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Unit 3: Customer Accommodation

service quality of the firm; i.e., the firm is successful in meeting the customer’s expectations... so Notes
far! Since consumer expectations keep inching upward constantly, so must the quality of service.

 the measurement of the expectation of the customers (in this case, students) before the
service delivery (before admission)
 the measurement of perception of the experience, after the service encounter (after
admission, during the 2-year course and after the convocation)
 thus measuring the gap between the two
The model professes two types of gaps:

 The Customer Gap – the gap between customer expectations and customer perceptions.
This, 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. These form the bases of his
reference-to-come for the service experience. The customer’s perceptions indicate the service
as actually received, for all practical purposes, since what we perceive is what is real to us.
Perceptions are everything.

 Company-controlled external stimuli are: service product/offer, price, advertising,
promotions, displays, outlets etc.

Figure 3.2: Gaps Model of Service Quality

Source: Upendra Kachru, (2010), “Exploring the Supply Chain,” Excel Books
Social influences as external stimuli are: word of mouth communications and reference groups.
Other influencers of expectations are: personal needs and past experience of the customer.
The customer gap indicates the difference between actual performance and the customer’s
perception of the service. There are a lot of subjective judgments made by customers. Last
experiences may prejudice them and change their estimation of quality.

Example: A customer is satisfied with a certain restaurant; but his last experience there
(it could be because of a new waiter) could leave him embittered, washing away years of happy
experiences at one go.

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