A study of customer satisfaction in the context of a public private partnership

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an original satisfaction survey in the context of a new public private partnership (PPP) in the Lebanese postal sector, highlighting traditionally overlooked linkages between PPPs, quality management and customer satisfaction. The ascendancy of PPPs in recent years has been attributed to key drivers including greater value for money, and enhanced service quality. However, very few studies to date have investigated the success of service performance improvement in the PPP context, by gauging customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a literature review and customer satisfaction survey. Findings – The findings in this paper suggest a good level of satisfaction with the quality of services received through the PPP in question but mixed results concerning the impact of consumer characteristics on satisfaction ratings. Originality/value – In the paper the relationship between customer satisfaction and quality is reviewed. Customer satisfaction is measured in the PPP context and a neglected dimension in customer satisfaction measurement addressed namely, whether ratings of satisfaction vary systematically on the basis of customer characteristics.