PDC Assignment

Tanumoy Dutta Gupta

19/09/2016

PGFA1557

Service quality management, is an integral part of the management of services, became more
important within the growing service industries of todays world. Providing quality services has
been identified as one of the most difficult long-term strategies for establishing a business (Yoon
and Ekinci, 2003). Todays leading companies operate on a global basis, cooperating with
suppliers, partners and a multitude of stakeholders in order to deliver service and/or product
packages (Paton and McLaughlin, 2008). Service providers who understand the needs and
interests of customers thoroughly are capable of incorporating customer knowledge into the
operation of the organization when enhancing the service intensity. This is not only helpful for
the integration of the relationship and input of resources, but also has a positive effect on the
improvement of customer satisfaction (Lin, 2007). Therefore, service quality management may
be a key factor for the success of service organizations
The importance of service quality as an indicator of customer satisfaction and organizational
performance is widely acknowledged and has led to a major research thrust which has focused
on a number of industries within the service sector. Some of the research relating to defining and
measuring service quality is reviewed and a number of suggestions are made as to how
measurement instruments such as SERVQUAL might be improved.
Service providers want to know what customers (internal or external) care about and customers
care most about service quality. After extensive research, Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry
found five dimensions customers use when evaluating service quality. They named their survey
instrument SERVQUAL.
The five SERVQUAL dimensions are:
a. TANGIBLES-Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and
communication materials
b. RELIABILITY-Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately
c. RESPONSIVENESS-Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service
d. ASSURANCE-Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust
and confidence
e. EMPATHY-Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers
Companies who succeed concentrate on customer satisfaction, they define Service quality
management as a plan that addresses the management processes within an organization and
understands the needs of internal and external customers, using these needs as the basis of the
design for a complete system for improvement (Longest et al., 2000). If the internal customers
(the organizations employees) believe in the quality of the product or service they are producing
or selling, then this confidence will transfer to the external customer. According to Mohr-Jackson
(1998), TQM is an approach, which aims to make a change in an organizations culture, and this
is achieved by generating satisfaction among internal, as well as external customers.