Determinants Of Customer-Perceived Service Quality In Senior-Care Industry And Their Relationship To Customer Satisfaction And Behavioral Intentions: Research Findings From Taiwan

Abstract

The senior-care market has been on the rise in Taiwan, especially in rural areas. Soaring competition among senior-care operators has led to escalating consumer demands on performances, driving the industry to become more customer-oriented. The authors examined the relationship between service quality of senior care and customer satisfaction in rural Taiwan based on Parasuraman, Zeithmal and Berry’s SERVQUAL ten dimensions (i.e., access, communication, competence, courtesy, credibility, reliability, responsiveness, security, tangibles and understanding the customer) and Lee’s food service. Multiple regression was conducted to test the relationships. The statistical results showed that access, courtesy and food service are significantly and positively related to customer satisfaction. This finding, among others, suggests that senior-care operators in rural Taiwan might have overlooked the above mentioned three dimensions as factors leading to customer satisfaction and, ultimately, to a sustainable competitive edge.