The Gaps Model of Service

Quality

What is Gap????????
The customer gap is the difference

between customer expectations

and perceptions.
For
e.g. when you buy an
expensive car/ buy a business class
ticket you expect a high level of
service, considerably superior to
the
other
cheaper
options
available.

SERVQUAL
For

measuring
customer
satisfaction survey instrument was
developed
by
Parasuraman,
Ziethaml and Berry in 1988.
SERVQUAL
scale includes five
dimensions:
Reliability,
Responsiveness,
Assurance,
Empathy and Tangibles.

Five Dimensions of
SERVQUAL
Reliability:

Delivering

on

promise
Car Repairing: Problem fixed at

the first time and ready when

promised
Air Lines: Flights to promised
destination; departure and arrival
on schedule
Excellent banks will:
Carry out what they promise to

Five Dimensions of
SERVQUAL
Responsiveness: Being willing to

help
Car Repairing : Accessible; no waiting;

responds to requests
Air Lines : Prompt and speedy system of
ticketing, in-flight baggage handling
Employees of excellent banks will:
Tell customers exactly when the service will
be performed
Give prompt service to customers
Always be willing to help customers
Have the knowledge to answer customer
questions

Five Dimensions of
SERVQUAL
Assurance:

Inspiring

trust

and

confidence
Car

Repairing : Knowledgeable & skilled

mechanics

Air

Lines : Trusted name; good safety

record; competent employees

Employees of excellent bank will:

Instill confidence in customers

Be consistently courteous to customers
questions
Ensure safety in transactions with customers
Have the answers to customers questions

Five Dimensions of
SERVQUAL
Empathy: Treating customers as

individuals
Car Repairing : Acknowledges customer
by name; remembers previous problems
and preferences
Airline: Understands special individual
needs; anticipate customer needs
Excellent Banks will:
Give individual attention to customers
Have convenient operating hours for all their

customers
Understand the specific needs of their customers.

Five Dimensions of
SERVQUAL
Tangibles: Representing the service

physically
Car Repairing :

Repair facility; waiting

area; uniforms; equipment
Airline:
Aircraft;
ticketing
counters;
baggage area; uniforms
Excellent Banks will have:
Modern Equipment
Visually Appealing physical facilities
Neat, well dressed employees
Visually

appealing material associated

services (like brochures or statements)

with

The customer gap

Expected Service
Customer Gap

Perceived Service

The customer gap

(Restaurant)

Expected Service
hygiene, temperature, service style, superior quality ingredie

Customer Gap

Perceived Service
(experience you get at the end of the day)

Basis for Gaps model

Closing

the gap between what

customers expect and what they
perceive is critical
to delivering
quality service.

It

aims at understanding the

customer better and better than any
thing else as customer is the critical
component of services marketing.

Word of Mouth
Communication

Personal Needs

Past Experince

Expected Service
Customer
gap

CUSTOMER

Gap3

Perceived Service

Service Delivery

COMPANY
Gap1
Customer Driven
Service Designs
and Standards
Gap2
Company perceptions
of Consumer
Expectations

Gap4

External
Communication to
Customers

The provider gaps

These

gaps
occur
within
the
organization providing the service:
Gap1: Not knowing what customers
expect
Gap2: Not selecting the right service
designs and standards.
Gap3: Not delivering to service
designs and standards
Gap4: Not matching performance to
promises

Key Factors Leading to Provider Gap 1

Customer
Expectations

Inadequate Marketing Research Orientation

Insufficient marketing research
Research not focused on service quality
Inadequate use of market research

Lack of Upward Communication

Lack of interaction between management and customers
Insufficient communication between contact employees
and managers
Too many layers between contact personnel and top
management

GAP
1

Insufficient Relationship Focus

Lack of market segmentation
Focus on transactions rather than relationships
Focus on new customers rather than relationship
customers

Inadequate Service Recovery

Company Perceptions of
Customer Expectations

PROVIDER GAP 1:
Not knowing what customers expect
Inadequate Market Research

Lack of market segmentation: All Europeans

Focus on transactions than relationships:
Volumes

Bharat Petroleum

Survey carried out to find out about their

additional expectation and the kind of

Key Factors Leading to Provider Gap 2

Customer-Driven Service
Designs and Standards

GAP
2

Poor Service Design

Unsystematic new service development process
Vague, undefined service designs
Failure ot connect service design to service
positioning
Absence of Customer-Driven Standards
Lack of customer-driven service standards
Absence of process management to focus on
customer requirements
Absence of formal process for setting service
quality goals
Inappropriate Physical Evidence and Servicescape

Management Perceptions of
Customer Expectations

PROVIDER GAP 2: Not selecting the

right service designs & standards
Poor Service Design

Most of the Banks

Banks

imagine that customers want the

demand draft to be delivered within 5
minutes of the order and gear up excessive
capacity accordingly.
In fact, customers may not expect such rapid
delivery but prepared to wait for 10 to 15
minutes for such a complex instrument.

Key Factors Leading to Provider GAP 3

Customer-Driven Service
Designs and Standards

Deficiencies in Human Resource Policies

Ineffective recruitment
Role ambiguity and role conflict
Poor employee-technology job fit
Inappropriate evaluation and compensation systems
Lack of empowerment, perceived control and teamwork

GAP
3

Failure to Match Supply and Demand

Failure to smooth peaks and valleys of demand
Inappropriate customer mix
Over-reliance on price to smooth demand

Customers Not Fulfilling Roles

Customers lack knowledge of their roles and responsibilities
Customers negatively impact each other

Problems with Service Intermediaries

Channel conflict over objectives and performance
Channel conflict over costs and rewards
Difficulty controlling quality and consistency
Tension between empowerment and control

Service Delivery

PROVIDER GAP 3:
Not delivering the Service Standards
Deficiency in HR Policies

Customer not
fulfilling roles

All language to be spoken: Expected by

customers.
Barcelona resident Expectations

During Peak Hours

In most of the banks during the rush

hours, service delivery is unable to

keep pace with the customer demand.
Even though the service standards
may be right, the provider is unable to
deliver what he has set for himself.

Key Factors Leading to Provider GAP 4

Service Delivery

GAP
4

Lack of Integrated Services Marketing Communications

Tendency to view each external communication as
independent
Not including interactive marketing in communications plan
Absence of strong internal marketing program
Ineffective Management of Customer Expectations
Not managing customer expectations through all forms of
communication
Not adequately educating customers
Overpromising
Overpromising in advertising
Overpromising in personal selling
Overpromising through physical evidence cues
Inadequate Horizontal Communications
Insufficient communication between sales and operations
Insufficient communication between advertising and operations
Differences in policies and procedures across branches or units

External Communications to
Customers

PROVIDER GAP 4:
Not matching performance to promises
Lack of integrated services marketing communications

Ineffective mgmt. of
customer expectations

Lack of Adequate Education to

customers
E.g. : Toilet signboards were low

Thank You

4/5/15