6.3 Customer service quality failures
Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (1990) identified five "gaps" in service quality that can occur between the service expectation by customers and the experience they actually receive. These "gaps" which are responsible for quality failures can be characterised as follows.
- Customer expectations - management perceptions: Managers may not always be aware of what customers expect/desire from the providers of the service. This gap in expectation and management perception could lead to a series of decisions that would not enhance the service experience of customers but may be the cause of expenditure by the organisation that will have any returns.
- Management perceptions - service quality specifications: Even if management can closely understand customer expectations, they may find it difficult to define and set in place performance standards to measure service delivered. Defining these standards can be a difficult task because it may point out other issues that have to be addressed first. The setting of these standards, however, is important because it clearly tells contact personnel what the management priorities and expectations are in this regard.
- Service quality specifications - service delivery: This gap can occur if contact personnel are inadequately trained, poorly motivated, poorly supported in their functions, or do not understand the specifications set for their performance.
- Service delivery - external communications: The promises made by the organisation, through promotional material or through commitment given by personnel must be matched by the service performed. External communications includes informing the customer about the full range and scope of services that the organisation offers and how they may be best used. In this regard, external communications help to define expectations as well as perceptions of what is received.
- Service expectations - service perceptions: The previous four gaps lead necessarily to this gap. Addressing the others removes this.
The service quality model that demonstrates these gaps is shown in figure 6.1 on the following page.
Activity 6.1
Looking at Figure 6.1, list the steps at various stages you would take to close the gaps to ensure quality of service.
Figure 6.1: Conceptual model of service quality (SERVQUAL)
Source : Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry (1990, p. 46)
The following reading takes the discussion so far to its logical next step - the action organisations take to reduce gaps and derive benefits for their business function.
Reading 6.2
Zeithaml et al 1992, "Strategic positioning on the dimensions of service quality".
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