In the increasingly competitive landscape of global maritime logistics, the quality of port operations has become a critical determinant of customer retention and long-term collaboration. Among various operational activities, container loading and unloading processes play a central role in shaping port performance and influencing organizational customers’ perceptions. This study examines the impact of operational quality in container handling on the continuance intention of organizational customers, with a particular focus on the mediating role of customer satisfaction. Operational quality is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct comprising speed, accuracy, safety, and equipment availability. Data were collected from 108 organizational customers, including shipping lines, freight forwarders, and logistics service providers operating at Imam Khomeini Port. The proposed model was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both direct and indirect relationships among constructs. The results indicate that operational quality has a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction (β = 0.681, p < 0.001), while customer satisfaction strongly influences continuance intention (β = 0.634, p < 0.001). In addition, operational quality exerts a direct effect on continuance intention (β = 0.267, p = 0.003). Mediation analysis confirms that customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between operational quality and continuance intention (indirect effect = 0.432, p < 0.001). The model explains 46.4% of the variance in customer satisfaction and 61.2% of the variance in continuance intention. The findings suggest that efficiency-related dimensions, particularly speed and accuracy, play a dominant role in shaping customer evaluations, while safety and equipment readiness function as critical supporting factors. This study contributes to the literature by providing an operationally grounded framework that links measurable port performance attributes to customer behavioral outcomes. From a managerial perspective, the results emphasize the importance of improving operational efficiency, minimizing errors, and ensuring equipment reliability as strategic priorities for enhancing customer retention in port environments.

Container handling operations; Operational quality; Customer satisfaction; Continuance intention; Organizational customers; Structural equation modeling; Port performance; Maritime logistics