The Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Higher Education Sector

Abstract

Customer satisfaction has been a subject of great interest to organization and researchers alike. In recent years, organizations are obliged to render more service in addition to their offers. The quality of service has become an aspect of customer satisfaction. The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality in higher education sector of Sri Lanka, with respect to the service quality dimensions. Convenience sampling technique was used to collect quantitative data from customers of University of Kelaniya, University of Colombo, ICBT campus and HND to get their satisfaction level and meaning of service quality which were substituted in the SERVQUAL model. Chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis separately and in a group. The study showed distinctive result for the relationship between service quality dimension and customers satisfaction in higher education sector. All service quality dimensions (Tangible, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy) had significant relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in higher education sector.