Chapter 13

The five service quality dimensions

-RELIABILITY (the ability to perform the service dependently and accurately) RESPONSIVENESS (the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service) ASSURANCE (the knowledge of and courtesy by employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence), EMPATHY (the caring, individualized attention provided to the customer) TANGIBLES (the appearance of a physical facility, equipment, personal and communication materials).

The Zone of Tolerance

An important marketing metric to evaluate how well firms perform on the five service quality dimensions This refers to the difference between what the customer really wants and what he or she will accept before going elsewhere

1. The Knowledge Gap

Evaluating Service Quality Using Well Established Marketing Metrics To meet or exceed customers' expectations, marketers must determine what those are ***Customers generally use five distinct service dimensions to determine overall service quality: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. -A systematic voice-of-customer (VOC) program collects customer inputs and integrates them into managerial positions. This is one of the metrics used -The Zone of Tolerance: important metrics

The Gaps Model

Providing great service is not easy. It requires a conscious effort to analyze the service process piece by piece in order to improve it. This is exactly what the Gaps Model helps marketers do. Customers have certain expectations about how a service should be delivered. When the delivery fails to meet those expectations, a service gap results. The Gaps Model helps marketers examine all aspects of the service delivery process, and prescribes the steps needed to develop an optimal service strategy

3. The Delivery Gap

This is the difference between the firm's service standards and the actual service it provides to customers. It can be closed by getting employees to meet or exceed service standards. This is a critical gap. Empowerment: Delivery gaps can be reduced when employees are empowered: empowerment means allowing employees to make decisions about how service gets provided to customers Support and incentives: The gap can also be reduced by providing support (emotional, instrumental, managerial) and incentives, which are rewards to employees for excellent service Use of technology: technology has become an increasingly important facilitator of the delivery of services (self checkouts, kiosks, ATMs). Using technology provides many benefits - a greater degree of control by the customer, access to a wider variety of services, information

4. The Communications Gap

This refers to the difference between the actual service provided to customers and the service that the firm's promotion program (advertising, promotions, personal selling) promises. If firms are more realistic about the services they can provide, in their advertising for example, they can close this gap. -Don't promise more than you can deliver -Follow-through on the service delivery

2. The Standards Gap

refers to the difference between the firm's perceptions of customer expectations and service standards it sets. Firms can close this gap by setting appropriate service standards and measuring service performance. How can a company inshore that the standards are followed? -Through training: to consistently deliver service that meets customer's expectations, firms must set specific, measurable goals. -Commitment to service quality: service providers take their cues from management. If managers strive for excellence service, treat their customers well, and demand the same attitudes from everyone in the organization, employees will do the same