service quality on customer satisfaction in Saudi Airlines company

While it has been documented in the literature that passengers have lamented of poor customer services by Saudi Arabian airlines, it indeed has been found that the service quality in these airline is wanting. Passengers have pointed to a few issues such as poor customer satisfaction, missing luggage, flight delays among others as some of the hindrances to smooth and satisfying flights. Therefore many flight companies are working round the clock to ensure that they deliver quality services while focusing on servicing customer needs. This research, therefore, seeks to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality among Saudi based airlines so that best practices can be recommended to ensure that the services match customer expectations for competitive positioning.

List of Figures

No	Figure	Page number
1	Conceptual framework	6
2	Consumer satisfaction model	14
3	Gronroos’ Quality Model	16
4	SERVQUAL model	17

List of Appendix

No	Figure	Page number
1	QUESTIONNAIRE	36

POINT#2 check the highlighted below REFERENCE

Chapter 1: Introduction

1-1 Introduction

The present-day corporate environment is much more turbulent than it was in the past centuries. It is widely known that recently, the marketing sector has adopted dynamic systems compared to the past with the customers taking the center stage when it comes to strategic decision making which initially a task was entirely done by organizations (Narteh, 2013). It is the responsibility of the organization, to come up with a culture that allows the adherence to ethics as well as quality and service value with the aim of achieving higher customer satisfaction levels (Khan, 2010). Therefore it is important to understand the consumers’ dynamic behavior to be able to achieve the satisfaction they need. In the present day corporate world, fulfilling the requirements of customers is considered a core business strategy (Carlson & O’Cass, 2011).

It is said that the art of studying consumer behavior is an applied discipline which can be analyzed in two levels- the micro level which is about being able to understand consumers to ensure that an organization achieves its objectives and secondly the macro level whereby consumers are collectively able to influence social and economic conditions in the society as a whole (Perner, 2010).

It is important for companies to identify the market behavior of consumers since they are pivot points of all marketing functions. It is argued by Solomon (1996) that "the science of consumer behavior involves the study of groups, individuals or organizations as well as the techniques and the processes they apply in securing, electing and disposing products, experiences, ideas or services to satisfy needs and the impact that these have on organizations, consumers, and society. Therefore, it is evident that the behavior of consumers has a direct impact on every decision that organizations make.

In most cases, consumers react and act according to the way they perceive things and instead of the objective reality. The most important thing, however, is whether they are subjective or objective in their actions as dictated by their perceptions. Factors like attitudes, stimuli, social status, perceptions and family life cycle as well as external influences such as customer service, quality services, brand positioning, comfort and reliability of services and products all influence consumers (Kotler & Armstrong, 2008). Consequently while this area has been explored already by many researchers like (Oliver 2014 and Hawkins et al.,2010) , it is still not easy to identify what goes in the black box ( the mind of the consumer) while making the decision whether or not to purchase a product ( Engel et al.,1995).

On an increasing basis, the aviation industry is becoming dynamic thanks to the recent developments like open sky policies and deregulations (Boeing report, 2013) causing the entry of new airlines that have sought to serve smaller cities and a wider range of countries. The growth of the aviation industry has been kindled by a robust competitive environment leading to a liberalized market environment across the globe ( D'Silva et al.,2014).

In particular terms, this new environment has made it easy for the aviation industry to grow and succeed.

1-2 Saudi Arabian Airlines

Saudi Arabian Airlines, more commonly known as Saudia (SV), is Saudi Arabia's flag carrier. Founded in 1945, it is headquartered in Jeddah and operates from hubs at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (RUH), Dammam's King Fahd International Airport (DMM) and Medina's Prince Mohammad Airport (MED). Saudi flies to about 125 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. About 25 of these are domestic. The airline also has codeshare agreements with 10 other carriers. Its fleet of 114 passenger aircraft consists of Airbus, Boeing and Embraer aircraft. These are configured with either Business Class and Economy Cabins, or with First Class, Business Class and Economy Cabins.

