Title: Analysis of e-service of electricity utility provider: an Indian perspective

Authors: S. Satapathy; S.S. Mahapatra; S.K. Patel; P.D. Mishra

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Gunpur, Raygada, 765022, Odisha, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769008, India ' Central Electricity Supply Corporation Limited, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 755001, India

Abstract: Customers always expect delivery of high quality services from a service provider at a reasonable cost. In turn, organisations recognise service quality as one of the major competing weapon for their own sustainability in a stiff competitive environment. Service quality represents the gap between customers' expectations of how an organisation should perform and the service performance that customers perceive. With the rapid development of information and communication technology, internet and World Wide Web have become an important tool not only to extend services but also directly communicate with customers. Therefore, almost all the service as well as product industries are switching over delivering services from traditional to informative modernised web service for enhancing customer satisfaction. As the customers of the electricity utility industries demand some of the services like bill payment and complaint registration, etc. in quick and prompt manner, the industries are adopting web technology to render such services in an efficient way. This article discusses development of an instrument for evaluating customer satisfaction of e-service. The instrument is tested in an electricity utility service provider and important dimensions have been identified. The instrument is validated through statistical analysis.

Keywords: service quality; electricity industry; utility services; e-services; electronic services; online services; customer satisfaction; website facilities; web services; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2013.053236

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2013 Vol.15 No.1, pp.18 - 31

Published online: 27 Sep 2013 *

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