Below is a complete, structured, and detailed answer to your question on Service Quality, including definitions, issues, components, the Service Quality Model (SERVQUAL), Gap Model, and explanation of Knowledge Gap, Standard Gap, Delivery Gap, and Communication Gap.
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⭐ SERVICE QUALITY – MEANING, ISSUES, COMPONENTS & GAP MODEL (SERVQUAL)
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? What Do You Mean by Service Quality?
Service quality refers to the degree to which a delivered service meets or exceeds customer expectations.
Because services are intangible, heterogeneous, inseparable, and perishable, managing and measuring their quality becomes more complex than goods.
In simple words:
? Service quality is the customer’s judgment of how well the service performance matches their expectations.
Examples:
A customer evaluating a bank’s speed of service.
A patient assessing a hospital’s care.
A traveler rating airline hospitality.
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⭐ VARIOUS ISSUES IN SERVICE QUALITY
Service firms face multiple challenges:
1. Intangibility
Quality cannot be seen, touched, or tested before purchase.
2. Variability / Heterogeneity
Service quality varies between employees, days, and customers.
3. Inseparability
Production and consumption occur together, making quality control difficult.
4. Perishability
Unused service capacity (e.g., empty hotel room) cannot be stored.
5. Human involvement
Employee mood, behavior, communication deeply impact quality.
6. Customer involvement
Customers themselves influence quality (e.g., providing correct documents at bank).
7. Difficulty in standardizing
Maintaining uniform quality across branches, employees, and locations is challenging.
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⭐ KEY COMPONENTS OF SERVICE QUALITY (SERVQUAL DIMENSIONS)
Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry developed SERVQUAL, which includes 5 components.
1. Reliability
Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
Example: Banks processing transactions correctly.
2. Assurance
Employee knowledge, courtesy, and ability to inspire trust and confidence.
Example: A doctor explaining treatment confidently.
