Service quality and satisfaction in the banking sector

Purpose – The aims of this paper are to examine the antecedent and mediation effects of core, relational and tangible service quality on rapport and customers' overall satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – A survey has been conducted on 212 bank customers to validate the conceptual model. Structural equation modeling is used by AMOS for data analysis. Findings – Results show that relational service qualities have significant antecedent and mediation impact on the rapport-satisfaction relationship. Core quality has only antecedent influence on rapport, whereas none of the relationships is found significant in the case of tangible service quality. Research limitations/implications – The study has been conducted on one single country and focused on one type of services – banking services. Therefore, future research endeavors may consider different countries as well as a variety of services. Practical implications – Providing individual attention to each customer and understanding their specific need are the most important steps required from service employees for building successful rapport with customers. Keeping promises and offering flawless services are also more significant for customers than the tangible features of a bank. Management should consider these issues to develop effective rapport because it has a direct and strong effect on customers' overall satisfaction. Originality/value – The paper reveals the importance of relational service quality for developing customer rapport and satisfaction. It also identifies the antecedent role of core service quality for rapport.