What is the servqual model?

Answer 1

The most eminent instrument in attempting to systematize the service quality is"The gap model"of service or Servqal developed by Parshuraman et al (1985). This conceptual framework was developed initially to measure customer perception of service quality for the financial service sectors but later extended to sectors such as hospitality, telecommunications and healthcare.

Purpose of SERVQAL

· To determine average gap score (between customer's perceptions and expectations) for each service attribute.

· To assess a company's service quality along each of the 5 SERVQAL dimensions

· To track customer's expectations and perceptions over time

· To compare a company's SERVQAL scores against competitors

· To identify and examine customer segments that differs significantly in their assessment of a company's service performance

· To assess internal service quality (interdepartmental comparison)

· The customer Gap: Gap 5 - Difference between customer expectations and perceptions

· Provider Gap 1: Not knowing what customers expect

· Provider Gap 2: Not selecting the right service designs and standards

· Provider Gap 3: Not delivering to service designs and standards

· Provider Gap 4: Not matching performance to promises

The SERVQAL model is based on three dimensions

· The Gaps

· The Key Service Dimensions

· Causes & Solutions to Gaps

The GAPS

Gap 1: The difference between management perceptions of what customers expect and what customers really do expect - is it large?

Gap 2: The difference between management perceptions and service quality specifications - the standards gap?

Gap 3: The difference between service quality specifications and actual service delivery - are standards consistently met?

Gap 4: The difference between service delivery and what is communicated externally - are promises made consistently fulfilled?

Gap 5: The difference between what customers expect of a service and what they actually receive. Expectations are made up of past experience, word-of-mouth and needs /wants of customers. Measurement is on the basis of two sets of statements in groups according to the five key service dimensions

The key service dimensions

The five SERVQUAL dimensions are:

TANGIBLES-Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials

RELIABILITY-Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately

RESPONSIVENESS-Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service

ASSURANCE-Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence

EMPATHY-Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers

RELIABILITY: Do what you say you're going to do when you said you were going to do it.

Customers want to count on their providers. They value that reliability. Don't providers yearn to find out what customers value? This is it.It's three times more important to be reliable than have shiny new equipment or flashy uniforms.

Doesn't mean you can have ragged uniforms and only be reliable. Service providers have to do both. But providers first and best efforts are better spent making service reliable.

Whether it's periodics on schedule, on-site response within Service Level Agreements (SLAs), or Work Orders completed on time.

RESPONSIVENESS: Respond quickly, promptly, rapidly, immediately, instantly.

Waiting a day to return a call or email doesn't make it. Even if customers are chronically slow in getting back to providers, responsiveness is more than 1/5th of their service quality assessment.

Service providers benefit by establishing internal SLAs for things like returning phone calls, emails and responding on-site. Whether it's 30 minutes, 4 hours, or 24 hours, it's important customers feel providers are responsive to their requests. Not just emergencies, but everyday responses too.

ASSURANCE: Service providers are expected to be the experts of the service they're delivering. It's a given.

SERVQUAL research showed it's important to communicate that expertise to customers. If a service provider is highly skilled, but customers don't see that, their confidence in that provider will be lower. And their assessment of that provider's service quality will be lower. Service providers must communicate their expertise and competencies - before they do the work. This can be done in many ways that are repeatedly seen by customers, such as:

• Display industry certifications on patches, badges or buttons worn by employees
• Include certification logos on emails, letters & reports
• Put certifications into posters, newsletters & handouts

By communicating competencies, providers can help manage customer expectations. And influence their service quality assessment in advance.

EMPATHY: Services can be performed completely to specifications. Yet customers may not feel provider employees care about them during delivery. And this hurts customers' assessments of providers' service quality.

For example, a day porter efficiently cleans up a spill in a lobby. However, during the clean up doesn't smile, make eye contact, or ask the customer if there is anything else they could do for them. In this hypothetical the provider's service was performed fully. But the customer didn't feel the provider employee cared. And it's not necessarily the employees fault. They may not know how they're being judged. They may be overwhelmed, inadequately trained, or disinterested.

TANGIBLES: Even though this is the least important dimension, appearance matters. Just not as much as the other dimensions.

Service providers will still want to make certain their employees appearance, uniforms, equipment, and work areas on-site (closets, service offices, etc.) look good. The danger is for providers to make everything look sharp, and then fall short on RELIABILITY or RESPONSIVENESS.

Reasons for GAPS

GAP 1

· lack of a marketing orientation

· inadequate upward communication (from contact staff to management)

· too many levels of management

GAP 2

· inadequate commitment to service quality

· lack of perception of feasibility - 'it cannot be done'

· inadequate task standardization

· the absence of goal setting

GAP 3

· role ambiguity and role conflict - unsure of what your responsibility is and how it fits with others

· poor employee or technology fit - the wrong person or system for the job

· inappropriate supervisory control or lack of perceived control - too much or too little control

· lack of teamwork

GAP 4

· inadequate horizontal communication - between departments or services

· a propensity to overpromise