in the proposed model. In this model, corporate image is the main route to predict loyalty, while satisfaction, complaint handling and trust also are important. Although there is no direct effect of perceived quality, perceived value and expectation on loyalty, their total impact is considerable which is mediated through satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – The research should be expanded to other B2B sectors to validate its findings in different industries. Future research can also assess the impact of moderating variables. Originality/value – Most previous customer loyalty models concern business-to-consumer (B2C) rather than the B2B context. Moreover, research examining the suitability of the ECSI model in B2B is scarce. This paper addresses these shortcomings by examining a holistic customer loyalty model which incorporates some overlooked constructs as corporate image, expectation and complaint handling from the ECSI model. The proposed model, also adds trust which is not incorporated in national indices despite its importance in predicting loyalty.