!"# %&'() &* +(,-./( 01").

23

1he Gap model o serice quality was deeloped by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml ,1985,,
and more recently described in Zeithaml and Bitner ,2003,. It has sered as a ramework or
research in serices marketing, including hospitality marketing, or oer two decades. 1he model
identiies our speciic gaps leading to a ith oerall gap between customers` expectations and
perceied serice.
45( *.-( 6"#+
Customers hae expectations or serice experiences and they use them to measure
against the perceied serice perormance in their judgment o serice quality. It is
essential, then, that managers determine what those expectations are when designing the
serice. 1he irst gap in serice quality occurs when management ails to accurately
identiy customer expectations. It is reerred to as the 78&9)('6( 6"#: Speciically, it is
the dierence in customer expectations and management`s perception o customer
expectations. lotel managers, or instance, must know and understand what their guests
expect rom their stay, including all tangibles ,the room, amenities, lobby eatures, and
intangible components ,aailability o additional serices, ease o check-in and check-out
procedures,. 1he +.;( &* 25( 6"# is dependent on:
the extent o upward communication ,rom customers to top management,,
the number o layers o management,
the size o the organization,
and most importantly, the extent o marketing research to identiy customer
expectations.

1he second gap is reerred to as the '(+.68 6"#. It is measured by how well the serice
design speciications match up to management`s perception o customer expectations.
1he extent o this gap is dependent on management`s belie that serice quality is
important and that it is possible, as well as the resources that are aailable or the
proision o the serice. A restaurant manager may understand customer expectations
or being sered within 20 minutes o ordering, but may not hae the resources or the
appropriate number o sta to insure that speed o serice.

Gap 3 represents the ariation in serice design and serice deliery. Known as the
#(,*&,%"8/( 6"#< its extent is a unction o many ariables inoled in the proision o
serice. Since indiiduals perorm the serice, the quality may be aected by such actors
as +7.)) )(-(), type o 2,".8.86 ,(/(.-(', '(6,(( &* ,&)( /&86,1.23 ="6,((">.).23? &,
/&8*)./2, and @&> *.2: Some +(,-./( #,&-.'(,+ ,i.e. waiters, ront-desk sta, do not hae
a 5.65 +(,-./( .8/).8"2.&8, despite training. Serice recoery eorts along with extent o
,(+#&8+.>.).23 and (%#&9(,%(82 also "**(/2 25( +.;( &* 25.+ 6"#.

1he process is urther complicated by the customer`s #",2./.#"2.&8 in the serice
encounter. A customer may make a special request or a room type dierent
rom the one originally resered, or request a menu item ater the initial order has
been completed, making it more diicult to perorm the serice as intended.

1he ourth gap is called the /&%%18./"2.&8+ 6"#. It is the dierence between what is
promised to customers, either explicitly or implicitly, and what is being deliered.
lospitality companies use adertising, personal selling, and sales promotion to inorm,
persuade, and remind guests about its products and serices. Showing beautiully
appointed hotel rooms, rereshing swimming pools, and luxurious lobby areas in an
adertisement communicates to the target customers. 1he extent o communications
between the company and the adertising agencies 9.)) "**(/2 25( +.;( &* 25( 6"#:
Oer-promising is commonly responsible or the communication gap. Lach gap has a
/1%1)"2.-( (**(/2 rom the preceding gaps.

!"# A is the total accumulation o ariation in !"#+ B 25,&165 C "8' ,(#,(+(82+ 25(
'.**(,(8/( >(29((8 (D#(/2"2.&8+ "8' #(,/(.-(' +(,-./(. lurthermore, consumers
ealuate perceied serice along ie quality dimensions.


E.%(8+.&8+ &* +(,-./( 01").23
Serice quality dimensions reer to the psychological dimensions that orm the basis o a
customer`s perceied quality o a serice. \hile numerous marketing researchers hae attempted
to deine the speciic dimensions o serice quality, Parasuraman, Berry, and Zeithaml ,1985,
introduced the deinition in their presentation o the Gap Model o Serice Quality. 1hey
proposed that ie speciic dimensions o serice quality exist and apply regardless o the serice
industry: ,().">.).23< ,(+#&8+.-(8(++< "++1,"8/(< (%#"253< "8' 2"86.>)(+.

1he most important serice quality dimension to customers is ,().">.).23:
F().">.).23 is deined as the ability to perorm the promised serice dependably and
accurately. In other words, it means '&.86 95"2 3&1 +"3 3&1 9.)) '&. Customers hae
consistently stated that a company`s ability to delier promises is the most ital actor to
proiding serice quality. laing a room ready upon check-in is an example o the
reliability dimension.

F(+#&8+.-(8(++ is the willingness to help customers and to proide prompt serice.
Customers judge a company`s responsieness by assessing the amount o time it takes
and the attentieness that is oered in response to their requests, questions, complaints,
and problems. Companies that use automated phone systems, regularly put customers on
hold, or consistently hae long wait times or long lines tend to be rated low on the
responsieness dimension. Responding quickly to requests or complaints leads to a
higher rating on this dimension.


1he third dimension o serice quality is "++1,"8/(: Assurance is deined as employees`
knowledge and courtesy and the ability o the irm and its (%#)&3((+ 2& .8+#.,( 2,1+2
"8' /&8*.'(8/(: 1he assurance dimension is particularly important in serice industries
oering high leels o credence qualities, such as auto repair and medical serices. 1he
importance o the assurance dimension increases in proportion to the risk, and the
greater the inability or a customer to ealuate the serice. 1he expertise o an endorser
or a particular serice proider or a cruise acation may aect the leel o conidence
and trust a customer has toward that serice.

G%#"253 is deined as the caring, indiidualized attention the irm proides its
customers. Customers perceie the leel o a company`s empathy by the degree o
personalized serice oered. Customers want to be known on an indiidual basis and
eel that the company understands and addresses their indiidual needs. \hen competing
with companies that enjoy economies o scale, small companies can earn greater market
shares by ocusing on empathy. Showing concern or a guest whose luggage is lost is a
way to improe the oerall perceied serice quality.

1he inal dimension o serice quality is 2"86.>)(+: 1angibles are deined as the
appearance o physical acilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials.
Serice industries such as hotels and restaurants rely heaily on tangibles. Guests oten
judge the quality o a hotel experience on the quality o the physical enironment and
tangible amenities.


Lach time they experience a serice, guests are ealuating the hospitality organization. 1hese
customers judge the oerall serice quality by looking at its ie dimensions during all
interactions with serice proiders. Companies need to perorm well on all dimensions o serice
quality to insure a positie oerall ealuation.