The impact of perceived service quality in customs services on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty: an analysis with structural equation modeling

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationships between the perceived quality of services received by foreign trade companies from customs brokerage firms and customer satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, the research re-evaluated the dimensional structure of the service quality scale in a sector-specific manner. Design/methodology/approach In this research, which was conducted with data collected through a survey method from 404 participants working in foreign trade companies in Türkiye, the service quality (SERVQUAL) model was used to evaluate service quality, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) method was used to examine the links between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Findings The findings indicate that perceived service quality is positively associated with customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, with customer satisfaction representing a significant mediating pathway. Furthermore, the analysis results yielded a three-component representation consisting of Reliability, Interaction Quality, and Tangibles. Research limitations/implications During the adaptation process of the SERVQUAL scale, some items were found to not provide sufficient decomposition within the factor structure and were therefore removed from the analysis. This limits the extent to which conclusions can be drawn regarding the dimensional structure of SERVQUAL and highlights the need for further validation in customs brokerage settings. Originality/value This study extends service quality research to the under-examined customs brokerage context and provides empirical evidence on the relationships among perceived service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty while also illustrating context-specific patterns in the representation of service quality in a regulation-intensive, information-system-mediated setting.