1. SERVQUAL
A sound measure of service quality is necessary for:-
• Identifying the aspects of servicethat need performance improvement
• Assessing how much improvement is needed on each aspect
• Evaluating the impact of improvement efforts
SERVQUAL is one of the measures to be developed specifically to measure
Service Quality.
After extensive research, Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry found five dimensions (include 21
attributes) customers use when evaluating service quality. They named their survey instrument
SERVQUAL. In other words, if providers get these dimensions right, customers will hand over the
keys to their loyalty. Because they’ll have received service excellence. According to what’s
important to them, the five SERVQUAL dimensions are:
• TANGIBLES-Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication
materials.
• RELIABILITY-Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
• RESPONSIVENESS-Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.
• ASSURANCE-Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and
confidence.
• EMPATHY-Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers.
Not All Dimensions Are Equal
All dimensions are important to customers, but some more than others. Service providers need
to know which are to avoid majoring in minors. At the same time, they can’t focus on only one
dimension and let the others suffer. SERVQUAL research showed dimensions’ importance to each
other by asking customers to assign 100 points across all five dimensions.
The 5 Service Dimensions Customers Care About
2. • #1 Just Do It
RELIABILITY
❖ Providing service as promised.
❖ Dependability in handling customers’ service problems.
❖ Performing services right the first time.
❖ Providing services at the promised time.
❖ Maintaining error-free records.
• #2 Do It Now
RESPONSIVENESS
❖ Keeping customers informed as to when services will be performed.
❖ Prompt service to customers.
❖ Willingness to help customers.
❖ Readiness to respond to customers’ requests.
• #3 Know What You’re Doing
ASSURANCE
❖ Employees who instil confidence in customers.
❖ Making customers feel safe in their transactions.
❖ Employees who are consistently courteous.
❖ Employees who have the knowledge to answer customer questions.
• #4 Care about Customers as much as the Service
EMPATHY
❖ Giving customers individual attention.
❖ Employees who deal with customers in a caring fashion.
❖ Having the customer’s best interest at heart.
❖ Employee who understand needs of their customers & Convenient business hours.
• #5 Look Sharp
TANGIBLES
❖ Modern equipment.
❖ Visually appealing facilities.
❖ Employees who have a neat, professional appearance.
❖ Visually appealing materials associated with the service.
3. SERVQUAL’s Two Parts of the Questionnaire
The survey may ask the customers to provide two different ratings on each
attribute- reflecting the level of service they would expect from excellent
companies in the sector and the other one reflecting their perception of the
service delivered by a specific company within 5that sector. The difference
between Expectation and Perception ratings constitute a qualified measure of
Service Quality.
The SERVQUAL questionnaire split into two main sections:
• Respondents are asked about their expectations of the ideal service firm in that
service category.
In this case, the questions would be reworded to state an industry, such as banking,
or hotels, or education. There is no reference to a specific firm at this stage; instead
respondents are asked about the ideal firm to deal with. This is done to frame
expectations for that service category and to establish a benchmark for comparison.
By working through the RATER elements, there would be significant differences in
expectations across service industries.
• Respondents are then asked about the service quality delivery of specific firms in
that industry.
This approach provides the researcher with:
❖ A comparison of perceived service quality levels between competing firms,
❖ The difference between expected and delivered service quality for each firm,
and
❖ The ability to drill down to the 22 questions to determine where a specific
firm is performing above/below expectations or competitor quality levels.
(Refer to the tables given below for better understanding with examples)
