Public Vs Private Telecom Providers: Comparative Service Quality, Complaint Handling, And Loyalty Intentions In Punjab And Chandigarh

Abstract

Consumers often assume private telecom providers offer better service and faster complaint resolution than public providers, yet systematic evidence in regional settings remains limited. This paper compares perceived service quality, complaint redressal effectiveness, satisfaction, and loyalty intentions between public and private mobile telecom provider users in Punjab and Chandigarh (U.T.). Using a balanced stratified survey design (N=1,000; public=500; private=500), the study measures service quality across five dimensions and complaint handling across five process dimensions. Results show private provider users report moderately higher perceived service quality, particularly in responsiveness, empathy, and tangibles, while differences in reliability are smaller, suggesting core network variability remains a sector-wide challenge. Complaint redressal effectiveness is rated higher among private provider users but remains only moderate overall, indicating that timeliness, clarity, and closure confidence remain improvement priorities across both provider types. Relationship patterns indicate that satisfaction is central to loyalty intention, and complaint handling quality plays a decisive role in shaping satisfaction, particularly through customer effort reduction and closure integrity. The paper concludes with targeted improvement priorities for each provider category and outlines consumer welfare implications related to time burden, transparency, and accountability in essential digital infrastructure services.