Developing customer satisfaction indices using SERVQUAL sampling surveys: A case study of Al-Ain municipality inspectors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop customer satisfaction indices for the services provided by inspectors in certain departments of Al-Ain Municipality, the United Arab Emirates. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on customer satisfaction models with SERVQUAL survey input to produce indices of satisfaction and the drivers and outcomes of satisfaction. The survey data were collected via a stratified random sample of the customers who visited Al-Ain Municipality Customer Service Center (AMCSC) in spring 2008. Structural equation models were fitted to the data and goodness-of-fit was assessed. Findings – The customer satisfaction indices and scores of customers’ trust were in the mid-eighties, indicating high levels of satisfaction and client trust. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of the current study include the small sample size and the use of one indicator of the latent variable trust. Further research may focus more on prioritizing future efforts, improving quality, and performing cross-institutional benchmarking. Practical implications – Opportunities for quality improvements were identified and some recommendations were provided. Originality/value – Although the results lead to the conclusion that high levels of satisfaction and client trust were attained, there is a room for improvement. The AMCSC has to continuously improve the quality of its services in order to realize its mission.