Assessment of Service Quality Perception Gap between Service Seekers and Service Providers of Land Services in Rwanda

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the determinants of customer satisfaction from the perspective of service seekers and service providers using SERVQUAL. Methodology: the study employed both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The survey method was used to collect primary quantitative data. Probability sampling was employed to select both service seekers and service providers. 422 service seekers were randomly selected from a list of 53,158 people. 45 service providers were also randomly selected from 416 land officers. A data collection tool was developed for service seekers and customized for service providers. The validity of the research tool was tested and the results showed a P-value of 0.00. Cronbach’s Alpha calculation was employed to test reliability and resulted in an output of 0.932 > 0.7 which shows excellent reliability. Key informant interviews were also conducted with purposively selected respondents to collect their opinions on service quality to complement the quantitative data. Findings: From the perspective of service seekers, the findings showed that the five service quality dimensions are positive and significant predictors of satisfaction. The data from the service providers show that only empathy is a positive and significant predictor of satisfaction whereas, the other four dimensions are positive but less significant predictors of satisfaction. The study results revealed a discrepancy between service seekers and service providers in the dimensions that predict the satisfaction of customers with land services more than others. Contribution to Theory, Policy, and Practice: Understanding the perception gap allows service providers to adjust their approaches to service delivery design to be more customer-focused. The study also informs policymakers where to focus efforts to enhance the quality of services. The unique aspect that this research puts forward is the comparison of the data from both service seekers and service providers to show similarities or differences in their understanding of which dimensions predict the satisfaction of customers more than others. The study recommends continuous collection of feedback from service seekers to help bridge the perception gap in what predicts satisfaction of service seekers.