Examination of service quality and satisfaction levels of users benefiting from municipality sports facilities (Konya Meram municipality example)

The aim of this study is to measure and evaluate how the services provided by municipal sports facilities are perceived by users in terms of service quality and satisfaction level. The sample of the study consists of a total of 1,344 individuals, including 773 women and 571 men, who are users of Berlika Sports Facility, Rabia Sports Facility, Konevi Sports Facility, and Aşkan Muhammet Yürükuslu Sports Facility, all affiliated with the Konya Meram Municipality. This study aims to ensure that the necessary measures are taken for municipal sports facilities to provide the best possible service to the public and to achieve user satisfaction, and to help local governments reach the highest level in delivering sports services. In addition, it is believed that this study will shed light on future similar research and contribute to the literature. In our study, a personal information form, the Sports Facilities Customer Satisfaction Scale developed by Yıldırım (2017), and the Service Quality Assessment Scale developed by Lam et al (2005) and validated and tested for reliability in Turkey by Gürbüz et al (2005) were used. The study examined the service quality and satisfaction levels of individuals using the sports facilities operated by Meram Municipality through data collected via face-to-face surveys. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 at a 95% confidence interval and a 0.05 significance level. Since the number of observations exceeded 70, the normality of the data distribution was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the assumptions for parametric tests were met. Differences between two groups were analyzed using the Independent Samples T-Test, while differences among three or more groups were examined using One Way ANOVA. In cases where significant differences were found, Tukey HSD was used for post-hoc multiple comparisons. Additionally, the relationship between perceptions of service quality and satisfaction levels was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient.. As a result of our research, no significant difference was found in users' perceptions of service quality based on gender, marital status, education level, purpose of facility use, and duration of facility use. However, significant differences were identified based on age group and frequency of facility use. Additionally, when examining users' satisfaction levels, significant differences were observed based on gender, age group, marital status, education level, purpose of facility use, frequency of facility use, and duration of facility use. Participants' perceptions of various dimensions of the service were evaluated, and the relationship between these perceptions and their satisfaction levels was analyzed. The findings revealed that factors such as staff interaction, physical infrastructure, and program adequacy were key determinants of user satisfaction. Furthermore, a significant and positive relationship was identified between service quality and customer satisfaction. These results are considered to offer valuable guidance for local governments in improving the quality of sports services.