Are all customers really the same? Comparing service quality and satisfaction between residential and business telecommunications customers

Abstract

Orientation: The study focused on the moderating role of the type of customer on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction.

Research purpose: The study sought to examine differences in the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction because of the type of customer.

Motivation for the study: Previous studies have not examined the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction between residential and business customers.

Research design, approach and method: The study used a cross-section of 203 customers (108 residential and 95 business) in the fixed-line telecommunications sector in Zimbabwe. Moderated regression analysis was performed to test the research hypotheses.

Main findings: It was established that the customer category (residential versus business) does not moderate the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction. Practical/managerial implications are, generally, that it is not necessary to segment customers by customer category (residential versus business) when managing service quality to achieve customer satisfaction.

Contribution/value add: The main theoretical contribution of the study is the comparison of the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction between residential and business customers.