2025, Vol. 12, Issue 6, Part D

This study examined service quality and customer satisfaction in fitness gymnasiums in Nairobi City County, Kenya, using the SERVQUAL framework. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among gym clients (N≈410) stratified across 17 constituencies, yielding 364 valid responses (88.8% response rate). A structured questionnaire measured expectations and perceptions on the five SERVQUAL dimensions (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy) and overall satisfaction. Data were analyzed with SPSS 26, employing gap score analysis and regression. Results showed that all SERVQUAL dimensions had negative gap scores, indicating perceived service falls short of expectations. Tangibility had the largest negative gap (-0.4621) and Empathy the smallest (-0.3012), with an overall mean gap of -0.35 (i.e. low service quality). Regression analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between service quality and satisfaction (R² = 0.558, p<0.001): higher service quality predicted higher satisfaction.