SERVQUAL (Zeithaml Parasuraman Berry)

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Comparing service quality performance with customer service quality needs. Explanation of SERVQUAL Methodology of Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry. ('88)
Contributed by: Paul Fedoroff

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What is SERVQUAL? Description

The SERVQUAL method from Valarie A. Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman, and Leonard L. Berry is a technique that can be used for performing a gap analysis of an organization's service quality performance against customer service quality needs.

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SERVQUAL is an empirically derived method that may be used by a services organization to improve service quality. The method involves the development of an understanding of the perceived service needs of target customers. These measured perceptions of service quality for the organization in question, are then compared against an organization that is "excellent". The

resulting gap analysis may then be used as a driver for service quality improvement. SERVQUAL takes into account the perceptions of customers of the relative importance of service attributes. This allows an organization to prioritize. And to use its resources to improve the most critical service attributes. The data are collected via surveys of a sample of customers. In these surveys, these customers respond to a series of questions based around a number of key service dimensions. The methodology was originally based around 5 key dimensions: 1. Tangibles. Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials. 2. Reliability. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. 3. Responsiveness. Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. 4. Assurance. Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. 5. Empathy. The firm provides care and individualized attention to its customers. This has been adapted later by some to cover: 1. Tangibles. Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials. 2. Reliability. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. 3. Responsiveness. Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. 4. Competence. Possession of required skill and knowledge to perform service. 5. Courtesy. Politeness, respect, consideration and friendliness of contact personnel. 6. Credibility. Trustworthiness, believability, honesty of the service provider. 7. Feel secure. Freedom from danger, risk, or doubt. 8. Access. Approachable and easy of contact. 9. Communication. Listens to its customers and acknowledges their comments. Keeps customers

informed. In a language which they can understand. 10. Understanding the customer. Making the effort to know customers and their needs.

Origin of SERVQUAL. History

The authors conducted a qualitative study, from which they concluded that customers ranked the importance of two SERVQUAL dimensions consistently. Regardless of service industry. Reliability is the most important contributing factor to service quality and tangibles is the least important.

Usage of SERVQUAL. Applications

SERVQUAL is widely used within service industries to understand the perceptions of target customers regarding their service needs. And to provide a measurement of the service quality of the organization. SERVQUAL may also be applied internally to understand employees' perceptions of service quality. With the objective of achieving service improvement.

Steps in SERVQUAL. Process

The method essentially involves conducting a sample survey of customers so that their perceived service needs are understood. And for measuring their perceptions of service quality for the organization in question. Customers are asked to answer numerous questions within each dimension that determines:

The relative importance of each attribute. A measurement of performance expectations that would relate to an "excellent" company. A measurement of performance for the company in question.

This provides an assessment of the gap between desired and actual performance, together with a ranking of the importance of service criteria. This allows an organization to focus its resources. To maximize service quality whilst costs are controlled.

Strengths of SERVQUAL. Benefits

Most users would agree that a comprehensive and thorough examination of service needs and service quality provides an invaluable approach to improving service quality. SERVQUAL provides detailed information about:

Customer perceptions of service (a benchmark established by your own customers) Performance levels as perceived by customers Customer comments and suggestions Impressions from employees with respect to customers expectations and satisfaction

Limitations of SERVQUAL. Disadvantages

There have been a number of studies that doubt the validity of the 5 dimensions. And of the uniform applicability of the method for all service sectors. According to an analysis by Thomas P. Van Dyke, Victor R. Prybutok, and Leon A. Kappelman, it appears that the use of difference scores in calculating SERVQUAL contributes to problems with the reliability, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and predictive validity of the measurement. These findings suggest that caution should be exercised in the use of SERVQUAL scores and that further work is needed in the development of measures for assessing the quality of information services.

Assumptions of SERVQUAL. Conditions

The results of market surveys are accurate. The validity of the model is based around the results of empirical studies. A number of academics have since performed further empirical studies that appear to contradict some of the original findings. Customer needs can be documented and captured, and they remain stable during the whole process.

