Female students’ perception of service quality in a gender-segregated college environment

We investigated female students’ perception of service quality in the context of a gender-segregated college of business at a public university in Saudi Arabia. Participants (N = 164) completed the SERVQUAL to rate the service quality dimensions of assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibility. We found that students perceived the faculty members as being unable to give caring and individualized attention (empathy), convey trust and confidence (assurance), or perform services dependably and accurately (reliability). Possible explanations for these deficiencies and some suggestions for enhancing service quality are provided, along with implications for practice.