Service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction of the solar home system service in Bangladesh

Abstract

This thesis has involved in emperical investigation of the service quality dimensions and customer Satisfaction of SHS service in Bangladesh. Solar Home System (SHS) is considered as an important emerging option to supply electricity with quality light, reliable service and long term sustainability. There is a clear need to conduct a research on assessing the dimensions of its service quality and the customer satisfaction of the Solar Home System service in Bangladesh and to provide guidance to the Solar Home System providers to help making strategies and priorities for the improvement of the service quality and customer satisfaction. To address this research question and to acheive the research objective, a comprehensive review of literature was conducted from the international and local (Bangladesh) literature and a quantitative model was developed. To achieve the research objective, primary data were collected by surveying the end-users through a structured questionnaire. The study has observed that the service depends on eight distinct service quality dimensions as responsiveness, assurance, empathy, reliability, communication, image of PO, after sale service, reliability and technology of the service. The hypothesized model was tested by adopting Mediation Analysis and from the analysis it can be concluded that 32.3% variance in the Customer satisfaction can be explained by the service quality dimensions. Four service quality dimensions like responsiveness, tangibility, technology and image of PO are found positively related with customer satisfaction of SHS service in Bangladesh. A positive relationship between five service quality dimensions like reliability, assurance, tangibility, technology and image of PO and perceived value of SHS service has also been found. From the study a positive relationship between perceived value and customer satisfaction of SHS service has also been found. The perceived value has been found as partial mediating factor in the relationship between the service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction of SHS service in Bangladesh. The findings of this thesis offer important implications for theory and management implications to improve the overall service quality and customer satisfaction of SHS service in Bangladesh. The result suggested that determining service quality dimensions of SHS service is no doubt important to enhance customer satisfaction of the service. As this study is the first one that analyses the service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction of SHS service in Bangladesh, it will therefore provide useful policy insights to the policy makers as well as researchers for improving customer satisfaction of SHS service in Bangladesh. In general, it will help the government to realize the importance and develop ways of providing quality service to rural people and make them satisfied.