The Effect of Public Hospitals Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Case of Gurage Zone

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the influence of public service delivery quality on customer satisfaction. It investigates the linkage between various dimensions of service quality and the level of satisfaction among clients in public hospitals within the Gurage Zone, Ethiopia. Service quality is the customer's perception of how well a service meets their expectations, and it is a key driver of customer satisfaction. The study focuses on five major dimensions—reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibility—to determine how each contributes to customer satisfaction. Data was gathered from patients through structured questionnaires distributed to randomly chosen participants using a systematic sampling technique. And from the respondents’ demographic results shows that 64% of respondents were male and 36% were female. The largest age group of respondents (46%) fell between 36 and 45 years, while the smallest group (46–55 years) represented a minor portion, suggesting that the majority of hospital customers are relatively young adults. Regarding educational background, most respondents had completed secondary education (33.6%), whereas only 8.8% held a university degree. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods such as frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, regression analysis, as well as tests for multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity, and linearity and the descriptive statistics showed that 50.4% of respondents were satisfied and 14.8% were highly satisfied with hospital services. Meanwhile, 18.8% were dissatisfied, 4% were highly dissatisfied, and 12% remained neutral. The mean satisfaction score of 3.392 indicates general satisfaction among hospital customers. However, these results highlight the need for hospitals to further enhance service quality to fully meet patient expectations. The results of the study enhance understanding of the determinants of customer satisfaction concerning service quality and provide practical insights for improving healthcare service delivery in Gurage Zone public hospitals.