Testing the SERVQUAL scale in the business‐to‐business sector: The case of ocean freight shipping service

TLDR

The key question is whether instruments developed for consumer services can accurately gauge service quality perceptions of organisational customers. The study reports psychometric testing of the SERVQUAL scale in ocean freight services and discusses implications and future research directions. The authors conducted psychometric testing of the SERVQUAL scale on a cross‑sectional sample of 114 business organisations in Singapore. They found that SERVQUAL’s psychometric properties differ from those in consumer settings, that perception scores predict better than gap scores, and that consumer‑developed service quality measures should be applied with caution in B2B marketing.

Abstract

A key question is whether the instruments developed for consumer services can accurately gauge the service quality perceptions of organisational customers. Reports psychometric testing of the SERVQUAL as a measure of service quality in ocean freight services. Based on a survey of a cross‐sectional sample of 114 business organisations in Singapore, which regularly utilise ocean freight services for their export needs, this study found that the psychometric properties of the SERVQUAL scale are at variance with those found in consumer services settings. Further, the SERVQUAL perceptions scores were found to be a better predictor than the SERVQUAL gap scores. In sum, the service quality measures developed for consumer services can only be applied with caution in business‐to‐business marketing. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.