DOI: 10.4018/IJACI.2018040105
International Journal of Ambient Computing and Intelligence
Volume 9 • Issue 2 • April-June 2018
Copyright © 2018, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
55
Evaluation of Quality of the
e-Commerce Service
Manuela Ingaldi, Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland
Robert Ulewicz, Faculty of Management, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland
ABSTRACT
E-commerce market continues to grow. It is so popular because more and more people are connected to
the Internet. Nevertheless, not all online e-shops can be so proud of its conversion rates. The customers’
satisfaction with the services of different types of e-shops are affected by many different factors. The
authors can say that a satisfied customer is the one who maintains a good reputation of the sellers’
despite of the disadvantages which he had to face, such as damage of product during its transport,
the need to make a warranty repair. To evaluate the customers’ satisfaction in the chosen e-shop, the
authors decided to use two methods which according to them can be complementary in this case,
these methods are following: the Servqual method and the Importance/Performance analysis (IPA).
Then, advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce were described. Next, the research methods were
characterized. Later, the survey and its results were shown. The research had the form of an online
questionnaire. It was addressed to customers of the chosen e-shop. The Servqual method was used to
evaluate the quality level of offered services in general and analyze the Servqual index (perceptions
of the real services minus customers’ expectations). The Importance/Performance analysis was used
to indicate which areas of the service really need the intervention of the research e-shop.
KEywoRdS
Customer’s Preferences, Customer’s Satisfaction, E-commerce, IPA, Quality, Service, Servqual
INTRodUCTIoN
People every day have to deal with different types of services. They do not often realize how big
and varied the sector of this economy is, and how fast it develops. There are many definitions of the
service among which the one of Daszkowska can be mentioned. According to this author the service
is a useful product, which had immaterial form, which is produced by human labor (like material
product) in the production process, by affecting the structure of a specific resources (human or material
object) in order to satisfy human needs (Daszkowska, 1998).
It should be mentioned that the service quality and its analysis is more complicated and time-
consuming than in case of products quality. During quality analysis of the material product we have
tangible evidence in form of these product, and its features which can be measure. It is possible to
examine it dimensions, weight, the chemical, physical and mechanical properties etc. When evaluating
the quality level of any service, we should could in mind many things such as: subjective and objective
factors, all requirements asked by a customer, mood of the customer and the references point (Stoma,
2012). On the basis of these elements, special tools and method to evaluate the service, were created.
When evaluating products, we have to check if their features meet the customers’ requirements.
In case of services we don’t have clear evidence to do it because of their immateriality and