Book: Zeithaml Parasuraman Berry - Delivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perceptions and

Expectations. Journal: Parasuraman, Berry, and Zeithaml (1988) SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring customer perceptions of service quality - Journal of retailing 64 (1) Spring. 12-40 Journal: Parasuraman, Berry, and Zeithaml (1991) Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL scale Journal of retailing 67 (4) Winter. 420-450 Journal: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) - A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research - Journal of marketing 49 (4) Fall. 4150 Journal: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994) Alternative scales for measuring service quality: A comparative assessment based on psychometric and diagnostic criteria - Journal of marketing 70 (3) Fall. 201-230 -

SERVQUAL Forum
Recent User Comments

"I am working on my thesis improving service quality to reach customer Nazly satisfaction Salah SERVQUA and I am Zaazou L Method at applying it in - Cairo, Airlines the field of Egypt VIP airlines and I want to use SERVQUAL as a tool to analyze and improve the service quality. Can

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you help me to how to evaluate SERVQUAL : how would it help me in my thesis as a questionnaire and as a tool for service improvement . I need your replies, thanks.." "How can I analyze gap 4 Sanaz Analyzing with the aid Najiyan - Gap 4 of of a Netherlan SERVQUA SERVQUAL ds L questionnaire ?" "How do you analyse SERVQUA E SERVQUA L data Zachariah L with utilising SPSS SPSS? Botswana Thanks for your advice..." "May I please refer to this 12manage page as a source in my master Anita Referencin research, Menkerud g adopting the - Norway 12manage figure and linking the source to this webpage? I am studying for a master in

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vocational pedagogy and want to study business internal developmen t of the company's own employees regarding developing service and service quality." "I am eager to know if the model is recommende d to use for Mahmoud Using measuring Esteghlal SERVQUA employees L for satisfaction Mercedes Employee throughout -benz Satisfaction an organization. Do you have some experience to share?" "I would like to analyse the data collected through SERVQUAL SERVQUAL questionnaire Linda Data without Daniel Analysis using SPSS India with Excel package. I wish to do it on Excel. Can someone help me in this regard?"

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"Is it possible to use SERVQU AL as a SERVQU scale to AL in Abdelrahama measure Production n - Egypt quality of services in Software a production software center? " Standard Asghar SERVQU Sarrafizade AL h - Iran Questionai re "Is there a standard questionnair e for SERVQUAL ?"

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"I need to make an evaluation of the level of services that a spare part store provides to their internal Anil SERVQUA customers Shouries L (employees - India Questionaire of the same company). How can I design a questionaire in line with SERVQUA L methology?" "How do you analyse the data obtain from this model? What

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Data Analysis Kemi Using Yakubu SERVQUAL UK Model

statistical tool do you use and how is it done?"

Best User Comments

"I am working on my thesis and I am using the SERVQUAL method to calculate the variations in expectations Tess - Calculating among hotel USA SERVQUAL personnel. Where can I find more information on how to calculate the results from the surveys?" "I am working on my thesis using Servqual applied to students as client of Moacyr Distance Paranhos - Servqual Education of a Brazil university. If someone has any information about it will be very welcome." "I am working on measuring customer Validity Mangesh satisfaction in test of India two wheeler servqual service industry. But I have a

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problem: how can we calculate the validity of the servqual model? please help me" "The five key dimensions form the base - just like the 4Ps and the extended Ps do for the Marketing Mix. Extra AB Depending upon Servqual UK the context there Dimensions can be the need to add one or more variables or factors to Servqual, it makes the utility optimal." "Service quality perceptions and expectations may change Theresa Change in over time. - Sperception How can Africa s Servqual deal with the dynamics of changing customer expectations? " "It is relevant to note that the difference Paul Gap 5 in between the MBA - servqual expected service UK model by the customer and the perceived service by the customer (= gap 5)

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in the SERVQUAL model equals the sum of the gaps 1 + 2 + 3 + 4. As a result, gap 5 can only be influenced indirectly by management; by changing the gaps 1 to 4." "Can somebody help me to Alessandr find o De Alternativ alternative Pasquale - e Models models to Germany the SERVQUA L model? Thanks!" "There is no pure service. The Gaps Younes Product model is better Mazlumi Quality to include Iran product quality as well." "If the unweighted average SERVQUA L score is 1.312, and Weighted the average Safa Al- and weighted nashmi Unweighted score is Average 30.606 what Kuwait SERVQUA does that L Scores? mean? I'm using the average discrepancy between a customer's expectations

