A Hybrid Approach Based on Multi-criteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) and Three-Stage Network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to Evaluate the Relative Efficiency of Services in Iran Melli Bank Branches

The main goal of this paper is to evaluate the relative efficiency of each level of customer services in Melli Bank branches. A three stage process is defined as consecutive results of service provision to the customers. This process consists of sub-process such as customer expectations, customer satisfaction, and sustomer loyalty. A hybrid method based on multi-criteria satisfaction analysis (MUSA) and network data envelopment analysis (DEA) is proposed to evaluate the relative efficiency of 30 branches. in this way, first the customer satisfaction was measured through a direct questionnaire based on customers perceptions analysis and quantified using MUSA method. Then, the customer satisfaction scores and the other important evaluating criteria such as number of employees, average evaluation scores of staff, operating costs, the amount of deposits, total credit facilities, the number of new checking accounts, expectations and customer loyalty were considered in DEA model as inputs and outputs. A three-stage DEA model was used to evaluate the efficiency of bank branches. The proposed DEA model was based on multipliers perspective, output-oriented with constant return to scale. The proposed three-stage DEA model quantified and assessed the efficiency of customer expectations, customer satisfactions, and customer loyalties in branches. The results showed that the mean relative efficiency of selected branches in three sub-processes namely customer satisfaction, operational results and customer loyalty were 83%, 94%, and 90%, respectively. The mean efficiency of the overall process is 89%.and four branches (about 13% of sample) were placed on efficient frontier for all sub-processes. Based on research findings, the branches which have been efficient in customer expectations were also efficient in other sub-processes and the main process.