Customer Satisfaction with Ethio-Djibouti Railway Transportation Services: An Analysis Using the KANO Model

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the railway service quality and consumer satisfaction in Ethio-Djibouti railway (EDR), a new public transportation started in 2018. The study employed surveys, KANO model, and ordinal multiple regression to assess customer satisfaction. It is found that new EDR services are effective in five out of ten service quality categories or attributes, such as reliability, climate control, travel time, information provision, and cleanliness. The EDR line is experiencing improved satisfaction levels, operating better than bus and truck services, but with declining levels from 2021-2022. Recent customers and passengers have higher satisfaction levels than older and freight service users. Half of the analyzed attributes, mainly payment-convenience and staff/hostel service, have insignificant impacts on customer satisfaction, while high levels of insignificance are found in payment-convenience and staff/hostel service. KANO model categorizes Staff/Hostess service and Cleanliness as BASIC features, while information provision is categorized as a performance feature. Reliability, Service-frequency & fare-levels are considered exciting features. However, customers are indifferent to payment-convenience, security, climate-control, and travel-time features. The study concludes that the chosen model, which emphasizes the significance of seeing a service as bundle of qualities rather than individual features, is correct. Since the KANO model helps to better understand customers’ expectations and impact on satisfaction, these insights can inform EDR system and policy-makers to set market-driven priorities. To enhance customers’ satisfaction, trust & values need to get adequate arrangements, technological-innovation and calibrate service performance monitoring instruments mainly on BASIC, exciting and performance features.