Customer Satisfaction on Service Quality of Bus Transport: A Survey of Passengers from Phnom Penh to Poipet in Cambodia

Abstract

This study is designed to evaluate the main factors affecting the bus service quality and customer satisfaction in bus services to travel from Phnom Penh to Poipet which are providing by private companies. It examines and explores the consumer expectation on service quality of bus transport through the SERVQUAL’s 5 dimensions such as tangible, reliability, assurance, empathy, and responsiveness. This research study is intended to collect data from participants to investigate the relationship among five components of service quality and customer satisfaction. The independent variable used throughout this study is overall satisfaction with bus transport service. Independent variables are specific service quality attributes which consist of service given, access, availability, time and environment. From the finding, on interesting finding was that in the question of customer’s reason to use the BTS of private companies in Cambodia, in which “suitable traveling” ranked last among other factor (location convenience, appreciate price, no choice, good service). Also, more than half of the respondents stated they maybe use the BTS again in the future, because there is no choice for them. Therefore, it can be clearly seen that this research was focusing at right point. Despite the fact that half of the respondents rated their satisfaction level of the “poor” level, and nearly half of the respondents rated their satisfaction level in “average” level. Nevertheless, not so many customers preferred to use the BTS because of its service convenience. Service quality is an important consideration in a successful service business. By the time, this research was conducted, the highly competitive market conditions in Cambodia’s bus transport service industry had forced service operators to deliver high-quality service to customers. In order to provide that, the service operators should first focus on understanding customers’ needs and their expectations before implementing the suitable service strategy to meet the customers’ needs.