Minimising Quality Gaps in Service Management

The Gaps Model of Service Quality was originally developed for application in the financial service sector. The model was

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,

Excellence in customer service is the objective of all organisations wishing to be successful. However, there is often a gap between customer expectations and management perceptions of customer expectations. Organisations often fail to get close to their customers and correctly read their expectations.

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.

The author knows that a business will not succeed if the employees do not give the customers a quality customer service. Customers are most likely to come back to a place where they feel welcome, where they feel like they are being well treated.

You may offer a quality, well-priced product, but if a customer receives inferior service before, during or after the sale, future sales may be lost. Providing superior customer service in today 's competitive marketplace is crucial. Quite simply, customers are your business and lost sales through poor service means you will lose money.

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 customer-based performances measure is also known as SERVQUAL Model. This study empirically examines organizational barriers to delivering high-quality service performance as measured by customer perceptions and expectations. Using the extended service-quality model developed by Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman (Journal of Marketing, 52, 35-48) as a conceptual framework, five specific propositions implied by the model and by earlier studies contributing to its development were tested. Such testing required a complex research design involving five service companies as well as samples of customers, contact employees, and managers from each company. The results have

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

Customer preferences are important concept within services marketing theory. According to my review, service quality have significant relationship with customer preferences. Their finding indicates that the service quality provided by staff is fundamental and crucial to the customer satisfaction in the restaurants. Furthermore, customers will choose the restaurants based on their satisfaction level. In another study by Cronin and Taylor (1992), the study have shown the perceived service quality can greatly affect customers’ satisfaction and customer preferences. Many restaurants out there will pay more attention on service quality because it will directly influencing the customer preferences which will lead to customer revisit and customer will become loyalty to the restaurants. And will directly affect he restaurant revenue. In addition, Yüksel & Yüksel (2002) stated that service quality had the most significant impact on dining satisfaction at the aggregate market

Mani, N. K., & Srivalli, P. (2014). A study on factors influencing Service Quality in Restaurants'. Annamalai International Journal Of Business Studies & Research, 6(1), 1-9.

Gap 1: Consumer expectation vs. management perception gap. This gap is manager group doesn’t even know what are customer needed. They should read customers complains and change their service. Gap 2 Management perception vs service quality specification gap. Sometimes manager know they have problems and mistakes when they serve their guests. But they don’t change it may because they don’t have a good manager team. Gap 3: Service quality specifications vs service delivery gap. Managers may know what guests need and they changed their service better. But when employees deliver service that still cannot be perfect. People made mistakes and managers should train their employee avoid mistakes. Gap 4: Service delivery vs external communications gap. Hotel give excellent image to customers. But when they deliver their service customers don’t feel same as their expectation. Gap 5: expected service vs perceived service gap. This one is the gap that include all other 4 gaps. When managers and employees bridging the gaps and it can help them deliver better service and products. Made more added value in their

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