The effects of public relations activities on service quality and customer satisfaction in the service sector

Present study aimed to examine the effects of public relations activities on customer satisfaction and service quality according to some variables in service sector. 434 customers shopping in Ergün Construction Materials Company in Araklı District of Trabzon province participated in the study. In the data collection process of the study, Public Relations Scale, Service Quality Expectation Scale, Service Quality Scale and Customer Satisfaction Scale were practiced. In SPSS 22.0 program, Frequency analysis, correlation analysis, Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test were utilized for the analysis of the data obtained in the study. As a result of the study, perceptions of customers on public relations showed significant difference according to the variables of marital status and educational status, participants' perceptions of service quality expectation showed significant difference according to group of age, occupation type and educational status, and participants' satisfaction levels showed significant difference according to the variables of gender, income level (p<0.05). When the correlation between variables levels were analyzed, it was seen seen that there was a statistically positive significant correlation between public relations perceptions and customer satisfaction; between public relations perception, service quality expectation and service quality perception; between service quality expectation and service quality perception and customer satisfaction as well as between customers' perceived service quality expectation and service quality perception (p<0.05). In conclusion, it can be concluded that demographic variables have an important effect on public relations, service quality expectation, service quality perception and satisfaction levels of customers who shop from construction material companies, besides there is a significant relationship between public perception, service quality perception and customer satisfaction. Key words: public relations, service quality, service industry, customer satisfaction