Title: Service quality improvement strategies for liner-carrier-based global logistics companies

Authors: Yi-Chih Yang; Chi-Yu Sung

Addresses: Department of Shipping and Transportation Management, National Kaohsiung Marine University, No. 142, Haijhuan Road, Nanzih District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan ' Evergreen Marine Corporation, No. 166 Sections 2 Minsheng East Road, Taipei City, Taiwan

Abstract: This paper seeks to investigate maritime cargo logistics using customer-oriented service quality analysis, determine service quality improvement strategies for liner-carrier-based global logistics companies, and establish the priority of service improvements based on weights calculated by combining fuzzy set theory with quality function deployment. This paper also seeks to relay customers' voices to these companies in order to help them achieve a maximal improvement effect. The findings of this study were as follows: 1) customers pay close attention to the accuracy and efficiency of responses to their inquiries from the companies' sales staff, especially when new customers make first-time inquiries; 2) companies should stress the education and training of their personnel in order to improve their competitive advantage and sustainability; 3) sales departments play a very important role in the improvement of customer service quality at liner-carrier-based global logistics companies.

Keywords: maritime logistics; service quality; quality function deployment; QFD; fuzzy set theory; quality improvement; global logistics; fuzzy logic; cargo logistics; sales staff responses; response efficiency; response accuracy; education; training; sales departments; customer service; cargo transport; shipping industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2016.077311

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2016 Vol.8 No.4, pp.456 - 487

Accepted: 26 Jun 2015
Published online: 28 Jun 2016 *

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