The Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Service Quality and Employee Performance at PT. PLN (PERSERO) Sulawesi Load Dispatch Center

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FORMOSA NEWS - Makassar - System Reliability and Staff Performance Drive Customer Satisfaction at PT PLN Sulawesi Load Dispatch Center. A collaborative study by an Indonesian research team has revealed that system reliability and employee performance are the primary drivers of customer satisfaction for industrial energy consumers. Conducted by Assagaf Al Saleh, Nisma Iriani, Rajamemang, Wahyudi Putera, and Andi Tenri Ulmi Qalsum, the research spans multiple institutions including Universitas Indonesia Timur, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sinjai, and STIE Pelita Buana Makassar. Published in the Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences in 2026, this investigation offers crucial insights into how state-owned utilities can optimize infrastructure and human resources to maintain vital economic operations across the Sulawesi region. The findings are highly significant because stable electricity is the backbone of modern industrial productivity and regional economic growth. By evaluating the performance of PT. PLN (Persero) Sulawesi Load Dispatch Center, known locally as Unit Induk Pengatur Beban (UIPB) Sulawesi, the authors establish a direct statistical link between technical operational efficiency, swift staff responses, and corporate customer loyalty.

Power Reliability in the Modern Industrial Economy
Electricity has evolved from a basic utility into a strategic asset required to power automated manufacturing, heavy industry, and daily commercial activities. As technological integration accelerates, industrial consumers demand near-perfect power quality and zero unscheduled downtime. In Indonesia, PT. PLN (Persero) shoulders the national responsibility of managing this energy supply. Within this framework, the Sulawesi Load Dispatch Center (UIPB Sulawesi) acts as the critical nerve center that balances electricity generation and grid distribution. Despite its technological importance, maintaining stable customer satisfaction is a continuous challenge due to complex technical environments and communication gaps. Historical corporate data from 2020 through 2023 indicates that power outages remain the most severe operational bottleneck. Customer complaint metrics collected by UIPB Sulawesi highlight a steady, multi-year increase in outage-related grievances:

• 2020: Power outages accounted for 47% of total consumer complaints.
• 2021: Outage complaints rose slightly to 48%.
• 2022: Grid instability issues climbed to 49% of recorded complaints.
• 2023: Outages peaked, representing 50% of all customer complaints.

Additionally, unexpected spikes in electricity billing surged to 15% of total complaints by 2023. This persistent rise in grid-related complaints prompted the research team from Universitas Indonesia Timur, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sinjai, and STIE Pelita Buana Makassar to analyze how service quality dimensions and employee capabilities directly alter client perceptions.

Methodology: Assessing Large-Scale Energy Consumers
The researchers deployed a structured quantitative research design utilizing a causal-associative approach to isolate the impact of operational variables. The field phase of the study was conducted between September and October 2024 at the PT. PLN (Persero) UIPB Sulawesi headquarters located in Makassar, South Sulawesi. The research team used probability sampling to select 100 large-scale industrial and commercial enterprises operating within the Sulawesi grid network. Data collection relied on detailed digital and physical questionnaires evaluated on a five-point Likert scale, alongside corporate operational records.
The independent variables were categorized into two main groups:

• Service Quality (X1): Evaluated through five standardized dimensions: tangibles (grid infrastructure), reliability (supply consistency), responsiveness (speed of technical support), assurance (staff competence), and empathy (client prioritization).
• Employee Performance (X2): Measured via precision in grid load balancing, operational decision speed during emergencies, resource optimization, and overall work efficiency.

The dependent variable was Customer Satisfaction (Y), determined by expectation fulfillment, service continuity, and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. All survey data underwent strict validity, reliability, and classical assumption testing before being analyzed through multiple linear regression using SPSS software.

Key Findings: The Mathematical Value of Service and Staff

The statistical analysis verified that both service quality and workforce competence exert a positive, statistically significant impact on consumer satisfaction levels. The mathematical relationship generated by the SPSS regression model is expressed through the following equation:

$$Y = 5.120 + 0.450X_1 + 0.380X_2$$

The individual empirical insights extracted from the study include:

• Dominance of Service Quality: Service quality ($X_1$) yielded a dominant regression coefficient of 0.450. For every single-unit improvement in technical service delivery, consumer satisfaction increases by 0.450 units. Industrial operations are highly sensitive to voltage fluctuations; hence, the reliability dimension proved to be the single most influential factor.
• Impact of Employee Performance: Employee performance ($X_2$) produced a regression coefficient of 0.380. A single-unit increase in the speed and accuracy of grid operators improves customer satisfaction by 0.380 units. Swift decision-making during system blackouts directly protects factories from expensive manufacturing disruptions.
• Joint Contribution: When analyzed simultaneously, service quality and employee performance explain 62.5% of the total variance in industrial customer satisfaction ($R^2 = 0.625$). The remaining 37.5% is governed by external variables not measured in this study, such as government tariff structures or macro pricing policies.

Implications and Strategic Recommendations

The empirical data highlights a vital lesson for public utility managers: infrastructure investments yield maximum returns only when paired with a highly trained workforce. For PT. PLN (Persero) UIPB Sulawesi, reducing industrial complaints requires an immediate, dual-track management strategy. First, the utility must conduct rigorous, preventative audits of its automated grid protection systems to mitigate un-programmed outages, thereby securing the core reliability dimension. Second, human resource departments must mandate continuous technical simulation training for control room staff. Grid operators must possess the sharp diagnostic skills needed to stabilize voltage loads in real-time as regional power demands surge. For policymakers and industrial planners, this study validates that regular performance metrics are essential tools for securing regional infrastructure stability. 

Author Profiles

Assagaf Al Saleh, S.E., M.M. is a faculty researcher at Universitas Indonesia Timur. His academic work focuses on operational management, public service efficiency, and infrastructure logistics.

Nisma Iriani, S.E., M.Si. is an academic based at Universitas Indonesia Timur. She specializes in human resource management strategies, organizational behavior, and employee performance metrics.

Rajamemang, S.E., M.M. is a corporate governance researcher at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sinjai. His primary field of study centers on regional service quality and public administration models.

Wahyudi Putera, S.E., M.M. serves as a senior lecturer in the management department at STIE Pelita Buana Makassar. Acting as the corresponding author for this study, his expertise encompasses service marketing, consumer behavior, and statistical modeling.

Andi Tenri Ulmi Qalsum, S.E., M.M. is a research scholar affiliated with STIE Pelita Buana Makassar. Her academic focus targets industrial marketing, corporate relationship management, and client retention structures.

Source
Assagaf Al Saleh,  Nisma Iriani, Rajamemang, Wahyudi Putera, Andi Tenri Ulmi Qalsum (2026), The Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Service Quality and Employee Performance at PT. PLN (PERSERO) Sulawesi Load Dispatch Center, Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS) 2026, Vol. 5, No. 4, Halaman 1167-1178

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i4.43
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas