Development of a customer satisfaction index model: An application to the Turkish mobile phone sector

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to develop and test a new customer satisfaction index model for Turkish mobile phone sector (TMPS). Design/methodology/approach - Based on relevant literature and theoretical considerations on customer satisfaction, a new measurement model was developed. A survey based on the proposed model was conducted to 700 mobile phone users in Istanbul. Partial least squares method was employed to estimate the proposed structural equation model (SEM). Findings - The general applicability of a SEM depends on the reliability and validity of the modeling results. The proposed satisfaction model exhibits strong explanatory power with its satisfactory reliability and validity results. Research limitations/implications - The proposed model was tested for the TMPS. It should ideally be tested periodically for different sectors with more data, and the index results should be compared. Practical implications - The results of this study provide very important information for the managers in formulating competitive marketing strategies. The results show the critical points where the limited resources of the firms should be allocated to improve satisfaction and loyalty. Independent and uniform measurement characteristics of the studied model provide a useful tool for tracking performance and systematic benchmarking over time. It also provides information about the weaknesses and strengths of the company from the eyes of its customers. Originality/value - This study is an attempt to develop and implement a satisfaction model for the TMPS. The proposed model consists of well-established theories and approaches in customer behavior.