Anika Nashat Matin :
Service and science has been collaborated with the mean of satisfaction and psychological and emotional needs. In together satisfaction can be termed as one of the important factor on determining the service quality. In these days, almost at every sphere of business in the world, profitability depends on service quality. Following are the 5 characteristics through which service can be measured. 1. Intangibility that is service cannot be tested, seen, felt, heard, felt before they are bought. 2. Inseparability that is services are typically produces and consumed simultaneously. 3. Variability that is, it depends on who provides them and when they are provided. 4. Perish ability where services cannot be saved, stored, resold or returned, and 5. Ownership where lack of ownership is a basic difference between a service industry and product industry.
However, we can also categorize the service sector as pure tangible goods, tangible goods with accompanying services and hybrid off course. In a consistent with these, there are 5 basic dimensions through which service quality can be measured (SERVQUAL Dimensions) with Reliability, Responsiveness, Empathy, Tangibles Assurance. Nevertheless an organization must be reliable to their consumers through the product they are depending where the consumers would see visible factors to rely on, must be treated importantly and equally with that the organization would be accountable what they are doing with their consumers and there must be a full concentration. This is how a short way to elaborate how customers satisfaction can be measured through SERVQAL Dimensions where both the ends get satisfactory result.
However, in service marketing there is a term named GAP model which helps both the provider and the receiver to find out what actually makes both the party dissatisfied from their own perspective. Generally, Gap occurs when the service provider fails to understand, the customers’ right choice, customers need at the right time. Lack of knowledge gap, delivery gap, communication gap, customer gap (expectations and perceived service) gives dissatisfaction at customers’ loyalty which actually turns the organization down.
GAP1- Customers’ expectations VS management perception, where a result of lack of communication, shortage of marketing research and lengthy management process.
GAP2- Management perceptions VS service specifications, results on lack of service commitments, management task relating to service is not up to standard level and set up goals is not identified.
GAP3- Service specifications VS service delivery, this gap is results on lack of quality full personnel at management level, unfit technological system, in appropriate supervisory control system, what actually leads of not gaining customers right level of expectations.
GAP4- Service delivery VS external communications, results of in adequate horizontal communications and propensity to over commitment.
GAP5- The discrepancy between customer expectations and their perceptions of service, this gap results on customers’ expectations are influenced by the extent of their personnel needs ,word of mouth, recommendation and past service experiences.
GAP6-The discrepancy between customer expectations and employees perceptions, this is a lack of understanding between the root level service providers and customers expectations.
GAP7- The discrepancy between employees’ perceptions and management perceptions, this is an internal gap between the employee and the management level, who fails to understand the customers’ expectations.
The regular follow up of SERVQUAL Dimensions to figure out customers satisfaction can bring more loyal customers for the organization.
(Anika Nashat Matin is a Part time Lecturer (SBS), Southeast University).
