Service Quality

Selling the TQ Concept

 Learn to think like top executives
 Position quality as a way to address priorities of stakeholders
 Align objectives with those of senior management
 Make arguments quantitative
 Make the first pitch to someone likely to be sympathetic
 Focus on getting an early win, even if it is small
 Ensure that efforts won’t be undercut by corporate accounting principles
 Develop allies, both internal and external
 Develop metrics for return on quality
 Never stop selling quality

Dimensions of Service Quality

1. Reliability - Perform promised service dependably and accurately. Examples:
delivered home
heating oil on schedule, correct diagnosis and treatment of a medical problem.
2. Responsiveness - Willingness to help customers promptly. Example: avoid keeping
customers
waiting for no apparent reason.
3. Assurance - Knowledge and courtesy of employees. Ability to convey trust and confidence.
Example:
being polite and showing respect for customer.
4. Empathy - Providing caring, individualized attention to customers. Example: being a good
listener.
5. Tangibles - Physical facilities and facilitating goods. Example: cleanliness.

Perceived Service Quality

Determinants of Perceived Service Quality

A “GAPS” MODEL OF SERVICE QUALITY

GAP 1 GAP 2

GAP 3 GAP 4
SUGGESTIONS FOR CLOSING INTERNAL SERVICE GAPS
[GAPS 1 - 4]

Suggestions for Closing the Market Information Gap

1. Conduct systematic marketing research
2. Make senior managers interact with customers
3. Make senior managers occasionally perform customer-contact roles
4. Encourage upward communication from customer-contact employees

Suggestions for Closing the Service Standards Gap

1. Make a blueprint of the service and standardize as many components of it as possible
2. Institute a formal, ongoing process for setting service specifications
3. Eliminate “perception of infeasibility” on the part of senior managers
4. Make a true commitment to improving service quality

Suggestions for Closing the Service Performance Gap

1. Invest in ongoing employee training
2. Support employees with appropriate technology and information systems
3. Give customer-contact employees sufficient flexibility
4. Reduce role conflict and role ambiguity among customer-contact employees
5. Recognize and reward employees who deliver superior service

Suggestions for Closing the Internal Communication Gap

1. Facilitate effective horizontal communication across functional areas (e.g., marketing and
operations)
2. Have consistent customer-related policies and procedures across branches or departments
3. Resist the temptation to promise more than the organization can deliver

Process Model for Continuous Measurement and Improvement of Service Quality