THE EFFECT OF SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE PERFORMANCE OF RADIO REPUBLIK INDONESIA (RRI) IN CIREBON

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the service quality of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) in Cirebon on the level of customer satisfaction. The study was conducted through an observational interview. The interviews were conducted to get first-hand views and experiences from RRI customers regarding the quality of service they received and their satisfaction level. It was found that aspects such as broadcast program quality, sound quality, staff friendliness, and ease of access to information were the main factors that contributed to customer satisfaction, which shows that the high quality of services provided by the radio station will increase customers' satisfaction. This study can be used as a theoretical foundation for further research in this area and a reference for other broadcasting organizations interested in improving their customer experience. It can also enrich the literature on service quality management and customer satisfaction in the media and communication sectors.


INTRODUCTION
In today's era of globalization and technological advancement, business competition is increasing significantly.Every day, markets around the world are becoming more and more competitive, with each other competing for consumers' attention and maintaining their market share.Information technology and the internet allow companies to reach a wider audience, but at the same time, it also creates new challenges as competition becomes more global and open.
According to the Center for Economics and Development Studies (CEDS) of Padjadjaran University (UNPAD), the level of business competition in Indonesia in 2023 has increased slightly, this is based on the analysis of the Indonesian Business Competition Index (IPU), which shows an increase of 0.04 from the previous year, reaching 4.91 compared to 4.87 in 2022.Thus, the level of business competition in Indonesia can be said to be at a slightly higher level (ICC, 2024).The increasingly fierce competition will have a positive impact on the Indonesian economy.This also applies to society as consumers, where competition gives them the freedom to choose products at various prices available.

International Journal of Social Service and Research
https://ijssr.ridwaninstitute.co.id/IJSSR Page 2 Companies must continue to innovate, one of which is by improving the quality of their services.Service quality is the level of service excellence offered to consumers compared to their expectations.High-quality service will meet customer expectations, resulting in customer satisfaction and loyalty (Pawirosumarto, 2016).Service quality is an important factor in increasing customer satisfaction (Setiadi & Manafe, 2021).If users are satisfied with the services provided, they will return to use the services in the future (Hidayat & Najicha, 2023).In addition, customers will also be more likely to recommend the service to others (Wicaksono, 2022).So, maintaining a high quality of service will not only retain existing customers, but can also help in attracting new customers through recommendations from satisfied customers.
Previous research by Ismail & Yusuf (2021) explained that quality services partially affect user satisfaction with an influence contribution of 67.3%.Another study by Setyawati (2023) concluded that quality service has a positive and significant effect on consumer satisfaction.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of service quality of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) in Cirebon on the level of customer satisfaction.The novelty of this research lies in the object of his research, namely Radio Republik Indonesia Cirebon which has never been studied before.The findings of the study can be used as a theoretical foundation for further research in this area, as well as a reference for other broadcasting organizations interested in improving their customer experience.In addition, the study can also enrich the literature on service quality management and customer satisfaction in the media and communication sectors.This study aims to investigate the influence of the service quality of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) in Cirebon on the level of customer satisfaction.

METHODS
The method used is qualitative research.Data acquisition includes three main methods, namely literature study, interviews, and observation.Literature studies are used to collect information related to theories and previous research that are relevant to the research topic, such as the concept of service quality and customer satisfaction.The interviews were conducted to get first-hand views and experiences from Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) customers in Cirebon regarding the quality of service they received and their satisfaction level.Observation was carried out to directly observe the performance and interaction between RRI staff and customers during the process of broadcasting and receiving services.Furthermore, the data was analyzed in three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawn.

