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Introduction to the Gaps Model of Service Quality

In order to create a project that enriches and improves the services that Montes
Claros is giving to their customers, we are going to undertake the Gap model of
service quality also known as SERVQUAL, this model was developed in the
eighties by Zeithaml, Parasuraman & Berry with the intention of serve as a tool
to assess, evaluate and manage the analysis of the quality of the services
provided by firms, it is also known as an analysis method of the flaws a service
can present and the consequent strategies to assess those failures.
Furthermore, the GAP model gives us a holistic and integrating view of the
interrelation between customers and a services company and how the customer
satisfaction can be assess from this complete framework.
This model help companies to truly understand and assess customer
expectations and where are the gaps between expected service and service
provided and match the inconsistencies between customer experience and
what the company believes they are delivering.
This model assess the major GAP which is the customer GAP, it is what they
expect to receive compared to what they perceived they received, closing that
GAP will help the firms to increase service quality commitment.
This model presents 4 gaps that companies need to focus on: The Listening
GAP, the Design and Standards GAP, the performance GAP and the
communication GAP.
GAP #1: The Listening GAP
This GAP valuates the difference between what the customer expect of the
service and what the company think are those expectations. The GAP becomes
wider when the company incorrectly determine them.

This erroneous interpretation is due to inaccurate marketing research or


allocating the efforts in the wrong criteria, also the incapacity of the firm to
translate insights into useful information and finally the lack of communication of
those findings to the various actors inside the company.
Even further, the lack of a long term relationship with the customers, only seeing
them in a one-time transaction perspective and not having developed nurturing
strategies to retain clients along with the constant focus on attracting new
customers will enlarge this listening GAP. Finally, the lack of segmentation will
tremendously magnify the GAP as no distinctions between them are
recognised, so a general and broad service is delivered instead of a customized
one.
GAP #2: Designs and Standards GAP
This GAP describes the discrepancy between what the company understands
the customer expectations are and what they design to fulfil those expectations.
This GAP measures if what the company thought was the customer expected
service was translated to specific actions and strategies carefully designed in a
way they will cover the expectative
This GAP expands when the company fails to design and structure clear and
precise strategies that allow the communication and widespread of useful
information, they fail at the level of insufficient training, vague guidelines, weak
empowerment of employees and poor deliver of physical evidence that implies
a tailored landscape that meets expected service.
GAP #3: Performance GAP
This GAP has to do with the difference between the designed plans and the
ones delivered in reality. The gap is wide when the plan does not meet the
reality and when companies do not allocate the right people for the ideal work, it

means they are not trained to be focus oriented or they do not have the values
or skills required for the tasks.
Moreover, companies can have difficulties with the parts of services that are
delivered by providers as they cannot control what they supplier will assume
and convey in terms of service.
Finally companies fail sometimes and broad the GAP by not promptly assess
demand and supply peaks as well as having service recovery strategies that are
sufficiently powerful if needed.
GAP #4: Communication GAP
This GAP arises from the differences between what the services delivery is, and
what is communicated to the customers about that service. Many times
companies promise certain characteristics that are not fulfil in real life and there
is where the GAP is open.
The overpromising or the communication of attributes around a service which in
reality differ from the delivered, can upgrade expectations to a point where the
reality is dissatisfying the customers.
Another strong reason why the GAP exists is the fact that expectations are not
correctly assess so customers do not receive want they really want.
In addition to the reasons mentioned above, the adequate internal
communication (horizontal and vertical), referring to the delivery of the service
according to the customers expectations, is critical in order to narrow the GAP
so that employees can offer a service empowered with the correct and valid
information so no misunderstandings between the guidelines and the employee
can arise, they need to know what can they offer, in which way and to which
clients so a flow of information between the company and the clients is created
through their employees.

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