1-3 Problem Statement

Service quality remains an integral part of a service or product offering which an organization or a business can offer to a client. Thus it is of great importance that service providers examine as well as identify the experiences and expectations of customers concerning service quality (Baker, 2013). If the service exceeds or leads to satisfaction the intentions of customers to buy and re-buy as well as the constructive word of mouth to mouth regarding the brand have very high possibilities (D'Silva & Michael, 2011). The service quality concept has a great significance which has inspired scholars and researchers prompting them to address the issue and to further investigate it across cultural settings and service sectors. Because of this, service quality has been an area that is established in the marketing literature during the last two decades ( Sureshschandar et al.,2012).

1-4 Research Questions

The main question of this research is:

· What is the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in the Saudi Arabian Airlines?

While the sub-questions are:

· What is the effect of service quality on company profitability?

· What is the effect of service quality on consumer loyalty?

· What is the effect of service quality on consumer need?

1-5 Research Objectives

1.) To examine the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in the Saudi Arabian Airlines.

2.) To examine the interrelationships that exist between perceptions and expectations passengers have according to industry-specific model.

3.) To formulate the conceptual linkages between customer satisfaction and service quality.

1-6 The Conceptual Framework

image1.jpg

Figure 1.

1-7 Research Aims

The main aim of this research is to contribute to the general body of knowledge and assist to cover the research gaps by offering a better understanding of how service quality impacts customer satisfaction in Saudi Arabian Airlines. This will be achieved by proposing a comprehensive revised model for the industry analyzing the main antecedents of the service quality of the airlines. This research uses the SERVQUAL model as a theoretical base.

1-8 Research Method

Currently, a number of tools are there for measuring the performance of service quality of which the SERVQUAL model is in front of the lane and has been widely used to manage and measure service quality (Buttle, 1999). This model uses five elements along twenty-two variables in the identification of gaps between customer experiences and the perception of service providers (Parasuraman et al.1985).

This research will, therefore, investigate the historical developments of the Saudi Arabian Airlines while looking at service quality as perceived through the SERVQUAL model based on the perceptions and expectations of passengers

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2-1 Introduction

The literature review seeks to examine the theoretical base of the impacts of service quality on customer satisfaction. This chapter aims to review the relevant bases of theory and any other supporting arguments concerning consumer behavior to formulate theoretical paradigms. Majorly this chapter will examine relevant insight to this research. Reviewing appropriate literature is an important feature of any scholarly study because this helps to create a strong foundation for knowledge development. It enhances the development of theory and identifies a wide range of study already existing while uncovering other areas that need to be researched more (Wenster & Watson, 2002).

In this section, a wide range of literary works was reviewed to create insight for this work. To organize this section, several literary sources such as ProQuest, Science Direct, EBSCOhost and JSTOR databases were used alongside journals and research papers by academicians and scholars. This literature review concentrates on consumer behavior as it revolves around the impact of service quality and customer satisfaction. No organization can stay afloat in the present day turbulent corporate environments unless they have a proper understanding of consumer behavior.

Kotler & Armstrong argue that the term customer refers to someone who on regular basis purchases from a given company or store whereas the term consumer is a term that refers to anyone who engages in the following activities an ( acquiring, evaluating, disposing and use of a service or good). It is critically important to know that consumers are unique and different but their behavior keeps on changing with the changes in market variants. Therefore every business has to study the dynamic behavior of their consumers.

Particularly it is of great importance if the service industry attempts to understand the behavior of consumers due to its unique traits in direct comparison to the manufacturing industry. In specific terms, because the service industry deals on a face to face mode with its clients compared to manufacturers, it is upon them to work hard to evaluate the behavior of consumers so they can serve them better and meet or go beyond their expectations.

