SERVICES MARKETING

Gaps Model of Service Quality

The Gaps Model was proposed by A Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithaml and LL Berry in 198 in the !ournal "# Mar$etin%

Expected service

Customer

Gap 5

Customer Gap

Perceived service

Gap 1

Service delivery

Gap 3
Customer driven service design st!nd!rds

Gap 4

Extern!l communic!tions to customers

Gap 2
Comp!ny perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Service provider

Gap
The di##eren&e between &ustomer e'pe&tations #rom the ser(i&e and &ustomer per&eptions o# the deli(ered ser(i&e)
*ustomer per&eptions are sub+e&ti(e assessments o# ser(i&e e'perien&es) *ustomer e'pe&tations are the standards a%ainst whi&h ser(i&e e'perien&es are &ompared)

Gap

*ustomer e'pe&tations , #rom mar$eter &ontrolled #a&tors as well as #a&tors outside the &ontrol o# the mar$eter or ser(i&e pro(ider su&h as personal needs, word o# mouth and past e'perien&es

The aim is to redu&e Gap &ommuni&ations

by suitable strate%i& and

ta&ti&al a&tions in mar$etin%, sales, operations and

-ni.ue &hara&teristi&s o# ser(i&es , intan%ibility, hetero%eneity, inseparability / perishability &ontribute to Gap

Pro(ider Gap 1
The di##eren&e between &ustomer e'pe&tations o# ser(i&e standards / .uality and the ser(i&e pro(ider0s understandin% o# these e'pe&tations

Expected service

Customer

Gap 5

Customer Gap

Perceived service

Gap 1

Service delivery

Gap 3
Customer driven service design st!nd!rds

Gap 4

Extern!l communic!tions to customers

Gap 2
Comp!ny perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Service provider

Pro(ider Gap 1 , 1easons

2nade.uate mar$etin% resear&h, resear&h not #o&ussed on ser(i&e .uality, resear&h #indin%s not used properly La&$ o# upward &ommuni&ation #rom &ustomers / #rontline employees, too many layers 2nsu##i&ient relationship #o&us, la&$ o# mar$et se%mentation, #o&us on transa&tions / &ustomer a&.uisition rather than on buildin% relationships 2nade.uate ser(i&e re&o(ery

Pro(ider Gap 3
The di##eren&e between ser(i&e pro(ider0s understandin% o# &ustomer e'pe&tations and de(elopment o# &ustomer4dri(en ser(i&e desi%n / standards

Expected service

Customer

Gap 5

Customer Gap

Perceived service

Gap 1

Service delivery

Gap 3
Customer driven service design st!nd!rds

Gap 4

Extern!l communic!tions to customers

Gap 2
Comp!ny perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Service provider

Pro(ider Gap 3 , 1easons

Poor 5 (a%ue 5 unde#ined ser(i&e desi%n, unsystemati& new ser(i&e de(elopment pro&ess, #ailure to mat&h ser(i&e desi%n to ser(i&e positionin% La&$ o# &ustomer de#ined standards, la&$ o# #o&us on &ustomer re.uirements, absen&e o# #ormal pro&ess #or settin% ser(i&e .uality %oals / standards La&$ o# attention to physi&al e(iden&e , the servicescape , the pa&$a%in% o# the ser(i&e

Pro(ider Gap 6
The dis&repan&y between de(elopment o# &ustomer4dri(en ser(i&e standards and a&tual ser(i&e deli(ery or per#orman&e

Expected service

Customer

Gap 5

Customer Gap

Perceived service

Gap 1

Service delivery

Gap 3
Customer driven service design st!nd!rds

Gap 4

Extern!l communic!tions to customers

Gap 2
Comp!ny perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Service provider

Pro(ider Gap 6 , 1easons

7e#i&ien&ies in 81 poli&ies , wron% re&ruitment, role ambi%uity 5 &on#li&t, poor employee 5 te&hnolo%y #it, e(aluation 5 &ompensation s&hemes, empowerment et& 9upply demand %aps, o(er relian&e on pri&in% strate%ies to &lose %aps *ustomers not #ul#illin% roles :i%noran&e;< or otherwise =rom intermediaries , &on#li&ts re ob+e&ti(es, per#orman&e, rewards, empowerment, &ontrol et&

Pro(ider Gap >

The di##eren&e between ser(i&e pro(ider0s e'ternal :mar$etin%< &ommuni&ations and ser(i&e deli(ery

Expected service

Customer

Gap 5

Customer Gap

Perceived service

Gap 1

Service delivery

Gap 3
Customer driven service design st!nd!rds

Gap 4

Extern!l communic!tions to customers

Gap 2
Comp!ny perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Service provider

Pro(ider Gap > , 1easons

Absen&e o# inte%rated mar$etin% &ommuni&ations, la&$ o# intera&ti(e mar$etin% in &ommuni&ations plan, inade.uate internal mar$etin% pro%ramme "(er promisin% , physi&al &ues, personal &onta&ts, ad(ertisin% et& Gaps in hori?ontal &ommuni&ations between sales, mar$etin% and operations 2ne##e&ti(e mana%ement o# &ustomer e'pe&tations

*urrent thin$in%@ More Gaps

An e'tension o# the Gaps Model has been put #orward by 7r Arash 9hahin) Two more %aps ha(e been proposed)

These &entre around ABmployees0 Per&eptions o# *ustomers0 B'pe&tationsC

Gap D
The dis&repan&y between &ustomers0 e'pe&tations and employees0 per&eptions o# &ustomers0 e'pe&tations

Gap E
The dis&repan&y between employees0 per&eptions o# &ustomers0 e'pe&tations and mana%ement :or &ompany< per&eptions o# &ustomers0 e'pe&tations

Expected service

Customer Gap 6

Gap 5

Customer Gap

Perceived service

Gap 1

Service delivery

Gap 3
Customer driven service design st!nd!rds

Gap 4

Extern!l communic!tions to customers

Service provider
Employee perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Gap 2
Comp!ny perceptions o" customer expect!tions

Gap 7