The proliferation of banking institutions in the country has resulted in stiff competition in the banking industry hence the need for all such institutions, particularly commercial banks, to ensure maintenance of very high service quality standards. Therefore, this study examined the effect of customer service quality on customer satisfaction in commercial banks in Ghana. It sought to determine the demographic characteristics of customers that influence their level of perception, determine the perception of customers about the quality of service provided by the banks, and to establish the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. The questionnaires developed for this study was based on a SERVQUAL model that identified the influence of five dimensions (i.e. tangibility, responsibility, reliability, assurance and empathy) in banking service environments on customer satisfaction. A descriptive study design was employed and involved 360 randomly selected active customers of selected commercial banks in Ghana. Data were analysed using both the descriptive and inferential statistical tools in the SPSS. It was found that the clients of the banks were generally from the middle class of the society with more than half being males, relatively younger, educated and mainly from the private sector of the economy. Age and education were identified as the demographic characteristics that influenced customers’ level of perception. Overwhelming majority of the respondents were satisfied with the banks’ services. Also, the banks’ service reliability, assurance, empathy, and tangibles were found to be significant determinants of customers’ satisfaction with their service quality. It was recommended that the banks should strive to improve upon its customers’ perception scores in the areas of empathy, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and tangibles.
Customer Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Commercial Banks and Ghana
