Preliminary framework to manage tenant satisfaction in facilities management service encounters

Abstract

Purpose Homogeneity in the main business of renting office spaces among commercial facilities has led to fierce competition. To retain tenant attractiveness, many are now concerned about the quality of facilities management (FM) services in addition to the rent, office space and location. The quality of FM service can be attained with successful service encounters. Thus, this paper aims to establish an initial platform on which tenant satisfaction in FM service encounters can be achieved. Design/methodology/approach The preliminary survey focused on gaining insights into FM encounters in commercial sector and applicability of service attributes under SERVQUAL model. The detailed survey concentrated on determining tenant perceptions on satisfactory levels of service attributes developed in the preliminary study and relationships between FM encounters and different service attributes. The collection of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the results. Findings This study’s findings reveal assurance and empathy to be highly correlated to tenant satisfaction, while other attributes are less correlated. However, perceptions of satisfaction levels of tenants on tangibility and reliability provides contradictory results to its correlation values. Satisfaction level in remote service encounters is lower compared to phone and face-to-face encounters. Complexity and management concerns toward physical facilities are imperative to uplift satisfaction in remote encounters. Research limitations/implications The scope of study was limited to FM encounters in Sri Lankan Grade “A” commercial office properties with high quality standard finishes, state-of-the-art systems, exceptional accessibility and a definite market presence in Colombo. Originality/value The study developed a preliminary framework that guides users to identify the best combinations of service attributes with respective FM encounters, where tenant satisfaction needs to be achieved.