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and the customer's perceptions for 5 SERVQUA L dimensions, likert-type scale were used for ranking the statements anchored 1 to 7 with strongly disagree and strongly agree, using 22 questions in total for 100 surveyed users. Please help?" "Can you adopt the SERV QUAL model to B2B organisations? I.e. Do the dimensions such as tangible, responsiveness etc measure the advantages of using only one outsourced Sarah - SERV business. It's just I'm U.K. QUAL doing an assignment on stakeholder marketing and I have used the SERVQUAL to show advantages of long term relationships in terms of B2B organisation." Sumit SERVQUAL "Can the Arora - in Software SERVQUAL

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India Services

model be applied to software services?"

"I am proposing a research study on the applicability of SERVQUAL to measuring service quality in leah SERVQUA Fast Food Yabut L in Fast Restaurants. Philippine Food Where s Restaurants should food quality, taste fall under the service dimensions enumerated by SERVQUAL ? Thanks.." "In the HBR of May 2008 there is an article from Werber Reinartz and Wolfgang Ulaga about how manufacturing companies can sell value added Profitable services more Don - Value profitably. Four USA Added steps to developing Services a profitable services capability are mentioned: 1. Recognize that you already have a services company. Charge for services 2. Industrialize the back office. Exploit

new technologies 3. Create a servicesavvy sales force. From cost-plus pricing to valuebased pricing 4. Focus on customers' processes." "I think the SERVQUAL method will serve as an excellent tool, particularly for those in the service business to improve their Clark Servqual services for the Philippines benefit of the client. I believe an impressed and satisfied customer will drive business growth. I will hang this method on my wall." "How is the Service SERVQUAL Daminda Quality in model used in Sri Lanka Insurance the insurance industry?" "Have seen that the servqual Is explanation is Servqual closely related Debra the same to the Zimbabwe as the explanation of Grnroos the Grnroos model? model. Can someone please explain if they are

different and if so how?" "All the sample questions i have seen have appeared neutral and almost unfriendly. One person thought they were Adam SERVQUAL aggressive. Mccaig - Questionnaire The original England Design questions were by Zeithmal et al. How much can the style of these questions be changed, i.e. to make them softer? Thanks " "I have difficulty using the qualitative method to measure data Thesis on which I Challenges collected by of just Alfred Customer unstructured Rwanda Service in interviews and Hotel observations. Enterprises How do I do the rating when my sample was only a focus group of ten people?" Safa AlSERVQUA "I just completed L in IS my research,

nashmi System Kuwai t

measuring the service quality of (DIMS system and its support services within our organization) using SERVQUAL module as the discrepancy across five dimensions (Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy ) between employee/users expectations for a service offering and the employee/users perceptions of the service received by IT have been measured and analyzed to identify areas of improvements. I would like to seek others/organizatio ns (who is willing and interested) opinions/ feedback on my report and evaluate my work accordingly) and if its applicable to be published. Any recommendations ?" 1

Peter New "When doing my Viljoen - Model dissertation of S Africa Required Expectations

versus Expectations, it concerned me that the 22 point questionnaire was clustered according to dimensions. I randomised the questions. In addition, when testing the weightings of importance, I could not get many people to sum to 100 correctly and I abandoned this method - opting to use a likert scale and to test the validity, a forced ranking from 1 to 5. I also used an orthogonal rotation of data to load up the factors and came up with very different dimensions. I do not agree that SERVQUAL is generic especially over time..." "How SERVQUAL M.Yaseen could be Validity Khan authentic in in Retail India Retail specially in indian market?" Rodgers Lodging "I'm working on N. Quality my dissertation Kazembe - Index on Critical

Zambia

Success Factors for Lodges in Zambia, have adopted to use lodging Quality Index by Getty (2003), that seems to be flexible in dimensions, but I do not know which model of SERVQUAL was used/adapted for conceptual framework. Was it Parasuraman? And what scale to test the validity?"
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