Investigating the relationship between service quality dimensions, customer satisfaction and loyalty in Turkish banking sector: An application of structural equation model

Using the attitudes of students toward ideal banking services, the purpose of this paper is to examine the structure of banking-related SERVQUAL service dimensions with first-order and second-order confirmatory factors analysis. Following this, a study model was suggested to describe the relationship between the perceptions of students regarding the services provided by their banks and their overall level of satisfaction with the bank.

The sample group for the study comprised students from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. The sample included 441 students, and was designed according to a stratified and proportional distribution. The first-order and second order confirmatory factor model used to confirm the structure of the SERVQUAL service dimensions presented in the study was found to be suitable and compatible. The relationship of the SERVQUAL service dimensions based on the actual perception of banking services by the students with the students’ satisfaction and loyalty to their banks was investigated using a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.

Based on the study results, it was concluded that the confidence inspired by the banks, the reliability of their services, and the physical appearance and accessibility of the bank all have an effect in increasing customer satisfaction.

Conducting this study using university students, who represent a specific group, will help in determining whether the quality of banking services provided to students is, in itself, sufficient to make them prefer these banks. Furthermore, the study will also shed light on various other aspects, such as the banks’ efforts at reviewing and developing the services they provide to students.