EXPLORING THE SERVICE GAP OF MOBILE FINANCIAL SERVICES IN BANGLADESH

Mobile financial services (MFS) have proven to be a revolutionary instrument in promoting financial inclusion, specifically in developing nations such as Bangladesh. Despite significant advancements in the implementation and acceptance of mobile financial services, a noticeable disparity persists between the quality of service provided and customers' expectations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the service gap pertaining to mobile financial services in Bangladesh. Once the service gap is understood, the areas in which consumers' expectations are not being met can be more easily pinpointed. By analyzing this gap, service organizations can make the necessary changes to enhance the customer experience, leading to improved customer satisfaction. The study is quantitative, and it takes a deductive, positivist approach. A structured questionnaire gathered information from 550 participants. This study employed a non-probability sampling technique, selecting participants based on their proximity and accessibility to the researcher. We used SPSS version 25 and MS Excel 2013 to analyze the data. The research revealed service gaps for all dimensions of the SERVQUAL model. The service gaps were largest in the areas of service recovery and customization and smallest in the areas of user interface and security, according to the findings. The service providers can compare the quality of their mobile financial service to that of competitors and industry norms by measuring the service gap. They can also differentiate themselves from the competition, expand their customer base, and improve their bottom line by identifying and fixing service gaps. Thus, service providers need to work on service quality dimensions to reduce service gaps and boost customer satisfaction.