Customer Satisfaction Towards Service Quality of Purchasing Chicken Meat On-site and through WhatsApp Services (Study of UD Sulastri)

. Customer satisfaction is an essential aspect of a large and small-scale business. A high level of satisfaction encourages customers' product loyalty. The presence of constraints within small enterprises, encompassing various types of services and resources available, promotes investigating the strategies applied to ensure customer satisfaction. This study aimed to compare customer satisfaction towards service quality within purchasing chicken meat on-site and through WhatsApp. The research was conducted at UD Sulastri, one of the chicken meat retailers with high daily demand. Accidental sampling was employed to obtain 56 samples of on-site purchases and 20 on WhatsApp purchases. Assessment of satisfaction was applying a structured questionnaire containing profile questions and indicators related to tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The results revealed that customers at UD Sulastri were very satisfied with all measured dimensions. The average score of tangibility and empathy on purchases through WhatsApp was higher than on-site purchases. Purchasing through WhatsApp did not involve complex cognitive aspects. Hence, a prompt and efficient response was sufficient to provide customers satisfaction. Future research is suggested adjusting the dimensions based on the specific aspects related to the products to enhance the representativeness of the results.


Introduction
Customers are individuals or groups who use goods or services to meet their needs.Several aspects pertaining to customers that warrant consideration involve customers' needs, desires, preferences, and behaviours.Customers play an essential role in economic concepts since they exert impacts on market demand.Market investigations and customer research are commonly employed strategies to identify customer behavior and understand their needs.Customer research is an academic discipline that systematically investigates and analyzes various variables to gain a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and its impact on purchasing decisions [1].The optimal approach to conducting customer research involves a comprehensive analysis of various types of knowledge, including daily, scientific, and interpretive knowledge [2].
A company that possesses a comprehensive understanding of the customers can develop closer connections, enabling the company to meet customer expectations effectively.The fulfilment of customer expectations regarding a product increases customer satisfaction [3].Customer satisfaction is a performance metric related to a series of needs or requirements requested by the customers [4].It plays a vital role in a business to influence the sustainability of the offered products.Satisfied customers are more likely to exhibit loyalty and engage in positive word-of-mouth promotion of that products or services.[5].Customer satisfaction can be achieved through providing product-added value, training staff, communicating with customers, considering customers as partners, and implementing superior service quality [6,7].
Several studies have mentioned that service quality is a pivotal determinant of customer satisfaction [3,7,8].Namin [9] stated that customer satisfaction can be enhanced through service quality, food quality, and price-value ratio.Other research also indicates that service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix strategies significantly influence customer satisfaction [10].Measuring customer satisfaction with services commonly adopts the SERVQUAL framework developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry [11].This concept utilizes tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy as dimensions of satisfaction.
Improving service quality is not limited to direct interaction processes but includes indirect interactions involving digital processes.Digitalization and telecommunication advancements present new opportunities to accommodate customer needs through technology and electronic devices.Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp have recently been widely used as advertising media.The ease of information dissemination through social networks enables customers to obtain quick and up-to-date information.The internet penetration rate in Indonesia is expected to increase by 1.17% in 2023 [12], potentially boosting the use of social networks.WhatsApp is one of the largest social networks in Indonesia, reaching 92.1% of users in 2022 [13].
The significant number of WhatsApp users has become an opportunity utilized by UD Sulastri to market chicken meat.The 7.69% increase in chicken meat consumption in 2021 has increased demand, including at UD Sulastri [14].This business serves the customers' orders on-site and uses WhatsApp as another service order.Customers of UD Sulastri encompass a diverse range of individuals, including the general society and students.Despite the high demand for chicken meat at UD Sulastri, the daily operations are managed by only three employees.Two employees are serving on-site customers, while another employee is delivering sizable orders of chicken meat.This constraint leads to extended queues and wait times for customers at the store.The limited number of employees encourages analysis of the extent to which the WhatsApp service fulfils user expectations.Based on these considerations, the author was interested in measuring customer satisfaction regarding the chicken meat purchasing service at UD Sulastri through direct and WhatsApp services.

