Evaluating Customer Satisfaction And Service Quality In Select Telecom Enterprises Using SERVQUAL Model

Abstract

The telecommunications industry has been the key enabler in improving connectivity, digital access, and socio-economic growth of India in its fast-developing digital environment. The research paper gives a detailed comparative report of customer satisfaction and service quality of the top three telecommunication service providers in India, namely Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (VI), and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The study uses the SERVQUAL theory to determine service quality under the five variables, namely: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The research is carried out in three individual areas of Telangana, namely Karimnagar, Warangal, and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, covering both urban and rural surroundings to attract the various visions of the consumers. Four hundred and fifty respondents were involved in the research, and the data were collected using a structured questionnaire as the main research instrument. The quantitative analysis was done based on the Chi-Square tests, which were used to check the relationship between customer category and demographic variables, as well as paired sample t-tests, which were used to compare customer expectations and perceptions. It can be seen that the results demonstrate that there is a significant variation in satisfaction levels between service providers and geographic locations. Although the performances of any of the individual players, such as Airtel and Vodafone Idea, are seen on an uphill trend in the urban contexts, BSNL seems to have a bit of favorable position in some of the rural markets by virtue of their prices and past existence. The study shows that there exist serious service gaps in 21 out of 22 service quality parameters, with infrastructure facilities only that satisfy customers infrastructurally. The results will give operational recommendations that need to be improved and measures that can be taken to ensure enhanced customer satisfaction that is relatable in telecoms operations in the public sector, especially where most operators are at risk of becoming non-competitive in the technological world.