The effect of service quality and customer satisfaction towards customer consumption on water service providers in Oman

Abstract

Oman's water service sector faces a number of challenges, including water shortages, energy-intensive desalination, high residential water consumption, inappropriate groundwater use in agriculture, misdirected subsidies, and decision makers' lack of knowledge of integrated water resource management principles. Furthermore, due to a scarcity of natural water resources, desalinated sea water is the principal supply of tap water in Oman. However, there are indications that many customers do not trust the government's drinking water and would rather buy filled bottles from commercial water providers. Bottled water use in Oman has increased in recent years, owing to growing consumer knowledge of wellness and healthcare, as well as a lack of trust in tap water. The diminishing customer The contentment of Omani citizens with the water service industry has resulted in an increased market share for bottled water. Customer happiness is an important aspect in determining a company's success or failure, as well as its overall performance at various levels. In the past, most research on customer satisfaction and consumption concentrated on a number of businesses, including telecommunications, hospitality/tourism, healthcare/hospitals, and financial services, among others, but the water service industry received less attention. Furthermore, the importance of service guarantee in the water service industry remains restricted, particularly in Oman. Previous talks and perspectives show that proper consumption models for various locations and situations are required to better understand and improve client consumption. As a result, the current study provides a paradigm for service quality research and adds to the understanding of the complicated links between service quality, service guarantee, customer satisfaction, and customer consumption towards water service providers in Oman. Data for the present study is collected through questionnaire survey from 400 residents residing in Oman, and data is analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings of this study will contribute to the understanding of the influence of service quality and service guarantee on customer satisfaction and consumption to water service providers in Oman, hence, extending the current consumption model by adding service guarantee as a predictor of customer satisfaction and consumption provides additional knowledge to the literature and theory