The Impact of Perceived Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in Ferry Transportation

Abstract

The rapidly increasing number of passengers and competition in maritime transportation have made it imperative for maritime companies to understand their customers' expectations. For firms wishing to achieve a competitive position in the passenger transportation sector of maritime operations, customer satisfaction is considered one of the most important factors. This study aims to analyse, using a holistic approach, the structural relationships between perceived service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty in the maritime passenger transportation industry. In the study, perceived service quality in the participating maritime company was measured using the SERVQUAL scale. The study sample consists of passengers of a maritime passenger transportation company located in the Aegean Region of Turkey. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 100 passengers of different nationalities, and a questionnaire was administered. Primary data obtained through survey techniques during the data collection process were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program. The analysis revealed that among the factors of perceived service quality in maritime transportation, the Trust and Empathy factors influenced customer satisfaction, while only the Trust factor directly and significantly influenced customer loyalty. The findings indicate a statistically significant correlation between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. According to the results, the dimension with the strongest influence on both variables is the Trust Factor.