Online Service Quality and its Influence on Customer Satisfaction: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

As e-commerce brands are embracing the rapid change in technology, the importance of e-service quality is increasing. The purpose of this research study is to describe the relationship between e-service quality and customer satisfaction. The research was conducted by using a structured online survey, which made use of the E-S-QUAL model. The findings were compared to the developers of the model (Parasuraman et al ., 2005) as well as a study conducted by Santouridis et al (2014). The sample size was 22 respondents between the ages of 25 and 35 years old and who have previously purchased from the South African online retailer Takealot.com. The analysis of the data collected confirmed that overall e-service quality – as presented in the E-S-QUAL model – does influence customer satisfaction. The dimensions of efficiency, system availability, and fulfilment showed a positive and significant relationship with customer satisfaction. The dimension of privacy did not show a significant and positive relationship with customer satisfaction. The results reinforces the importance of e-service quality with regards to creating customer satisfaction for e-commerce brands.