Page 122 - DMGT510_SERVICES_MARKETING

Unit 6: Service Quality

Quality in service has two-window viewpoints: internal and external to the service firm. Notes
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Internal quality is all about the entire service delivery process—from concept to encounter/
experience/transaction/consumption and external refers to the customer expectations.
The Gap model can help a firm desirous of improving service quality to focus better on its
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strategies and service processes. This model can not only be used to find and identify areas
in service delivery and designs but also measure and monitor quality in service. It consists
of two types of gaps- consumer gaps and provider gaps.
Customer Gap is the gap between customer expectations and customer perceptions. This,
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in other words, is the service quality shortfall as seen by the customers. Customers develop
expectations from receipt of external stimuli from many sources - ranging from those that
are company-controlled to social influences.
There are four provider gaps and these in sum total are the cause of the Customer Gap.
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They are the shortfalls within the service firm.
Gap 1 is the customer expectation and management perception gap, Gap 2 is the management
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perception and service quality expectation gap, Gap 3 Service quality specifications and
service delivery gap and Gap 4 is the service delivery and external communications gap.
The Industrial Management Model is an approach to organizing a firm that focuses on
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revenues and operating costs and ignores the role personnel play in generating customer
satisfaction and sustainable profits.
The Market-focused Management Model focuses on the components of the firm that
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facilitate the firm’s service delivery system. It proposes that the firm should be supportive
of those personnel who serve the customers and interact with them.
SERVQUAL method says that customer expectations can be judged based on following
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factor: responsiveness, assurance, tangibility, empathy and reliability.
The importance of quality in services finds its base in lowered costs, higher customer
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loyalty, higher market share, loyal internal customers and higher ROI.
6.5 Keywords

Customer Gap: gap between customer expectations and customer perceptions
External Marketing: communication between company and customers
Interactive Marketing: communication between providers and customers

Internal Marketing: communication between company and providers
Moments of Truth: interaction between the provider and customer
Provider Gap: gap form provider’s side, cause of customer gap
Quality: totality of features of service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs

SERVQUAL: gives factors that affect customer expectations
Transcendental Quality: it can only be experienced not described
User based Quality: defined form customer’s perspective
Value based Quality: equates quality with value

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