Service Quality from the Service User's Perspective: A Qualitative Study on Service Quality at the Bandung Center for Textiles

Abstract

Service quality is a key determinant of organizational success, particularly in public institutions that provide technical services. This study aims to describe the service quality at the Bandung Center for Textiles from the perspective of service users and to identify the factors that shape their perceptions. Prior studies on service quality have predominantly relied on quantitative satisfaction indices, which have not fully captured users' lived experiences, expectations, and complaints, revealing a gap that this study addresses. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, involving five purposively selected informants: the head of the institution, a service officer, and three service users. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, then analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña interactive model. The findings show that service quality at the Bandung Center for Textiles is generally rated favorably across the five service quality dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, with facilities and staff competence viewed positively. However, information clarity, certainty of completion time, and proactive communication remain areas requiring improvement. The novelty of this study lies in positioning service users as the primary source for evaluating a technical public service through direct qualitative inquiry rather than aggregate satisfaction scores.