Have you ever wondered, how you can measure service quality? The quality evaluation of service is not only the result of the service performance, but also the process itself. When evaluating a product, the customer solely assesses the functions, appearance and results of the product. In service however, the core evaluation criteria is the perception of the customer. If he or she is dissatisfied with the way he was treated, the execution process or the service result, he or she will define the service as a failure. One solution is the gap analysis of service quality.
The gap model for service quality is independent from the business branch and can be applied to any kind of service. Service quality deficiency occurs due to a mismatch between the expectation of the customer and the reality of the service execution. Due to the higher complexity of service offerings and unclear specifications, it has become more difficult to measure and estimate the level of service quality.
The gap model provides five gaps, which have certain influence factors that usually are the cause of the discrepancy between perception and expectation.
Market research is an important tool in order to understand the needs and expectations of the customer better. This means, that primary and secondary data has to be evaluated, in order to understand the customer and the market fully. A thorough market research can be made by the full range of service tests, company image studies, customer frequency research, customer structure analyses, customer opinion research, competitive intelligence, competitor and trend analyses, and also through customer complaints and suggestions.