Consumer perceptions of service quality at Licensing Service Centers within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality

Abstract

Public sector organisations are facing challenges in the delivery of quality service to public consumers. Poor service delivery at licensing service centres is a daily topic discussed by the public and media. The aim of this research study was to determine how consumers perceive the service quality at the Licensing Service Centres within the City of Tshwane municipality. The study focused on three Licensing Service Centres in Tshwane, namely, Waltloo, Akasia and Centurion, as they offer licensing services to public consumers. The study followed a quantitative approach to achieve the research objectives. A non-probability convenience sampling method was adopted to collect the primary data. A total of 350 respondents who visited the Licensing Service Centres to acquire the service were asked to participate in this study. The respondents were required to rate the level of service at the Licensing Service Centres. The SERVPERF instrument was utilised to measure service quality at the Licensing Service Centres. The study used a structured questionnaire to collect the data from the respondents The descriptive data analysis method was used to analyse the primary data with the aid of the statistical software package, SPSS. The reliability of the measurement scales was assessed using Cronbach's alpha values. The findings revealed that all service quality dimensions were rated average, meaning the consumers are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the level of service offered at the Licensing Service Centres. The study made recommendations for the continuous improvement of the service at the Licensing Service Centres.