2-2 Aviation Industry

The aviation industry is a fast-growing sector that advances rapidly among service industries. According to the Air Transport Action Group (2012), air transport can be defined as the process that transports goods and people from one location to another by air. Perovic (2013) argues that air transport is an important economic activity and it plays an important role in developing a country’s economy.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there was an increase of 31 percent in passenger populations between 2012 and 2017 and by early 2018 the total numbers of passengers is expected to rise to 3.91 billion which then means that there will be an increase in the expectations of passengers (Roeselar,2014). Airlines need to cater to the needs and expectations of customers by providing quality services while sustaining affordable prices in order to gain a competitive edge.

For decades the Saudi air industry had been regulated by a number of strict policies as argued by O’Connell & Williams (2010) and because of this, it had stagnated due to its over-reliance of petroleum products, low inter-regional trade and the policy of institutional protection of national airlines. But recent market liberalization has led to significant growths and developments. As argued by Simpson and Sultan (2000) service quality has been a very important determinant of passenger satisfaction, choice of airline and loyalty in the present day competitive airline situation. The industry as a major service provider is faced with the challenge of meeting satisfaction of passengers and the objectives of profitability. According to Zeithaml(1990), most Saudi based airlines have ignored service quality and have concentrated on a price which has had tremendous negative impacts on their general performance.

2-3 Quality of Service

Park et al.,( 2004) found that there is a positive effect of perceived service quality on passenger satisfaction. Thus it is important if airlines understand the value of service quality. The increased numbers of low-cost carriers that have challenged the full carriers have made service quality to reduce tremendously in Saudi. While most carriers concentrate only on price factors as the major determinants of gaining a competitive edge, it is evident that this is not the only one and that other factors such as service quality are equally important in market positioning.

In the market structure where carriers have matching flyer programs and comparable fares, the competitive positioning of each airline lies in its service quality (Chen & Chang,2005). While most Saudi airlines have made attempts to improve their service qualities like the introduction of internet booking, enhanced standards, in-flight entertainment, and e-ticketing, there is still need to review on a continual basis the services that customers mostly seek in flights. In order to deliver better services, airlines need to understand the preferences and satisfaction of passengers. Saudi passengers have experienced flight delays, service failures due to seat denials and mishandling of baggage.

Huang (2009) argues that service quality has an effect on customer satisfaction and a customer satisfaction has an effect on customer behavior which includes word of mouth and repurchases intentions. Jamil & Rashid (2013) also argue that service quality in airlines indeed has an impact on customer satisfaction which in turn affects the loyalty of these customers. According to Chou & Liu (2011), assurance and reliability are taken to be the first most important dimensions while responsiveness takes the second position followed by flight patterns and tangible.

2-4 SERVQUAL Model

Other important dimensions include customer complaint handling, safety, courtesy of crew, cleanliness, flexibility, honesty and friendliness and lastly comfort among others (Hynes & Dredge, 1998). Parasuraman (1998) argues that the SERVQUAL model has five elements namely:

2-4-1 Tangibles: The physical environment in terms of subjects and objects.

2-4-2 Reliability: The ability of service providers to offer consistent and appropriate services

2-4-3 Responsiveness: The readiness of a company to help its customers by being efficient and quick.

2-4-4 Assurance: A wide range of confidence related features such as trustworthy and polite behavior of flight employees.

2-4-5 Empathy: The willingness of the service providers to give personal service to passengers.

2-5 Service Industry

The service industry offers a wide range of products which have unique traits that are distinguishable and that make it uneasy to measure and define quality (Akbaba,2006). Four major traits make the service industry unique and include: perishability , inseparability, intangibility, and variability.

2-5-1 Intangibility: Services are not physical products and they cannot be tasted, seen, felt, smelt or heard before being consumed (Beamish & Ashford, 2007). The result is that the quality techniques in the manufacturing industry such as final inspection cannot be applied in the service industry.

