Service quality generally refers to a customer's comparison of service expectations as it relates to a company's performance. A business with a high level of service quality is likely capable of meeting customer needs while also remaining economically competitive in their respective industry.
The components of
excellent service quality
1. Great service
climate is a key to excellent service quality.
2. Service
Strategy.
3. Service
Performance.
4. Customer
Results.
The main characteristics
of service quality are as follows:
(i) Clients are a
direct part of the process, bringing perceptions and expectations to the
transaction that become part of their interaction with you.
(ii) Unlike a
manufactured product, which can be made, inspected, and controlled for quality
before it is released to the client, service quality cannot be inspected before
delivery.
(iii) Because
clients participate fully in the transaction, they are concerned both with the
output or result of the transaction, and the process for delivering that
outcome.
(iv) In a
production environment, eliminating variance is critical to making high-quality
goods. In delivering service, satisfying clients depends not on eliminating
variance, but rather on personalizing the service delivery to the unique
circumstances of each transaction. Applying certain principles consistently
rather than providing an identical response to each transaction, is the key to
delivering quality service.
(v) Client
satisfaction is subjective. It is made up of two essential
ingredients—expectations and perceptions of delivery. Clients have unique
expectations based on their individual experience and needs. They have their
own perception of what they received. Any difference between what they expected
to get and what they perceive they got, will affect their satisfaction.
Objectives of
Service Quality:
The subject of
service quality has aroused considerable recent interest among businesspeople
and academics. Of course, buyers have always been concerned with quality, but
the increasing competitive market for many services has led consumers to become
more selective in the services they choose. Conceptualising the quality for
services is more complex than for goods. Because of the absence of tangible
manifestations, measuring service quality can be difficult but there are
possible research approaches.
Comprehensive
models of service quality and their limitations can be studied. Understanding
just what dimensions of quality are of importance to customers is not always
easy in their evaluation process. It is not sufficient for companies to set
quality standards in accordance with misguided assumptions of customers’
expectations.
A further problem
in defining service quality lies in the importance which customers often attach
to the quality if the service provider is distinct from its service offers –
the two cannot be separated as readily as in the case of goods. Finally, issues
relating to the setting of quality standards and implementation of quality
management should be studied.
Important Attributes of Service Quality
The process used
for goods in evaluating services differs from the process used by consumers.
Goods tend to be high in search qualities whole services tend to be high in
accepted quality and experience.
1. Search
Qualities:
Search qualities
are attributes that consumers can evaluate prior to purchasing a service or
good. Items such as colour, style, fit, feel, smell, and price, are found
included in the search qualities. Some products such as shoes, jeans, washing
machines, cars are high in search qualities.
Raw materials,
component parts, and office supplies (business goods) also tend to be high in
search qualities. Consumers can easily evaluate the quality of goods prior to
purchase since they are high in search qualities.
2. Experience
Qualities:
Experience
qualities are attributes that consumers can evaluate only during or after the
consumption process. Food, catering services, meals, entertainment, and cosmetic
surgery are services high in experience qualities. Under the business services,
some services which are high in experience include lawn services, delivery
services etc. Only after the service has been consumed or during the process of
consumption, evaluation takes place. For example, a meal at a restaurant can
only be evaluated once it is eaten and not before.
3. Credence
Qualities:
Credence qualities
are attributes that consumers have difficulty evaluating even after the
consumption is complete. Consumer services such as accountant services, funeral
services, education, and veterinarian care are examples of services high in
credence qualities.
Examples in the
business sector would include financial advice, and advertising services. Few
consumers have the medical knowledge or tax knowledge to judge if the service
provider performed the service properly. The same is true for a business trying
to evaluate consulting or advertising services. Clearly, evaluating services
high in credence qualities is difficult.
Service
Quality – 6 Important Strategies for Enhancing the Quality of Service
Offered to Customers
It is not too difficult for companies to
improve service quality. What is required is the right strategy to do it and
the commitment by all members of the organisation.
1. A service provider should aim at achieving
zero-defects or error-free service. This can be achieved by having a management
that believes in 100% perfection, providing the necessary infrastructure that
facilitates error-free service, and by testing and retesting service processes
at various stages to eliminate any loopholes. This will also help them improve
continuously to set and achieve new standards.
For example, DHL set up a separate express
terminal spread over 26,500 sq. feet, using state-of-the-art technology, at
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. As the customs’ staff work
round-the-clock at this site, the process of clearance of customers’
consignments have been speeded up, enabling DHL to deliver consignments faster
to customers.
2. Internal communication promotes better
understanding among employees of each other’s tasks and responsibilities, and
the difficulties involved, and enhances cooperation and coordination which
eventually results in better service to customers. Also, organisations should
be equipped with modem training equipment and techniques to simulate real work
environment and train employees to deliver quality service.
UTI (Unit Trust of India), which saw its scale
of operations and number of employees increase significantly, implemented an
advanced communication system with the help of Wipro, to facilitate effective
communication among its scattered branches and employees.
3. Service providers should always test a
service prior to launching it in the marketplace. If possible, a new service
should be introduced in a few select places for test marketing. This will allow
sometime for the management to obtain customer feedback. In case customers
report problems, the management can take corrective action.
Another approach to prevent problems is to
develop a service blueprint to identify all the activities that lead to final
service delivery, identify problem areas and train employees to handle the
problems. Service providers should also test the service after launching it.
Setting higher service quality goals and striving to achieve them should be an
on-going process as any complacency will render the service out-dated in a
competitive market.
4. Sometimes, service providers fail to deliver
the service despite all the precautions they take to prevent a failure. At such
times, customers’ perception of service quality depends on the service
provider’s ability to resolve the problem immediately. To enable effective
service recovery and regain customers’ confidence, service providers should
train employees in recovery techniques and empower them to resolve the problem
immediately. Also, they should reward employees who take the initiative and
resolve the problem quickly.
5. The management should extend support to
employees by setting up the necessary information system and other
infrastructure that enables employees to identify and rectify errors with ease.
Further, organisations should encourage teamwork among employees. By having an
effective service recovery system in place, service providers can assure
customers that they care for them.
6. Trained employees will be prepared to face
problems and, therefore, can resolve them as soon as they occur and sometimes
even before the customer can perceive the error.
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