This study is aimed to examine the effect of service importance and performance of Waterparks on satisfaction and loyalty, using IPA( importance-performance analysis) technique. In other words, this study is about analyzing the difference between serv...
This study is aimed to examine the effect of service importance and performance of Waterparks on satisfaction and loyalty, using IPA( importance-performance analysis) technique. In other words, this study is about analyzing the difference between service importance and performance, and drawing the items that intensive improvement and investment are needed by applying IPA technique, and then compare and analyze the difference between service importance and performance according to social demographic characteristics, to examine the effect of serivce importance and performance on satisfaction and loyalty.
To accomplish this aim, 800 people from 10 places (80 people from each) located in 5 different districts were selected, using stratified cluster random sampling method. The samples used in final analysis, however, are total 663. Measuring criteria were social demographic characteristics, service importance and performance, satisfaction, and loyalty. To verify the reliability of collected questionnaires, professional discussion and factor analysis were conducted. Service related variables consisted of 6 subordinate factors such as safety of pools, watermen's service, special event programs, surrounding relation, diversity of pools, and attractive aspects of pools. Loyalty's factors consisted of recommendation intension and reuse intension. According to the reliability analysis, Cronbach's α was over .802, as a relatively good level. The statistical techniques used for data-processing consisted of paired sample t-test, IPA analysis, independent sample t-test, F verification, multi linear regression analysis, and path analysis.
According to these study method and process, conclusions were drawn as following.
Firstly, there is a difference between service importance and performance, of Waterparks customers, and most of the service should be intensively improved. Specifically, the aspects that are needed to be improved in service importance are the freshness of water (in the pool), temperature and moisture in the pool, smell control; and in service performance, the improvement needed aspects consisted of installation of heated pool, freshness of water, arrangement of security personnel, and confidence in operation. It showed that customers had not been satisfied fully with the service sections they counted as important. Therefore, Waterparks needs to place an emphasis on improving overall service sectors.
Secondly, there was a difference in service importance and performance according to the social demographic characteristics. That is to say, in the matter of attractive aspects of the pool, it was revealed that professionals/self-employment had not fully enjoyed diversity of the pool, while women had not enjoyed safety of the pool, age bracket over 41, group that could not earn monthly income, and Chungcheong province residents had not achieved special even programs, and age bracket below 30 had not fully enjoyed watermen's service.
Thirdly, the service importance and performance of Waterparks customers turned out to affect satisfaction. In other words, if the performance compared to the watermen's service importance was higher, the satisfaction of facilities was higher, and when the performance compared to the diversity of the pool was higher, special event program, and watermen's service importance, the satisfaction toward the program was higher. In addition, when the performance compared to the watermen's service was higher, the service satisfaction was higher.
Fourthly, the service importance and performance of Waterparks customers affects loyalty. When the performance compared to the attractiveness and watermen's service importance was higher, the intension to revisit was stronger, and performance compared to the pool's diversity and watermen's service importance was higher, recommendation intension for other people was also higher.
Fifthly, satisfaction of Waterparks customers had effect on loyalty. That is, if the facility, program, and service satisfaction were satisfactory, reuse intension and recommendation intension were higher.
Sixthly, service importance and performance of Waterparks customers had direct and indirect effects on loyalty. In other words, the attractiveness of the pool directly affected the loyalty, and watermen's service indirectly affected loyalty through satisfaction. Therefore, satisfaction is a variable that intermediates service satisfaction and performance with loyalty.