2-5-2 Inseparability: Services get produced as well as consumed on a simultaneous basis while physical goods are manufactured first and transformed into finished products, get distributed across multiple resellers and get consumed later. However, services are an integral part of the providers and cannot be separated from them.

2-5-3 Variability: services vary depending on the provider, when and where they are offered. Each service, therefore, must be tailored according to the particular customer. Further, the unpredictability and variety of customer requirements mean that prescriptive procedures are not appropriate as they are in the manufacturing industry.

2-5-4 Perishability: This points out to the fact that stocking to smooth demand is not possible with services since they get wasted if they are not consumed with high-level immediacy, Beamish & Ashford argue that the value of services is there only when required.

Generally, service quality is perceived as a multidimensional concept since clients evaluate a wide range of dimensions on a firm's service or products. Service quality occurs as an outcome of the comparison that customers make between the way they perceive the actual service and their expectations (Zeithmal,1988).On the other hand, customer satisfaction is defined as an emotional feeling that consumers have on a certain service or product which then makes them think of purchasing it or not (Oliver,1981). It refers to the feeling of disappointment or pleasure that a person experiences after comparing the outcome of a product or the perceived performance and the expectations they have (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Satisfaction can be perceived as the fulfillment response of the customer. Oliver (1997) argues that it is the judgment that a service or a product features.

2-6 Customer Satisfaction

A massive diversity of definitions has been proposed across societal and industrial perspectives concerning what customer satisfaction Is. According to Blackwell et al (2006), satisfaction in the perspective of service providers is defined as the valuation of the experience of consumers in response to their original beliefs with regard to the alternatives that are available. This definition is therefore based on tow aspects: the type of comparison levels utilized and the experiences of the consumers. This kind of approach is based on the cognitive aspects that describe how consumers make satisfaction judgments.

image2.png

Figure 2.A consumer satisfaction model

This Model expresses satisfaction as an aspect made up of antecedents which are the pre-purchase factors, satisfaction process, and the post-purchase factors. The most important antecedent is a prior experience. This model describes factors such as word of mouth, demographics, evolution of technology, personal experience, advertising and the nature of competition as being influencers of customer performance and expectations. The model further explores the manner in which the process of satisfaction subsequently affects the behavior of making complaints or making complements as well as issues of customer loyalty.

A satisfaction decision starts prior to consumption and is rendered dominant after the consumption period is over. When the customer goes through the service encounter, they do so with an antecedent attitude which can be under the influence of their prior experience, promotional techniques or word of mouth to mouth. The intention of the customer to consume a service or a product in the purchase stage is taken to be under the influence of the antecedent attitude. In the consumption stage, the consumer makes a comparison between what they expect and the product performance whereby disconfirmation may occur.

If the expectations of the customer have been exceeded, the outcome becomes favorable and if the expectations are not matched the outcomes become unfavorable ( Parasuraman et al.,1988). Therefore a dissatisfaction or satisfaction decision is the function of both strength and expectations of the disconfirmation experience. The level of service satisfaction occurs due to the comparison between the prior expectations of the consumers and the perceived service quality.

Grewal & Parasuraman (2000) argue that customers evaluate the quality of a product or a service so that they can establish the perceived value which then determines loyalty to a product or a service. Customer loyalty has massive benefits to an organization since a loyal customer is looked at as a lifetime spending potential. If well managed, service quality becomes an important means of differentiation from rivals and can be a source of profit to a company. For example, while the price is considered a relatively easy factor to manipulate by competitors, operational excellence for instance by offering quality services, cannot be easy to duplicate (Pride & Kapoor, 2008).

2-7 The Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality

According to Cronin & Taylor (1992), perceived service quality causes satisfaction, also these two argued that service quality is indeed a consumer satisfaction antecedent. Often time customer satisfaction is perceived as a multidimensional concept via the same lenses that form up service quality.

image3.jpg

Figure 3.Gronroos’ Quality Model

Source: Gronroos, 1988

image4.jpg

Figure 4.The SERVQUAL model

Going by the review of the literature above, this research develops the following hypotheses as ways of assessing the relationship between perceived service quality and customer satisfaction in Saudi Arabian Airlines.

