6.4.1 Pros and cons: SERVQUAL in practice
Not all users see SERVQUAL as the perfect instrument for measuring service quality. The following reading is an example. In the area of information services, the authors warn that merely translating SERVQUAL to the context may not be sufficient to get good feedback. One of the issues highlighted in this paper is that quality of service does not always equal customer satisfaction, a point that we had made at the start of this chapter. A large amount of the reading is a mathematical rendering of the analysis of the study that is reported here. You can skim quickly through that and come to the outcomes which form the last two sections of the paper.
Reading 6.4
Dyke, Prybutok and Kappelman 1999, "Cautions on the use of the SERVQUAL measure to assess the quality of information systems services".
The next reading is a paper from the Performance and Innovation Unit of the Cabinet Office representing the government in the UK . In the spread of sectors that this paper covers, this is an excellent reading, even if it is long. The paper discusses (as its name implies) satisfaction with public sector services in the UK and makes some comparison with other countries. It makes use of SERVQUAL and makes some comments about its usefulness. It goes on to indicate some other models of measuring service quality and customer satisfaction that are used by other governments.
Reading 6.5
Donovan, Brown and Bellulo 2001, Satisfaction With Public Services: a discussion paper.
Activity 6.1
The original of this discussion paper makes good use of colour in its graphs and displays. As you read through it, identify the different process management tools which have been used. Have the applications been chosen appropriately?
In the space below, identify the various elements of this paper that relate to the activities of your organisation.
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