RESULTS
Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) is a public broadcasting institution that is committed to organizing radio broadcasting activities that are independent, neutral, and play a role in providing information, education, and entertainment services that are useful and positive for the community.In addition, RRI also has the responsibility to carry out social supervision functions and strengthen social relations, as well as maintain and promote Indonesia's cultural diversity in various regions of Indonesia (Maharani, 2021).As the only radio that takes the name of the country, RRI has a special responsibility to realize the interests of the nation and state in its broadcasts, by maintaining its independence and not being affected by commercial interests, RRI aims to make a positive contribution in building a positive image of the Indonesian nation at the international level (Fitra & Miten, 2018).
RRI has many branches in every province in Indonesia, including in West Java, where there are three branches of RRI, one of which is RRI Cirebon.RRI Cirebon operates an educational program known as "Mother Nature Calling" or often referred to as "Learning at RRI".The program is designed to help control the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic, by providing students with the opportunity to learn from their own homes without having to meet in person.Apart from being a source of information and education, RRI Cirebon also plays an entertainment media that aims to provide entertainment to listeners so that they do not get bored when listening to the radio (Laela, 2021).
The program offered by RRI Cirebon is very interesting because it serves as a source of information, learning, and entertainment for residents in the Cirebon area.However, when entering the digital era, RRI Cirebon faces a major challenge in maintaining the relevance and attractiveness of its programs in the midst of increasingly fierce competition with other digital media platforms (Syahidah, 2021).RRI must make great efforts so that its programs remain in demand and attention by the audience.According to Hendarwan (2022), to face fierce, fast-changing, and unpredictable competition in the business world where various companies compete to win the hearts of customers.This demands an improvement in the quality of products and services at competitive prices.Focus on developing organizational competence and competitive advantage is believed to be the key to achieving success in the face of fierce market competition.
This means that in facing this competition, RRI Cirebon needs to pay attention to the satisfaction of its customers with the services that have been provided so far.So that RRI Cirebon can improve its competence to continue to compete in a competitive market.Customer satisfaction is the happiness that arises when their needs or desires are met.This feeling can be achieved through an assessment or evaluation of the features of the product or service they use, where their performance meets or even exceeds their expectations (Sasongko, 2021).
Customer satisfaction has a positive impact on customer value creation.When customers are satisfied, it is beneficial for the company because it creates a good bond with the customer.In addition, customer satisfaction provides a solid foundation for maintaining good relationships, as well as encouraging the formation of positive recommendations that are beneficial to the company.As a result, increasing customer satisfaction can increase interest in using the services offered by the company (Sasongko, 2021).
If associated in the context of RRI Cirebon, customer satisfaction has slightly different implications.When customers are satisfied with the services provided, this creates a harmonious relationship between RRI Cirebon and its listeners.In addition, customer satisfaction also contributes to building positive recommendations by word of mouth, which is beneficial for RRI Cirebon.This positive recommendation encourages listeners to continue listening to the programs offered by RRI Cirebon, thus bringing benefits to the radio station.
Judging from the benefits, RRI Cirebon needs to pay attention to customer satisfaction by improving service quality.As explained in Mahira et al. (2021), service quality is an action taken by business actors to ensure customer satisfaction.Service quality is an important element that must be prioritized by companies, especially those operating in the service sector.According to Krisnawati (2016), quality service reflects the company's ability to meet customer desires.When the service perceived by customers is in line with their expectations, this results in a good perception of the quality of the service, which can ultimately satisfy the customer.
As explained in Krisnawati (2016), there are five dimensions of service quality that affect customer satisfaction.The first dimension is "Tangible", which refers to the physical appearance of a company and all staff that can be immediately assessed and perceived by service users.The second dimension is "Reliability", which includes the ability of a company to provide the services offered accurately and reliably.Reliable service will assure customers that they will receive the service as promised, on time, and with the necessary seriousness.The next dimension is "Responsiveness", which includes the use of services and providing services with speed and accuracy.In this case, responsiveness reflects how quickly and efficiently the company responds to customer needs and demands.Responsive service gives customers the impression that the company cares about their needs and is ready to provide assistance quickly and effectively.
