Determination of UT student loyalty at SALUT: the role of service quality, technology skills, and student satisfaction

Distance education requires a support service system capable of addressing limitations in interaction, student heterogeneity, and dependence on technology. Although service quality and staff technological competence have been extensively studied in higher education, research specifically integrating these two aspects into a model of student satisfaction and loyalty in distance education service centers remains limited. This study aims to analyze the influence of service quality and employees’ technological skills on student satisfaction and loyalty at the Open University Service Center (SALUT) of PT Dwi Guna Cipta Nusantara, positioning satisfaction as an intervening variable. This study applies a quantitative approach using a survey method involving 270 respondents who utilize SALUT services. Data were collected using a close-ended questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicate that both service quality and employees’ technological skills have a positive, significant effect on customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction significantly affects student loyalty and fully mediates the influence of service quality and employees’ technological skills on loyalty. However, employees' technological skills show no direct effect on loyalty. This study concludes that customer satisfaction is a key mechanism in building student loyalty; therefore, strengthening service quality and technological competence is an important strategy in managing distance education. For future research, it is recommended to employ a longitudinal design or mixed method approaches, expand the scope across institutions, and incorporate variables like trust, perceived value, student engagement, and institutional image to build a more comprehensive model.