An analysis of logistics service quality and performance

The objectives of this paper are to 1) explore the levels of satisfaction of shippers on service quality of international freight forwarders based on SERVQUAL model with an additional cost dimension, and 2) investigate the relationship between shipper perception on service quality of international freight forwarders and the shippers’ company performance. 237 valid questionnaires were collected from managers of exporting companies in the furniture business. Descriptive statistics, t-test, importance-performance analysis, and multiple regressions were applied to analyze data. It was found that service cost had highest mean scores in both perception and expectation, while tangible had lowest mean values in both perception and expectation. There were significant differences between perceptions and expectations on every service quality dimension. Most dissatisfied service dimensions were service cost, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurance, and tangible, respectively. Responsiveness had significant positive impact on shipper performance, while tangible had significant negative effect on shipper performance.