Various Models to Evaluate Quality in the Service Industry

Various Models to Evaluate Quality in the Service Industry

Jeganathan Gomathi Sankar, Peter Valan, M. S. Siranjeevi
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-5175-2.ch010
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Abstract

Service quality has turned out to be the most important topic of consideration to academicians and practitioners. It has been proven that the influence of service quality on business performance, cost leadership, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability. The accomplishment of quality in services has turned out to be a vital concern of all services organisations. Quality in services is mainly undefined and becomes the crucial issue. Increased competition and knowledge of customer satisfaction made the service organisations use new service parameters and implement quality management tools as competitive advantage. Service quality is hard to evaluate, as it is subjective in nature. Many researchers did explore and confirm the dimensions of service quality. This study focuses on various studies of service quality conducted by earlier researchers in an array of industries. The chapter details the development of service quality theory and different models hypothesised to measure service quality.
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Service Quality Models

Technical and Functional Quality Model

The understanding of service quality influence and perception of the customer is essential in the competitive market scenario. The service always extends its hands towards customers. The company meeting the expectation of customers at service quality has more success stories. The Service never comprised only at addressing customer issues. Modern industries look service in various forms. Technical quality is given in their product or service, the quality enhanced at the functionality of usage of product and service and unique image of the firm exhibited through its work.

Figure 1.

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978-1-7998-5175-2.ch010.f01
Source: Gronroos, 1984

GAP Model of Service Quality

The novelty of service quality well visualized through implementing a GAP model. The name GAP itself suggests this model identifies halo areas at service quality.

The five GAP addressed in GAP model is:

  • Gap 1: Failing to understand what are the customer expectations.

  • Gap 2: Failing to provide better quality at service.

  • Gap 3: The gap identified between at assured service and delivered service.

  • Gap 4: The evaluation of service delivered.

  • Gap 5: The gap majorly depends on the above four variables and identifies customer expectation and perception at service facilitation.

Figure 2.

GAP model of service quality

978-1-7998-5175-2.ch010.f02
Source: Parasuraman et al., 1985

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