Quality or reception services offered by security personnel to organisations in the Johannesburg area

Abstract

Quality is critical to private security personnel employed as receptionists in many organisations, as it plays a vital role in improving organisational productivity. The main objective of the research was to investigate the quality of reception services provided by security personnel to organisations in the Johannesburg area as benchmarked against the appropriate service quality evaluation methodologies when modelling the impact of service quality on satisfaction and loyalty. A questionnaire was used and semi-structured interviews were conducted in a focus group with key informants (business owners, managers and ordinary people) who could provide valuable information for use in the study. The focus group consisted of eight respondents. The sample consisted of 200 participants scattered in seven regions on sites that are managed by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ). The selection of the 200 participants was random and included JCPZ employees. Primary research shows that the majority of the respondents ranked indicators of service quality below acceptable level; however, customers‘ tastes and preferences constantly change and evolve, as do the number of security companies. Thus such companies should improve conditions in the area of service quality if they want to stay competitive. To remain competitive, the security companies as well as the clients need to analyse customers' expectations and perceptions of the service quality of front office staff, who in this case are often security/guarding personnel. For customer organisations, the empirical findings can be used to develop a framework of service quality indicators, which can be used for monitoring and benchmarking service quality. For organisations, the findings can be used for resource-allocation decisions pertaining to improved service quality, customer satisfaction and ultimately intentions. The study concludes that the quality perceptions of services rendered by security personnel as receptionists are important for customer satisfaction and that quality dimensions are important for clientele management - arguably one of the most important aspects of service quality management.