The next dimension is "Assurance", which involves the knowledge and skills of staff to be trustworthy for the services provided.Assurance refers to a company's ability to assure customers that they will be served with the highest quality and can be trusted.The existence of competent, courteous, and knowledgeable employees will help build customer trust in the company.The last dimension is "Empathy", which includes caring and caring attitudes towards each service user personally.Empathy refers to a company's ability to understand and respond sensitively to customer needs, wants, and emotions.Empathic service reflects the company's attitude of caring and prioritizing the individual interests of customers, thus creating a closer relationship with customers.
Previous studies have shown that service quality has a significant impact on customer satisfaction levels (Rohaeni & Marwa, 2018).This implies that satisfied consumers are influenced by the excellence of the services provided.The superior quality of services provided to consumers will encourage the level of satisfaction they feel (Cesariana et al., 2022).This is also reinforced by relevant findings from various previous researches, which state that service quality affects consumer satisfaction significantly (Arianty, 2015;Handoko, 2017;Wulandari et al., 2020).
Based on the results of interviews with RRI Cirebon customers about their experience with the quality of service, customers stated that they were satisfied.Customers highlighted their satisfaction with the informative and educational broadcast program, as well as the clear sound quality delivered by the radio station.The factors that are the main contributors to the level of customer satisfaction of RRI Cirebon include: 1) Broadcast program quality: Customers appreciate the informative and educational broadcast programs presented by RRI Cirebon.These programs are considered relevant to their needs and interests.This shows that the radio station is actively investigating and understanding its audience, so that it can present relevant and useful content for them.For example, RRI Cirebon presents local news, discussions of important topics, and educational programs that are interesting to listeners.2) Sound quality: Good sound quality can be an important factor in improving customer satisfaction.The sound quality of RRI Cirebon is quite good by ensuring that the messages conveyed by the radio station can be heard clearly by the listeners.Clear sound and free from technical disturbances such as noise or distortion improves listening comfort and helps in conveying messages effectively, which also shows the image of professionalism of the radio station.3) Friendly and responsive staff: Customers appreciate the friendliness and responsiveness of RRI Cirebon staff.Positive and responsive interactions between radio staff and listeners create a more positive experience for listeners.When listeners feel well received and heard by the radio staff, they tend to feel more connected to the station.The positive impact can increase listener loyalty and strengthen the relationship between the radio station and its listening community.4) Easy access to information: The ease of access to information provided by radio stations is also a factor that contributes to customer satisfaction.RRI Cirebon ensures that the information presented is easily accessible to its listeners, this can be done through various communication channels, such as radio broadcasts, websites, social media, or mobile applications.Providing easy and convenient access to information, radio stations can better meet the information needs of their listeners, which in turn can increase customer satisfaction.From these findings, it can be concluded that the quality of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) services in Cirebon is generally considered good by customers.It was found that aspects such as broadcast program quality, sound quality, staff friendliness, and ease of access to information were the main factors that contributed to customer satisfaction.Moreover, the relationship between the quality of services provided by RRI Cirebon and the level of customer satisfaction has a positive effect, which shows that the high quality of services provided, will increase customer satisfaction.Thus, these findings show that RRI Cirebon has a strong basis to focus on improving the quality of services provided to its customers.By paying attention to the areas that have been identified, it increases customer satisfaction, International Journal of Social Service and Research, Adelia, Selviana, Fitri Rahmawati, Jefry Romdonny IJSSR Page 5 which ultimately allows RRI Cirebon to strengthen its position as a quality service provider and strengthen the bond with its listening community.

CONCLUSION
The Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) in Cirebon is praised for its informative and educational broadcast programs, as well as its clear sound quality.Factors contributing to customer satisfaction include the quality of broadcast programs, staff friendliness, and ease of access to information.The research suggests that improving the quality of services in Cirebon involves making programs more informative, using advanced technology for better sound quality, improving staff friendliness through training and briefings, and providing user-friendly websites and mobile applications for easier access to information.