Linkage between frontline employee service competence scale and customer perceptions of service quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an instrument to measure service competencies and explore the relationship between service competencies and service quality. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from 207 frontline employees (FLEs). A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the goodness-of-fit of the FLE service competence scale. Further, the partial least squares technique was used to analyze the data gathered from 252 customers to clarify the relationship between service competencies and perceived service quality. Findings – The results indicate that the instrument demonstrated high reliability, stable dimensionality and predictable relationships with service quality within the nomological network of service competencies. Moreover, the results provide evidence for the position that FLE interpersonal competencies are positively associated with the service quality dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy, and that FLE professional competencies are positively associated with reliability and assurance of service quality. Research limitations/implications – The study has limited generalizability given the convenience sample and the wide variety of service industries. Implications regarding which specific FLE service competencies FLEs should focus on to enhance specific customer perceptions of service quality are also discussed. Originality/value – The present paper contributes specifically to understanding how service competencies of FLEs can influence consumers’ perceived service quality, and developing an instrument to measure service competencies.