Evaluating Service Quality at a Music Festival Through Customer Satisfaction : Customer Satisfaction at SaariHelvetti Music Festival
Gaft, Janita (2019)
Gaft, Janita
2019
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019102620258
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019102620258
Tiivistelmä
This research paper will seek to explore the theories and methods of evaluating service quality through customer satisfaction, focusing on the service industry. The commissioner of the research is Nem Agency Oy and the research will focus on their two-day annual heavy metal festival SaariHelvetti 2019, evaluating the customer satisfaction of the music festival visitors. The main purpose to be fulfilled is to recognize a method through which an organization can evaluate the service quality of a music festival through the satisfaction of their customers.
The literary review introduces theories about customer satisfaction, service quality, customer expectations, value creation and event management. The framework for the research was chosen to be SERVQUAL by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988), where service quality is divided into five dimensions as following; tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The model has not been previously tested out in the music festival service sector and has been modified into a new model to fit the objectives of the previous researches done on the subject.
The research was conducted using the qualitative research approach. The research method chosen was personal face to face interviews at the festival. 20 respondents took part in the interviews during both days of the festival. This research data was analysed by transcribing down the discussions and using the coding procedure to find patterns within the answers, such as similar themes. The results stated that the participants of SaariHelvetti 2019 were overall satisfied and that the festival quality was as expected by the majority of the respondents taking part in the research interviews. The most important festival factors were the performers, safety, sound quality and the festival area. The least important festival factor was additional program. The factors to cause the most dissatisfaction were the food stalls, as well as the VIP area. Based on the results, recommendations were focused on improving these dissatisfaction areas of service quality as well as future annual research on the customer satisfaction of the visitors.
The literary review introduces theories about customer satisfaction, service quality, customer expectations, value creation and event management. The framework for the research was chosen to be SERVQUAL by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988), where service quality is divided into five dimensions as following; tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The model has not been previously tested out in the music festival service sector and has been modified into a new model to fit the objectives of the previous researches done on the subject.
The research was conducted using the qualitative research approach. The research method chosen was personal face to face interviews at the festival. 20 respondents took part in the interviews during both days of the festival. This research data was analysed by transcribing down the discussions and using the coding procedure to find patterns within the answers, such as similar themes. The results stated that the participants of SaariHelvetti 2019 were overall satisfied and that the festival quality was as expected by the majority of the respondents taking part in the research interviews. The most important festival factors were the performers, safety, sound quality and the festival area. The least important festival factor was additional program. The factors to cause the most dissatisfaction were the food stalls, as well as the VIP area. Based on the results, recommendations were focused on improving these dissatisfaction areas of service quality as well as future annual research on the customer satisfaction of the visitors.