Anika Nashat Matin :
Service Quality GAP model is a tool of measurement that helps to identify GAPs between customer expectation and the actual service perceived by the customer. Hence, service quality is an approach to manage a business process in order to ensure full satisfaction of the customers which helps to increase competitiveness and effectiveness of service industry. In this competitive world of economy demand of customers are increasing and with that demand of high quality customer service is also in pipeline. Both the demand of product as well as given service quality is also measured by the customers to become loyal and as well as needed for the provider company to be measured to held the customers back. However, delivering superior value to customer should always be a major concern of the product manager. But, somehow in many circumstances, customers does not get the expected service from the company and thus creates GAP between the company and the customers.
1. THE CUSTOMER GAP- This GAP exists between what the customer expects and what they have perceived. Customer always expects what they have bought previously that influence cultural background, family lifestyle, experience with products and information available online or tangible view. On the other hand, customer perceived is totally subjective which is based on their interaction between the product or service. This GAP is the most important GAP as it causes differences between understanding the customers’ needs and expectations with the actual given service product. Knowing the expectations could be a good way to close the GAP.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE GAP- This GAP process between the consumers expectation and the management perceptions. In this GAP, managers are not aware of customers’ expectations that relates to their service or product. In a customer oriented business, it is very essential to have a good and clean knowledge of the customers’ needs or service. Existing of knowledge GAP means the companies are trying to meet the non-existing consumer needs. This GAP could be close througha diversify and vast market research.
3. THE POLICY GAP- This Gap can be termed as internal GAP of a company. This GAP reflects wrong guidelines for the employees regarding product specification. Giving less importance to product specification, giving less importance to product design, updating standardization of the quality of product, poor service design are results of being not keeping the loyal customers to hold back. In this fast changing economical world, customers’ should always aware of their products personification which must meet to standard desired of the modern customers.
4. THE DELIVERY GAP- This is a GAP of the employees’ lack of knowledge about the given service or product. The employees have not been given proper training relating to product that would meet the need of customers. In this part of GAP, the organization has weak human resources policies which lead to organization failure of setting loyal customers. Team management is not well set up to make up the queries of customers due to lack of knowledge regarding products/service. Management need to be cooperative, should have strong and proper knowledge about the given service and most importantly management should be cohesive to employees who gives the customers’ end service.
5. THE COMMUNICATION GAP- Communication GAP occurs what actually theservice communicates to the customers and what have been given to customers. When, the requirements of the service does not fulfill what has been promised to the customers. This can occur due to improper advertising, promotion. Promotion of any service should exactly what can be given. If the promised quality is not fulfilled by the provider, customers would seek alternate product sources. So, over promising, over committed promotion for any product should be avoided to end the communication GAP.
It must not be forgettable that service is a product and delivering time befitting service is important as well challenging. The study of Service Quality GAP is not only necessary to determine the internal GAP but also equally essential to retain customers in this technologized, developed and fast changing economical world. Delivering service without GAP is quite tough ,sometimes it is impossible, in this connection company must count customers presence in the relative field to hold them back and should improvised the internal GAP to remain in the field.
Service Quality GAP model is a tool of measurement that helps to identify GAPs between customer expectation and the actual service perceived by the customer. Hence, service quality is an approach to manage a business process in order to ensure full satisfaction of the customers which helps to increase competitiveness and effectiveness of service industry. In this competitive world of economy demand of customers are increasing and with that demand of high quality customer service is also in pipeline. Both the demand of product as well as given service quality is also measured by the customers to become loyal and as well as needed for the provider company to be measured to held the customers back. However, delivering superior value to customer should always be a major concern of the product manager. But, somehow in many circumstances, customers does not get the expected service from the company and thus creates GAP between the company and the customers.
1. THE CUSTOMER GAP- This GAP exists between what the customer expects and what they have perceived. Customer always expects what they have bought previously that influence cultural background, family lifestyle, experience with products and information available online or tangible view. On the other hand, customer perceived is totally subjective which is based on their interaction between the product or service. This GAP is the most important GAP as it causes differences between understanding the customers’ needs and expectations with the actual given service product. Knowing the expectations could be a good way to close the GAP.
2. THE KNOWLEDGE GAP- This GAP process between the consumers expectation and the management perceptions. In this GAP, managers are not aware of customers’ expectations that relates to their service or product. In a customer oriented business, it is very essential to have a good and clean knowledge of the customers’ needs or service. Existing of knowledge GAP means the companies are trying to meet the non-existing consumer needs. This GAP could be close througha diversify and vast market research.
3. THE POLICY GAP- This Gap can be termed as internal GAP of a company. This GAP reflects wrong guidelines for the employees regarding product specification. Giving less importance to product specification, giving less importance to product design, updating standardization of the quality of product, poor service design are results of being not keeping the loyal customers to hold back. In this fast changing economical world, customers’ should always aware of their products personification which must meet to standard desired of the modern customers.
4. THE DELIVERY GAP- This is a GAP of the employees’ lack of knowledge about the given service or product. The employees have not been given proper training relating to product that would meet the need of customers. In this part of GAP, the organization has weak human resources policies which lead to organization failure of setting loyal customers. Team management is not well set up to make up the queries of customers due to lack of knowledge regarding products/service. Management need to be cooperative, should have strong and proper knowledge about the given service and most importantly management should be cohesive to employees who gives the customers’ end service.
5. THE COMMUNICATION GAP- Communication GAP occurs what actually theservice communicates to the customers and what have been given to customers. When, the requirements of the service does not fulfill what has been promised to the customers. This can occur due to improper advertising, promotion. Promotion of any service should exactly what can be given. If the promised quality is not fulfilled by the provider, customers would seek alternate product sources. So, over promising, over committed promotion for any product should be avoided to end the communication GAP.
It must not be forgettable that service is a product and delivering time befitting service is important as well challenging. The study of Service Quality GAP is not only necessary to determine the internal GAP but also equally essential to retain customers in this technologized, developed and fast changing economical world. Delivering service without GAP is quite tough ,sometimes it is impossible, in this connection company must count customers presence in the relative field to hold them back and should improvised the internal GAP to remain in the field.
(Anika Nashat Matin, part time Lecturer (SBS), Southeast University)