Method
This research utilized a descriptive method to interpret the level of customer satisfaction.The study was conducted at UD Sulastri in Patalan, Jetis, Bantul, D.I. Yogyakarta.This location was chosen because it had high daily demand for chicken meat and served orders on-site and through WhatsApp.The sample consisted of 56 respondents for on-site purchases and 20 respondents for purchases made via the WhatsApp service.The samples were determined using an accidental sampling technique, which involves selecting potential respondents at the research location by chance.Primary and secondary data supported the research.Primary data was obtained by distributing structured questionnaires to customers who visit UD Sulastri on November 2022.The questionnaire includes customer profiles and indicators of customer satisfaction.Secondary data used in the research include sales data, product types, and promotion strategies at UD Sulastri.Measuring customer satisfaction regarding the chicken meat purchasing service utilized the dimensions framework developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry in 1988.These dimensions included tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.The specific indicators used for each dimension were as follows [11]: 1. Tangibility: this dimension was related to the physical facilities, equipment, and personnel appearance.2. Reliability: it pertains to the ability to provide reliable and accurate services.3. Responsiveness: this dimension was associated with the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.4. Assurance: it was related to the knowledge and competence of employees to be trustworthy and dependable. 5. Empathy: this dimension concerns the caring and attentiveness of individuals in providing services to customers.
Formula 1 to calculate the achievement score for each indicator.

Score achievement=
Highest Score-Lowest Score Category of Score The average scores obtained for each dimension were then summed up and divided by the number of indicators to obtain the average score for each dimension.

Profile of UD Sulastri
UD. Sulastri sells broiler meat in Patalan Village, Special Region of Yogyakarta, providing competitive chicken meat prices.UD Sulastri possesses a valid trade license and halal certification, ensuring consumer safety.UD Sulastri operates every day from 04:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., engaging in the sale of 200-400 chickens each day to individual consumers as well as food sellers.The UD Sulastri procures chicken from both farmers and companies in its uncut and then processes the chickens into specified cuts.The UD Sulastri utilizes a freezer as a means of preserving and maintaining the quality and freshness of meat.Upon arrival, customers were presented with chicken cuts tailored to their preferences.Alternatively, in the event of limited stock availability, customers order their desired cuts prepared prior to their arrival.This UD serves to sell the on-site broiler chickens and facilitate accepting orders by utilizing WhatsApp.A diverse range of chicken meat options were available, including uncut chicken and specified cuts such as heads, feet, wings, fillets, and different cuts of meat (thighs and breasts).

