Service Marketing Factor and Service Quality Affecting Consumer Decision Making Behavior in Using Fitness Center Service in Chumphon Metropolitan Area

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) study personal factor, fitness user behavior, service marketing factor, service quality and consumer decision making behavior in using fitness center service in Chumphon metropolitan area ; and 2) investigate relationship between personal factor and consumer decision making behavior in using fitness center service in Chumphon metropolitan area; 3) analyze service marketing factor affecting consumer decision making behavior in using fitness center service in Chumphon metropolitan area; and 4) analyze service quality affecting consumer decision making behavior in using fitness center service in Chumphon metropolitan area. The research sample comprised 268 fitness center members, obtained by using systematic sampling method. Research instrument was a questionnaire with the reliability coefficient of 0.984. The descriptive statistics employed for data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics used were Chi-square and multiple regression. The results of the study were as follows: (1) Regarding personal factor, it was found that the majority of the fitness center members were female, aged between 26-35 years old with bachelor’s degree. Most of them were state enterprise officers with the salary around 10,001 – 20,000 baht. The analysis of users’ behaviors in using fitness center service revealed that they came with their friends/group, and used basic fitness facilities such as treadmill, and bicycles with the purposes to lose weight and get rid of excessive fat. They came to the fitness near their houses between 4.00 – 7.00 p.m., and spent approximately 1-2 hours per day. Friends had a big influence over their decision to use the fitness. With regard to service marketing factor, it revealed that the process aspect had the highest average score followed by personnel aspect, physical aspect, marketing aspect, pricing aspect, product and promotion aspect, respectively. As for service quality, it was found that consumer perception had the highest average score followed by trust, confidence, responsiveness, and tangibility, respectively. And as for decision making behavior in using the fitness, it was found that the overall satisfaction had the highest average score, followed by the good image, and recommendation of the fitness to others; (2) It was also found that personal factor positively correlated at the low to moderate levels with consumer behavior in the following aspects: using the fitness service, reasons for using the fitness, purposes in using the fitness , the amount of time spent at the fitness, and location of the fitness, while the other aspects had no significant relationship; (3) Further analysis revealed that marketing factor including pricing aspect, personnel aspect ,and process in providing the service aspect affecting the consumers’ decision in using the fitness at the .05 level of statistical significance; (4)Analysis of service quality indicated that assurance, tangibility and the responsiveness aspects affecting the consumers’ decision in using the fitness at the .05 level of statistical significance.