Measuring customer service: A case study of Dubai International Airport

Abstract

This paper presents a model to assess the customer service of an airport and suggests opportunities for service improvement. The model is validated through a case study of Dubai International Airport. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit relevant information. The assessment model was developed drawing on a thorough review of the literature. The model combines the features of three models, including the boomerang model, inter-cultural model and pleasure model, and satisfies five criteria, namely, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, cultural diversity, highly mobile population and competition with other airports in the Middle East. The model was developed for assessing customer service at airports in the United Arab Emirates, but could easily be adapted for airports elsewhere.