Customer Satisfaction Analysis
This section provided an analysis of five distinct characteristics pertaining to service quality, specifically tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.These dimensions were used due to they strongly correlate with service quality and customer satisfaction [11].These dimensions were assessed based on several indicators describing the state of the chicken meat purchasing service at UD Sulastri.Some indicators had been tailored to meet the needs of assessing satisfaction levels for on-site purchases and via WhatsApp service.
The data presented in Figure 1 revealed a notable trend of nearly identical average scores across all dimensions for on-site purchases.However, for purchases made through WhatsApp service, there were two dimensions with relatively high average scores, it was tangibility and empathy.Overall, the average scores indicated that the services provided by UD Sulastri were classified as "very satisfied."This result depicted that UD Sulastri had met customer expectations.The service quality, both on-site and via WhatsApp, impact customer loyalty through customer satisfaction [15].The difference was quite noticeable in the tangibility dimension between on-site purchases and purchases made through WhatsApp service.The average score for WhatsApp purchases reached 4.65, higher than the average score for on-site purchases, which was only 4.23.Tangibility for on-site purchases was related to the appearance of employees, equipment, and available parking area at UD Sulastri.On the other hand, purchases through WhatsApp were related to customer responsiveness.A positive response from the WhatsApp admin at UD Sulastri leads to customer satisfaction.The WhatsApp service feature has proven to enhance customer satisfaction in the tangibility dimension.This service facilitates customers in making orders without the need to queue at the store, as the admin will inform them when the chicken meat is ready for pickup.Customer response was one of the critical  factors as it directly affects satisfaction.Satisfied customers will drive higher levels of satisfaction [16].
Social networks and e-commerce have changed the interaction patterns between sellers and buyers.Buyers are often easily influenced in their purchasing decisions, even only by their friends' influence on social media [17].This advantage allows sellers to have a broader approach to customers and accommodate various types of service needed.The extensive reach of social networks supports companies in enhancing their interactions and engagement with customers.Agnihotri, Dingus, Hu, and Krush [18] state that social networks improve sellers' responsiveness and positively affect customer satisfaction.Despite having different average scores in both types of services, the tangibility dimension was still considered necessary by customers in this research.These results aligned with Baluyot [19], which states that tangibility is the most significant satisfaction, and the relation between restaurant tangibles and customer satisfaction is moderate.Tangibility that is assessed in the research include a parking area, a pleasant atmosphere, modern equipment, and restaurant attractive look.
The results also demonstrated a significant difference in average scores between the two types of services for the empathy dimension.Empathy service means understanding customers' feelings, needs, and perspectives and expressing sympathy [20,21].This action involves both cognitive and affective aspects [22].The average score for WhatsApp purchases was 4.5 and higher than for on-site purchases, which was 4.36.Retaining records of orders through WhatsApp allows UD Sulastri to minimize order errors, making it easier to understand and remember customer orders.Interaction without direct meetings also reduces cognitive involvement, allowing for more reliable use of WhatsApp by using respectable language and responses.
The average scores of the indicators employed for measuring the empathy dimension were categorized as "very satisfied".The same treatment of customers and the seller's competence in understanding customer requests are considered satisfactory by the majority of respondents.Empathy was one of the critical factors in achieving customer satisfaction.Sellers who understand and anticipate customer needs and feelings provide high-quality service and create positive experiences [23], which are beneficial for the sustainability of a business.Furthermore, understanding customer expectations also enhances performance among competitors [24].
The other dimensions, reliability, responsiveness, and assurance had almost the same average scores.These scores indicated that UD Sulastri's services were equally very satisfactory in these three dimensions.Despite having only three employees providing the service, they were capable of delivering superior service in both types of purchase methods.In on-site purchases, the factors that consistently generated the highest levels of satisfaction were assurance, responsiveness and empathy, reliability, and physical evidence.The WhatsApp purchases indicated that tangibility generated the highest level of customer satisfaction, followed by empathy, responsiveness, assurance, and reliability.

Conclusions
Customer satisfaction is an essential aspect that needs to be considered for the sustainability of a business.Satisfied customers tend to share information about the products voluntarily.This promotion confers advantageous for a business because it decreases the need to invest additional funds to advertise its products.Customer satisfaction measurement commonly employs the SERVQUAL method, which assesses five dimensions relatively linked to customer satisfaction.These dimensions included tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.The level of customer satisfaction regarding the purchase of chicken meat at UD Sulastri had reached a very satisfactory category across all five dimensions, both for on-site purchases and through WhatsApp.
A significant difference exists in the average scores for tangibility and empathy dimensions.On purchases through WhatsApp, tangibility had an average score of 4.65 and empathy reached 4.5, which was higher than on-site purchases.These scores indicated that customer satisfaction in these two dimensions was more noticeable when ordering through WhatsApp.The indirect interaction process did not involve many cognitive activities, which satisfied customers with just a prompt and fast response from the WhatsApp admin.

Fig. 1 .
Fig. 1.Comparison chart of average customer satisfaction scores for chicken meat purchases through direct purchases and WhatsApp Service.