THE EFFECT OF SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THE CASE OF PUBLIC HEALTH CENTRES IN KONSO ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction on public health centres in Konso Zone.The study used descriptive type of research design. Mixed sampling technique was used in the study to take a sample from the health centers and patient respondents. Since the total population under the study were unknown in the selected health centers, the study used 384 sample size. Data was collected by administrating a well-structured questionnaires based on the SERVQUAL model in order to examine all five factors of service quality in the model and additional waiting time. Out of 384 respondents, 364 respondents returned the questionnaires and this represented 94.79% rate of response. Data analysis tools such as mean, standard deviation, frequency and percentage were used. The analysis result shows reliability followed by assurance, tangibility, waiting time, responsiveness and empathy has a lower mean value with 2.46, 2.49, 2.50, 2.52, 2.54 and 2.59 respectively. The overall mean of respondents for each quality dimensions fall in the scale 1.81 - 2.60 which indicates that customers of the selected public health centres in konso zone were dissatisfied in all dimensions of service quality. Finally researcher recommended that since reliability, assurance, tangibility, waiting time, responsiveness and empathy dimensions has a lower mean value; health centers shall improve the above areas to increase customer satisfaction.