H1: A high level of service quality significantly and positively affects passenger satisfaction.

H2: A high level of image quality has a significant effect on the general service quality.

Chapter 3: Methodology

3-1 Methodology

This study adopted the quantitative research method. This method was preferred because of the need to allow for statistical manipulation and numerical representation of the observations for the purpose of explaining and describing the phenomena reflected by these observations. Further, this study employed the uses of non-experimental design, this technique does not allow the users control over the predicting variable which has an effect on the dependent variable and even the surrounding under study. This research also adopted survey methods for the purposes of data collection. This study adopted the descriptive survey techniques.

This survey technique is mostly applied to exploratory and preliminary research to allow the researcher to collect data, make summaries, interpret and present it for clarifications (Orodho,2003). For this study, the descriptive design is considered most appropriate since the research reports the manner in which things are for a better understanding of the present situation. Mugenda & Mugenda (2003) argue that the purpose of this kind of study is to determine and make a report of the way things are while assisting in establishing the present status of the study population. This design was preferred because of its ability to guarantee minimal bias and to maximize the reliability of collected evidence.

3-2 Population

This study targeted Airline passengers, cargo transporters, walk-in customers and agents. The study sought to examine a population of 150 passengers.

3-3 Sample Design

This study utilized the formula by Yamane (1967) to arrive at the sample size. The formula is expressed as

n= 1+Ne2

Whereby

N=population

N=Sample size

E=margin of error

n= 1+(150 * 0.052)

This study thus used a sample size of 110 (respondents).

Chapter 4: Data collection and analysis

4-1 Data Collection and Analysis

Questionnaires were used to collect primary data; the questions were presented as a five-point Likert scale in a structured nature. There were three questions in the questionnaire (see appendix).

4-2 Operationalization of variables

Independent variables

	Variable	Measure


1	Tangibles	Visually appealing physical Modern equipment
		The employees are professional and appear neat
		Appearance is in compliance with the standards of the industry


2	Reliability	Adequate reassurance in case of problems Timely services Right first time - consistency
		Dependability - processes, and SOPs

		Adequate information provide


3	Responsiveness	Willingness to help Prompt service delivery Problem resolution
		Readiness to respond to customer’s requests


		Trustworthy Courtesy
4	Assurance	Confidence in systems
		Knowledgeability



5	Empathy	Employees are caring Personalized attention from airline
		Understand customer needs Hour of operation
		Customer’s interests at heart

4-3 Data Analysis

The data analysis process involved data explanation and clean up. Both qualitative and quantitative means were used to analyze the data. The respondent’s feedback was reported using descriptive narrative.

POINT#3 for CHARTS we need to show the percentage & write some text under it to describe it

Respondent’s Gender

image5.png

Occupational position results

image6.png

Respondent’s category

Category	Frequency	Percentage

Walk-in Customer	10	18
Regulated Agent	19	31
Known Shipper	27	40
Courier Company	5	12

Total	68	100

Frequency of use

image7.png

Reason for traveling

Reason	Frequency	Percentage

Convenience	23	34
Urgency	45	66
Costs	0	0

Total	68	100

image8.png

	Mean	Std. dev.
Factor affecting the choice of carrier
Convenience	4.8	0.45
Better connections or fewer stops	4 .2	0.45
Cost	2.0	1.73
Better services	4.2	0.84
Personal preference	2.4	1.14
Lack of choice	3.4	1.82
Recommendation from other sources	1.4	0.89
Accommodating required dimensions	3.6	0.89

Service quality determinants

Attributes	Mean	Std. dev.

