5 Gaps Model Essay

Service quality is referred to a valuation of how good a delivered service meets the customer’s expectation. Upper management

Gap One will widen if healthcare organizations primarily focus on operational issues instead of building relationships with consumers (O'Connor, Trinh , & Shewchuk, 2000). An example of closing Gap One is seen in the airline industry. A study done by Gourdin and Kloppenborg (1991) revealed that while the airline industry perceived that providing beverage service on short flights was important to consumers; consumers do not value this service. The study revealed that consumers saw the hurried beverage service as an annoyance rather than a valued service.

Brandy and Cronin (2001) introduced their own dimensions of service quality which are 1.) service environment, 2.) customer-employee interaction, and 3.) service outcome. These dimensions are considered the sources of quality of a service. Different dimensions of service quality have been introduced and accepted in past researches and studies but the 5 dimensions of Zeithaml et al., (1988) were proved to be the most reliable and credible. One of the most important strategies service providers can use to position themselves effectively in a competitive environment, and to distinguish themselves from competitors, is to provide and improve service quality to ensure the customer satisfaction (Cronin & Taylor,

When the competition was growing in service sector the demand for service quality was understood. At this time a new question was emerged, if it is possible to apply the principles of TQM in service industry. The literatures and viewpoints of different researchers made the latest moderations to TQM concepts and made TQM adaptable for service sector also.(2) Today, customers have a wide choice of service providers and they would choose only the best service providers in terms of quality, reliability, and profitability and who are at par with international standards. Therefore, the quality of service plays a dominant role and is a primary factor in ensuring the survival of the service provider in the global market. The whole focus is now concentrated on providing services to customer beyond his expectations. This concept is applicable to all service industries and has given birth to the concept of TQM in service

Employees must first align their perceptions of service quality to what the customer’s perceptions are (Becker & Wellins 1990). Understanding what drives the customer establishment relationship is important to turning one time customers into loyal

* The difference between expectations of service for a given organization and perceived quality of delivery by the service provider

The gaps model is one framework that can help the service organisation maintain service quality (Zeithaml & Bitner 1996, cited McColl-Kennedy & Kiel 2000). The core concept of this model is the fifth ‘customer gap’. The key to success in the management of service quality is to eliminate the customer gap. In order to do this the organisation must firstly eliminate four prior organisational gaps; (1) not knowing what customers expect (2) Not selecting the right service designs and standards (3) Not delivering to service standards (4) not matching service to promises made. McColl-Kennedy & Kiel (2000) propose that if gaps one to four can be kept closed, then the fifth gap, which is the customer gap, can be bridged.

| Describe the five gaps identified in the gap model of service quality that can cause problems in service delivery and influence customer evaluations of service quality. Discuss ways that marketers can close each gap.

Hung, Y. H., Huang, M. L., & Chen, K. S. (2003). Service quality evaluation by service quality performance matrix. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence.

The key to ensuring good quality service is meeting or exceeding what the customers expect from services. Judgements of high and low quality depend on how customers the actual service performance in the context of what they expected. Service quality, as perceived by the customers, can be defined as the extent of discrepancy but customers’ expectations or desires and their

Perceived service quality as a customer-based performance measure: An empirical examination of organizational barriers using an extended service quality model was done by A. Parasuraman, Leonard L. Berry, Valarie A. Zeithaml.

Pursuing to meet customer expectations is a critical and strategic decision. It is not something an organization does simply to satisfy a standard but it is something does to stay in the business. Meeting customer expectations should be the ultimate goal. Although profit and revenues are very important, this is nothing compare the results of fulfilling customer needs and expectations. Everyone must involve in meeting customer expectations. All personnel should have the capability to meet what the customers expect them to do. Customers are only satisfied if their expectations are consistently met. To be competitive, expectations of customers must meet in a timely and cost effective manner.

Source : Adapted from A. Parasuraman, Valerie Zeithaml, and Leonard Berry, “A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research,” Journal of Marketing, 49 (Fall 1985)

Customer satisfaction and service quality are the two important components that direct anyone’s attention in every concept related to marketing, services, etc. (Spreng and Mackoy, 2006). In today’s competitive era, the success lies in

Service quality represents a fundamental aspect of delivery, which strongly influences consumer satisfaction and, as a result, loyalty. In today’s global market a customer’s service expectation has to be met and exceeded eventually in order to retain customers as well as achieve success. Perceived quality of a product or a service is becoming one of the major competitive factors in the business world and has led to the innovation of the ‘Quality Era’ (Peeler, 1996). In simple words, the comparison of customer expectations with service performance is service quality. On the other hand, customer satisfaction is defined as a pleasurable fulfilment response toward a good, service, benefit, or reward (Oliver, 1997). Both of these