CHARACTERISTICS OF SERVICES.
DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY?
●
Intangibility
Unlike physical products,
services cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard, or smelled before
they are bought.
Example: A person getting a
haircut cannot see the results before the hair is cut, and the patient in the
psychiatrist’s office cannot know the exact outcome of treatment before etc.
Services cannot be
separated from its providers. Whereas physical goods are manufactured, then
inventoried, then distributed, and later consumed, services are typically
produced and consumed simultaneously. The provider is part of the service.
Provider–client interaction is a special feature of services marketing
Example: A haircut can't be
produced without the barber, A surgery cannot be performed without a doctor,
Case cannot be fought in the court without a lawyer etc.
●
Perishability
Services cannot be stored
for later sale or use and this is called perishability, and it can create a
problem when demand fluctuates.
Example:
An appointment from a doctor once missed is gone and that’s why
doctors charge extra fees for every appointment, the service of tiffin cannot
be stored if you didn't eat it, you will have to pay for the same etc.
●
Variability
Because the quality of
services depends on who provides them, when, where, how, and to whom, services
are highly variable.
Example:
Some doctors have an excellent bedside manner; others are less
empathetic.
Different hairstyles provide different services in different salons or even in
the same etc.
CONCLUSION:
Services
are intangible, inseparable, variable and perishable and it depends upon the
provider. Products might not create a differentiation but services when
provided creates a differentiation as every organization has its own set of
employees.
Service quality is a comparison of
perceived expectations (E) of a service with perceived performance(P), giving
rise to the equation SQ=P-E.
High service quality plays a
very important role for any business to grow by keeping their customers
satisfied by meeting their expectations. Customers compare perceived and
expected service. If the perceived service falls below the expected service,
customers are disappointed. Successful companies add benefits to their offering
that not only satisfy
customers but surprise and delight them by exceeding
expectations
So, let’s now understand a
service-quality model that highlights the main
requirements for delivering high service quality by understanding these 5 gaps that prevent successful
delivery:
1. Gap between consumer expectation and management
perception
Management does not always correctly perceive what customers want.
Example: Hospital administrators may
think patients want better food, but patients may be more concerned with nurse
responsiveness.
2. Gap between management perception and
service-quality specification
Management might correctly perceive customers’ wants but not set a performance
standard. Example: In a pizza delivery
outlet managers may tell the employees that they have to deliver fast but may
not specify the time in minutes i.e. they miss the specifications.
3. Gap between service-quality specifications and
service delivery
Employees might be poorly trained or incapable of or unwilling to meet the
standard; they may be held to conflicting standards, such as taking time to
listen to customers and serving them fast.
Example: When you face an issue with the disk of your television, you might call the operator several times, but he/she might not respond promptly and will take a lot of time to fix the issue.
4. Gap between service delivery and external communications
Consumer expectations are affected by statements made by company
representatives and ads. Example: If a
Hotel brochure shows a beautiful room but the customer finds it cheap and
tacky-looking, external communications have distorted the customer’s
expectations.
5. Gap between perceived and expected service
The consumer may misperceive the service quality.
Example: The physician may keep visiting
the patient to show care, but the patient may interpret this as an indication
that something is really wrong so clear intentions should be communicated to
the customers.
Based on this service-quality model, researchers identified five DIMENSIONS of
service quality, in descending order of importance. These dimensions when followed
and taken care of will provide better results to the organizations by meeting
customer expectations and will also help
in overcoming the gaps. These are the set attributes that an organization must
follow to so that the level of satisfaction and expectations required by the
customers can be achieved.
These are:
1. Reliability
The ability to perform the promised service dependably and
accurately by maintaining error free records with proper knowledge to address
the issues faced by the customer.
2. Responsiveness
The willingness to help customers and provide prompt service by keeping the
customers informed as to when services will be performed. It is the readiness
to respond to customers requests.
3. Assurance
The knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey
trust and confidence. Employees who are consistently courteous make the customers
feel safe about their transactions.
4. Empathy
The provision of caring, individualized attention to customers. Here, the
employees put themselves in the shoes of customers and address their issues
thereby providing them with a sense of assurity that their issues are taken
care of as and when needed. Employees understand the needs of its customers.
5. Tangibles
The appearance of physical facilities, equipment, staff, and communication
materials. Employees who have a neat, professional appearance and the visually
appearing materials associated with the service appeal more to the customers,
thereby increasing purchase and satisfaction.
CONCLUSION:
These
are the various dimensions that help us in bridging the gap between
expectations and performance for customer satisfaction.
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