Need for modern equipment	4.00	1.00
Need for a visually appealing physical environment	3.20	0.45
Need for neat and well-dressed employees	4.80	0.45
Facility compliance with industry standards	4.60	0.55


Services offered at said time	4.40	0.89
Adequate reassurance in case of problems	4.00	1.73
Dependability in the way customer problems are handled	3.80	1.64
Timeliness on service provision	3.60	1.95
Adequate information is provided concerning when services will be performed	4.00	1.22
Promptness in service delivery	2.80	1.10
Willingness to help passengers	3.80	0.45
readiness of employees to respond to customers' needs	3.80	0.45
Swift resolution of challenges	3.40	0.89
Employees are trustworthy	3.80	0.84
I feel confident transacting with the company	4.40	0.55
Courteous employees	3.60	0.55
Employees have the support and knowledge to do their work well	4.40	0.55
Personal attention offered	2.60	0.89
Caring employees	3.60	0.55
Employees understand customer needs	4.20	1.30
Best t interest of customer prioritized	3.60	0.55
Convenient operation hours	4.00	1.00

Overall mean	3.80

Perception of service qualities

Attributes	Mean	Std. dev.

Airline signage at the airport are visible and the service counters	4.00	1.00
Cane be located easily
	3.60	0.55
The waiting areas are well lot and clean	3.60	0.89
Staff wear name tags and uniforms making them easily identifiable	4.00	0.71
Enough security at the airport	2.60	0.55
Takeoffs occur on time as communicated	2.40	0.89
delays and changes in operations are communicated in advance	2.20	0.84
proper handling and notification is done upon damage to	3.40	1.82
Consignment

Specialized handling of information	4.20	1.30
Efficient cargo tracking system
.

Quick services at queues and availability of sufficient counters	2.80	0.84


Clear communication of terms of services	3.40	0.55


Promptness in attending to customer needs	3.40	0.55
Quick communication and resolution of challenges	2.60	0.55
Reliable and trustworthy staff	4.20	0.84
Goods always arrive in excellent condition	3.40	0.55
Friendly staff	3.60	0.55
The staff know quite well the processes and systems of the airline	3.40	1.14
Staff offer individualized attention	3.00	1.00
Specialized attention for cargo and goods	3.80	0.84


Professional sales agents	2.40	0.55
Quick staff	2.60	0.55


Convenient operational hours	3.80	1.10

Overall mean	3.29

POINT#4 Here it should be the discussion to the questions above about these topics

Tangibility

Reliability

Responsiveness

Assurance

Empathy

Service element	Expectation (E)	Perception (P)	Quality gap (P-E)= QG

Tangibility	4.15	3.80	-0.35

Reliability	3.96	2.96	-1.00

Responsiveness	3.45	3.05	-0.40

Assurance	4.05	3.65	-0.40

Empathy	3.60	3.12	-0.48

Customer perceptions and expectations and quality gaps in service elements

4-4 Discussion

This research sought to find the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in Saudi Arabian Airlines. Using the SEQUAL model, the research found out that indeed service quality has an impact on customer satisfaction, therefore, accepting both hypotheses. Of the five elements in the SERQUAL model, customer expectations and tangibility had the most weight. This suggests that customers have high expectations of the appearance of the facilities and the employees as well.

Generally, the customers expect high-quality services and neatness at the airports. This study finds that customers have the highest expectations on tangibility issues followed by assurance. Proper handling and notification had the lowest weight. In the quality gaps section, the findings are that customers are satisfied with all the modernization done in airports; they also were satisfied with the promptness of employees and their service delivery. This study, therefore, concludes that airlines should work hard to create a positive impression since customers value greatly tangibility factors at the airport and in flights.

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations

5-1 Conclusion and Recommendations

Based on the above conclusion, this study makes the following recommendations. The research recommends that customer satisfaction is extended with the weak areas being polished while the areas of strength maximized. The study recommends that airlines support their employees to be courteous and friendly to customers. Also, airline should strive to maintain industry standards and comply with all the industry requirements.

