What Is SERVQUAL Model?

Service quality is one area which was studied extensively for the past four decades. In the field of service marketing, there are many definition for service quality. Parasuraman et al, (1988) defines service quality as a discrepancy between customers’ expectation and perception of a service or service experience and this is basically the perceived service quality. Based on this concept, Parasuraman et al. (1985), developed a model known as the SERVQUAL. The SERVQUAL model is based on 22-item scale and it measures service quality based on five dimensions which are reliability, responsiveness, tangibility, assurance and empathy. According to Parasuraman et. al (1985) these five dimension are generic and they are applicable across the industries. However, there are some critics to this model also such as Gronroos (1990) and Mangold and Babakus (1991) who opines that SERVQUAL solely focuses on the service delivery process while neglecting the outcome of the service. Interestingly, the inventors of SERVQUAL suggested the importance of both the functional and technical aspect of service quality in the model (Parasuraman et.al, 1985). However, they didn’t include the technical aspect but it in the instrument. The emphasis on the functional aspect is basically the American school which was

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

The gap between expected and perceived service is a measure of service quality. Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons (2001) stated that measuring this gap through the customer feedback process is standard practice for leading service companies.

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

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

To verify the validity of SERVQUAL model in the assessment of service quality, Zeithaml et al (2006, p. 106-107), said that “service quality is a precise assessment that demonstrates the customer’s perception of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibility”. Furthermore, they said that “of all the stated dimensions, “reliability” is consistently shown to be the most significant in terms of service quality”.

SERVQUAL Model (Service Quality) developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1990). SERVQUAL built on their comparison of two main factors, namely real customer perception of the services they receive (Perceived Service) with actual services expected / desired (Expected Service). If the reality is more than expected, the quality of service can be said, but if the reality was less than expected, then the service is said to be inferior. If the same reality with expectations then the service satisfactory.

So, we need to make sure that every step or the process that we incorporate in our strategy of service delivery represent or reflects the quality and standard of our service. In services, if we talk about satisfying our customer, practically it’s very hard to agree a customer or make him/her trust that our service would be up to their desired level.(Jessica Hwang, Eves and Desombre, 2003). So, for this we need to identify some of the gaps that always exist in very service firm and by filling those gaps, a company can satisfy her customer more efficiently. The four services gaps

In today's competitive environment checking service quality is considered as an important strategy to retain the customers. Gap analysis is a tool to check the differences between standards set and service delivered.

The last section discuss about service quality which is the most impact that will effect in service industry. In this section, a service quality model has been discuss for further explain the relationship of the service quality and customer satisfaction. The result of the literature review and the themes which emerged can be found in chapter two.

Hospitality industry has shown an important increasing in its growth and diversification in recent years. it is also a service industry which has direct communication with customers. “The rationale of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. For successful operation of the firm a customer takes the centre stage in the management policy”(as quoted by Kotler and Armstrong, 2009). As an indispensable part of a hotel, customer satisfaction has become one of the most popular field which is researched by the hotel

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

Tools for Service Management are crucial factors to an organization 's service effectiveness and its future operations. Analyzing the strenghts, weakenesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization can help find out how well the organization is doing in the competative world of business. The imporatance of quality and standards have forced managers to take a thorough approach in achieving total quality. Quality can be measured in the terms of product performance, customer service, relaibility, standards, durability, and effects. “Quality in the Tourism and Hospitality

Service quality, in terms of customers’ perception, arises from a comparison of what customers expect that companies should offer with the companies’ service performance they perceive (Parasuraman et al, 1988). In order to maximise customer satisfaction, companies need to know what service components are important in customers’ perception and try to deliver good service quality with suitable proportions of those components.

A service deemed to be of high quality when the customer’s expectations are corroborated by subsequent service delivery. Service quality is important and strategic aspect in