AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN THE CASE OF UNITED BANK S.C.

Abstract

Background: In the last few decades, information technology has changed the banking industry. It provided a way for the bank to offer different products and services to their customers. One of the innovative ideas of information technology among others in the banking sector is automated teller machine (ATM). In order to supports customers and reduces cost in the provision of easy services, this machine play a great significant role. Service quality is the major factor for the satisfaction and attracting of the customers. Service quality and customers satisfaction becomes the focal point of every bank in order to attract as many customers as possible. And also Banks gives more attention because it has influential relation with cost, financial performance, customers’ retention and profitability. Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the level of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) service quality and its effect on customers’ satisfaction of ATM users in United Bank. Method: A structured questioner was used to collect the data from the convenience sample of 200 respondents’ of ATM users at selected five branches of the Bank. Result: The analysis and findings of this study shows respondents give the lowest satisfaction level to the accessibility and responsiveness. So, relative to the other dimensions accessibility and responsiveness are the most unsatisfied features of the ATM services. Concerning to the reliability and assurance, most of the respondents are relatively gave good response. It is also observed that the dimension of ease of use gets the highest satisfaction level of the respondents relative to all other dimensions. The findings of the analysis in the assessment of suggestion to improve the ATM service indicates that most respondents suggested to increase the number of ATM machines and also to select new ATM locations as the first and the second suggested service quality dimensions for improvement . Conclusion: From the findings, it can be concluded that the management of the bank should focus and gives priority to those service quality dimensions, which gets relatively unsatisfied response from the customers. Therefore it is clearly observed that the Bank should improve and gives priority to the accessibility and responsiveness of the ATM Banking services. And the management should give high priority and focuses on the increasing of the ATM machines and selecting new ATM locations to increase the satisfaction and to retain the customers.