Enjoying loyalty: The relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in public transit
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2016
Subject Area
place - north america, planning - surveys, planning - service quality, ridership - perceptions, ridership - modelling, ridership - behaviour
Keywords
Satisfaction, Loyalty, Structural equation modeling, Public transit, Service attributes
Abstract
The relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty has recently received international attention as transit agencies aim to identify ways to increase ridership. Improvements in perceived service quality increase the attractiveness of transit, and therefore lead to growing patronage. The present paper examines how transit users' perceptions of service quality and user satisfaction influence loyalty. Using information from five years of customer satisfaction questionnaires collected by two Canadian transit providers, this study attempts to better understand the complexities of several factors influencing passenger satisfaction and behavioral intentions. It uses a Structural Equation Modeling approach to develop a series of models that reflects the different groups using transit; captive riders (users who are dependent on transit), choice riders (car owners who choose to take transit), and captive-by-choice riders (users who are dependent on transit but could own a car) are accounted for. The findings from this study are used to define areas where transit agencies can develop specific strategies in order to benchmark user satisfaction with the aim of growing patronage among the different groups. Insight into the perceptions of passengers provides useful information that can help transit agencies understand what inspires customers' perceptions of satisfaction and loyalty in general.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
van Lierop, D., & El-Geneidy, A. (2016). Enjoying loyalty: The relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in public transit. Research in Transportation Economics, Available online 4 May 2016. In Press, Corrected Proof — Note to users.
Comments
Research in Transportation Economics Home Page:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/07398859