Gaps Models

Gaps Models

Parasuraman et al (1985) view perceived service quality as a gap between the customers’ perception of the received service quality and the customers’ expected level of service quality (Service quality = Perception – Expectation). 

The central focus of the Gaps model is the ‘customer gap’. (Zeithaml and Bitner, 2000) and Parasuraman et al (1988) have devised an instrument known as the SERVQUAL instrument (a questionnaire) to measure it.

            The instrument consists of twenty two questions of twenty two attributes (Appendix – Exhibit 3) to measure the customer gap or gap between the customers’ expected and the perceived service which was later reduced to 21 questions.

 

Parasuraman et al (1988) cited that the nature of the characteristics customers use to evaluate the quality of goods is different when they evaluate the expected service and perceived service quality and stress the necessity of identifying the characteristics that represent the evaluative criteria customers use to assess service quality. 

Therefore in earlier research Parasuraman et al (1985) identified 10 characteristics (determinants) which customers used to evaluate service quality based on a series of focus group sessions. Later Parasuraman et al (1988) reduced the ten determinants into five specific dimensions (Table 1) after discovering that there was a considerable correlation among the original ten determinants. Parasuraman et al (1990) claimed that those five are distinct dimensions of service quality which the SERVQUAL instrument is based on. 

1. Reliability – ability to perform service dependably and accurately

2. Responsiveness – willingness to help and respond to customer needs

3. Empathy – the extent to which caring and individualised service is given

4. Assurance – ability of staff to inspire confidence and trust

5. Tangibles –  physical facilities, equipment, staff appearance, etc

Five dimension of service quality

Berry and Parasuraman (1991) have found that reliability has repeatedly emerged as the most critical dimension when measuring the relative importance of the five dimensions using the SERVQUAL questionnaire in ten studies and claim that the ‘Reliability’ dimension is the essence of service quality or the very core of service marketing excellence. However, there are some concerns for this claim. (Babakus and Boller, 1992) argue that the most critical dimension and the number of dimensions are dependent on the industry in which service quality is being measured. This study is also to test whether this is true or false in a super market context.

2.5 The SERVQUAL Instrument (questionnaire)

The SERVQUAL instrument has been widely used in measuring service quality in many research studies (Babakus and Mangold, 1992; Carman, 1990; Cronin and Taylor, 1992; as cited by Parasuraman et al, 1993). According to Brown, Churchill and Peter (1993) also the SERVQUAL is the most popular measure of service quality, which involves the calculation of the difference between expectations and perceptions on a number of specified determinants. After an evaluation of four alternative service quality models Brady and Cronin (2001) state that the SERVQUAL instrument appears to be distinct from the others as it uses one or more determinants to measure the service quality. 

Parasuraman et al (1994b), acknowledged that the SERVQUAL instrument has been used productively and widely for measuring service quality in many published studies examining service quality in a variety of contexts, including Banking, Pest control, Dry cleaning and Fast food (Cronin and Taylor 1992); A Gas and Electricity Company (Babakus and Boller 1992); Discount and Department Stores (Finn and Lamb 1991; Teas 1993). 

Taylor and Miyazaki (1995) argue that some measure of perceived performance is important in assessing service quality; but it is difficult to obtain accurate data especially for services where the customers are unable to evaluate the key attributes of the service. Another argument concerns the difficulties of measuring service quality because it is inherently subjective, due to its Intangibility, Heterogeneity, Inseparability (Parasuraman et al 1985) and Perishability (Zeithaml and Bitner 2000). However Deming (1998) argues that accuracy, speed, dependability and care in handling are important characteristics of service quality and are as easy to quantify and to measure as the quality of manufactured products.

Source : Chapter04