How do Muslim consumers perceive service quality?

Purpose – This paper aims to report the development of an Islamic service quality scale that is derived from the literature, verbal protocol method interviews, and survey. Design/methodology/approach – Verbal protocol interviews were conducted with 24 men and 12 women from Indonesia. A pilot testing of the questionnaire was conducted with four Indonesian students. The items were further refined and pilot tested with six Indonesian students. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis (n=200) and confirmatory factor analysis (n=607) were used to examine the factor structure and reliability of the scale. Findings – The results indicate a robust measure of Islamic service quality: general Islamic values, Halal/Haram, attention to Islamic religious activities, honesty, modesty, and humaneness and trustworthiness. Future researchers can apply the Islamic service quality measure to Muslim consumers in other countries. Successful service providers need to be cognizant of the intrinsic roles played by Islamic values and practices among the Muslim consumers. Research limitations/implications – Major limitations include the recall ability of consumers during the verbal protocol method of interviewing, potential blending of Islamic values and Javanese culture, and the extent of separation of state and religion. Future researchers can apply the Islamic service quality measure to Muslim consumers in other countries. Practical implicationsSuccessful service providers need to be cognizant of the intrinsic roles played by Islamic values and practices among the Muslim consumers. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the extant literature on Islamic marketing by developing a unique measure of service quality that is pertinent to Muslim consumers.