Page 210 - DMGT522_SERVICES MANAGEMENT

Unit 10: Service Quality

In this unit, you will learn about the quality issues in services and various service quality Notes
models.

10.1 Service Quality

Service firms do try to achieve total quality in their performance. The total quality marketing
aims to achieve quality performance right at the first time. The entire organisation’s orientation
should be generating quality perceptions to the customers. Service firms can set targets for 100
per cent performance right at the first time. For some service organisations 100 percent quality
performance is a must, unlike manufacturing organisations. An airport cannot satisfy anything
less than 100 per cent performance in all its operations. Any failure anywhere may lead to
disastrous consequences.
Service firms are required to develop or respect some philosophies relating to service quality.
The following are some of the philosophies that promote quality atmosphere in the organisation.

10.1.1 Philosophies of Total Quality Services Marketing

The philosophies of total quality services marketing are as follows:
1. Quality must be perceived by Customers: The employees of the service firm and the
customers are involved in the service production. Both will perceive the quality that
resulted in the service encounter. If employee is satisfied with the quality and customer is
not satisfied, the service firm cannot claim quality performance. If the perceptions are vice
versa, the problem of the service firm is only internal. It can train the employee in such a
way that they can see the quality in customer reactions. The customer perceived quality is
the only end towards which service firms should orient themselves.
2. Quality must be reflected in every Company Activity: A customer who reserved a hotel
accommodation for five days will have hundreds of interactions - Right from gatekeeper’s
salute – to facilitating services performance, supporting services performance and their
consistency, co-customers, events, etc. The sum of all these experiences will contribute for
the development of an overall customer perceived quality. Excellent performance in some
parts, average performance in some and poor performance in some parts of the basic
service page can not contribute to the positive perceptions of the customers. Every activity
should reflect quality performance. Therefore, organisations should develop a total view
of the service product to perform quality rather than in bits and pieces.

Note Service is a bundle of features. Every part has its own role in contributing to the
perceptions of a customer.
3. Quality requires Total Employees Commitment: Employees constitute the core strength
for service firms. Only human beings can generate feeling and experiences in the customers
differently every time. Satisfied employees exhibit their belongingness to the organisation
and handle varied situations with greater involvement. Employee’s commitment is an
essential prerequisite to those service firms that want to ensure total quality service
marketing. Internal marketing need to be operated efficiently to enhance morale and to
motivate the employees to perform better in service encounters.

4. Quality can always be improved: There will be no ceiling for quality as far as services are
concerned. The scope is always open for further improvement. Therefore, service firms
should not satisfy with the existing performance standards of quality, even if the customers

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