5-2 Study limitations

This study faced some hitches since not all of the respondents agreed to be interviewed, also there is a possibility of biases in sample selection since people with disability were not included and the sample might not be representative enough hence biases.

Moreover, Some effects exist outside the range of the airline may affect the quality service such as flight delay due to weather, security measures or airport technical problems

5-3 Future Research

Further research should be initiated in the future to contribute to these findings. Future research should specifically address the challenges encountered so that a more comprehensive feedback availed for application by Saudi Arabian Airlines, and There are some areas and trends in the airline Research can be carried out to improve the level of services provided

· Company website and booking

· Optimal solutions in case of delay or cancellation of flights

· Market research to identify customers' favorite destinations or to open new destinations

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Appendix 1.

Questionnaire

Hello Dear

Kindly to answer the survey questions to seeks your opinion concerning the quality of service offered by Saudi Arabian Airlines and how it influences your evaluation of customer satisfaction. There is no right or wrong answers. Kindly provide answers to the sets of questions by marking or ticking against the most suitable alternative or giving narrative responses in the provided spaces.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF THE RESPONDENT

Section 1.Demographics

Gender: Male Female

Age
15-19		50-54
20-24		55-59
25-29		60-64
30-34		65-69
35-39		70-74
40-44		75-79
45-49		80 and above

Occupational position

Non managerial Managerial Self-employed Professional Retired Other ………………….

Level of education

Primary school and below secondary school Bachelors and above Diploma

Nationality: Saudi Non Saudi

Marital status: Married single other

Section 2

1. Which customer category are you:

Walk-in Customer

Regulated Agent

Known Shipper

Courier Company

2. Number of times you travelled in the last one year

Once

Twice

3 to 5 times

5 to 10 times

More than 10 times

3. Reason for choosing the above flight

Convenience

Urgency

Costs

Other

Section 3

Please tell us how important each of the following is in making your decision to choose to travel using Saudi Arabian Airlines

(5) Very Important (4) Important (3) Somewhat Important (2) Neutral (1) Not Important at all

	1	2	3	4	5
They should have modern equipment
Their physical facilities should be visually appealing
Their employees should be well dressed and appear neat
The appearance of these facilities consistent with industry standards in cargo operations
Services should be provided at the promised time
Adequate reassurance is given when problems arise
Dependability in handling customers' service problems
Services are provided right the first time
Adequate information is provided concerning when services will be performed
Employees are prompt in their service delivery
Employees are willing to help
Employee readiness to respond to customers' requests
Any challenges are swiftly resolved
Employees are trustworthy
I feel confident transacting with the company
Employees are consistently courteous
Employees have the knowledge and support to answer customer questions / to do their jobs well
The airline provides personal attention
Employees deal with customers in a caring fashion
Employees understand customer needs
Employees have the best interest of the customer in mind
The hours of operation are convenient

	1	2	3	4	5
Airline signage at the airport are visible and the service counters
Cane be located easily
The waiting areas are well lot and clean
Staff wear name tags and uniforms making them easily identifiable
Enough security at the airport
Takeoffs occur on time as communicated
delays and changes in operations are communicated in advance
proper handling and notification is done upon damage to
Consignment
Specialized handling of information
Efficient cargo tracking system
Quick services at queues and availability of sufficient counters
Clear communication of terms of services
Promptness in attending to customer needs
Quick communication and resolution of challenges
Reliable and trustworthy staff
goods always arrive in excellent condition
Friendly staff
The staff know quite well the processes and systems of the airline
Staff offer individualized attention
Specialized attention for cargo and goods

· Any other remarks

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THANK YOU.

Appendix2.List of Companies included in the research

Number	Company	Commenced operations
1	SAUDIA	1945
2	SKY TEAM	2000

Company Profitability

Service Quality

Customer Satisfaction

Consumer Loyalty

Consumer Need Creation

III