PortEconomics member Theo Notteboom and Ahmed Alsalfiti (University of Antwerp and Antwerp Management School, Belgium) investigated the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction with clearing and forwarding C&F agents using the SERVQUAL model and their portstudy has been published in the Scientific Journal of Maritime Research.
C&F agents play a crucial role in facilitating the clearance and delivery of goods for businesses, and their service quality is heavily dependent on port operations. The authors’ research employs a quantitative approach, using survey data from 397 customers of C&F agents in Kuwait to examine the relationship between service quality dimensions and customer satisfaction. The portstudy analyses the five SERVQUAL dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Although the correlation analysis shows that all dimensions were statistically significant for customer satisfaction, the regression results reveal that assurance was not significant. Tangibles emerged as the most influential factor, followed by empathy, reliability, and responsiveness. Additionally, this research contributes to the academic literature and practical industry knowledge by addressing the gap in understanding service quality dynamics in Kuwait’s C&F sector.
The findings provide valuable insights for industry professionals seeking to enhance service quality and improve customer satisfaction. This portstudy focused on Shuwaikh Port, but it establishes a foundation for future research across other ports and suggests the adoption of mixed-method approaches for a more comprehensive analysis. The results offer practical recommendations for improving C&F services and maintaining competitiveness in this vital sector.
Access Journal’s webpage and freely download Theo’s and Ahmed’s portstudy here.
