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The Gaps Modelof Service Quality

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Perceived

Service

ExpectedService

CUSTOMER

COMPANY

CustomerGap

GAP 1

GAP 2

GAP 3

ExternalCommunications

to CustomersGAP 4ServiceDelivery

Customer-DrivenService Designs and

Standards

Company Perceptionsof Consumer

Expectations

Gaps Model of Service Quality

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Seven Service Quality Gaps

(Lovelock and Wirtz)

Customer experiencerelative to expectations

1. Knowledge Gap

2. Standards Gap

3. Delivery Gap

5. Perceptions Gap

7. Service Gap

Customer needs andexpectations

6. Interpretation Gap

4. InternalCommunications Gap

MANAGEMENT

CUSTOMER

4.

Customer perceptionsof service execution

Management definitionof these needs

Translation intodesign/delivery specs

Execution ofdesign/delivery specs

Advertising and salespromises

Customer interpretationof communications

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The Customer Gap

Expected

Service

PerceivedService

GAP

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Provider GAP 1

CompanyPerceptions of

ConsumerExpectations

ExpectedService

CUSTOMER

COMPANY

GAP 1

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Provider Gap 1: Not knowing what customers expect

Provider Gap 2: Not selecting the right service designs and standards

Provider Gap 3: Not delivering to service standards

Provider Gap 4: Not matching performance to promises

CustomerExpectations

CustomerPerceptions

Key Factors Leading to the

Customer Gap

CustomerGAP

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CustomerExpectations

Company Perceptions ofCustomer Expectations

Inadequate Marketing Research OrientationInsufficient marketing researchResearch not focused on service qualityInadequate use of market research

Lack of Upward CommunicationLack of interaction between management and customersInsufficient communication between contact employeesand managersToo many layers between contact personnel and topmanagement

Insufficient Relationship Focus

Lack of market segmentationFocus on transactions rather than relationshipsFocus on new customers rather than relationshipcustomers

Inadequate Service Recovery

Key Factors Leading to Provider

Gap 1

GAP

1

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Customer-Driven ServiceDesigns and Standards

Management Perceptions of

Customer Expectations

Poor Service DesignUnsystematic new service development processVague, undefined service designs

Failure to connect service design to servicepositioning

Absence of Customer-Driven StandardsLack of customer-driven service standardsAbsence of process management to focus oncustomer requirements

Absence of formal process for setting servicequality goals

Inappropriate Physical Evidence and Servicescape

Key Factors Leading to Provider

Gap 2

GAP

2

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Customer-Driven ServiceDesigns and Standards

Deficiencies in Human Resource PoliciesIneffective recruitmentRole ambiguity and role conflictPoor employee-technology job fit

Inappropriate evaluation and compensation systemsLack of empowerment, perceived control and teamwork

Failure to Match Supply and DemandFailure to smooth peaks and valleys of demandInappropriate customer mixOver-reliance on price to smooth demand

Customers Not Fulfilling Roles

Customers lack knowledge of their roles and responsibilitiesCustomers negatively impact each other

Problems with Service IntermediariesChannel conflict over objectives and performanceChannel conflict over costs and rewardsDifficulty controlling quality and consistencyTension between empowerment and control

Key Factors Leading to Provider

GAP 3

GAP

3

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Service Delivery

Lack of Integrated Services Marketing CommunicationsTendency to view each external communication as

independentNot including interactive marketing in communications planAbsence of strong internal marketing program

Ineffective Management of Customer ExpectationsNot managing customer expectations through all forms ofcommunicationNot adequately educating customers

OverpromisingOverpromising in advertisingOverpromising in personal selling

Overpromising through physical evidence cues Inadequate Horizontal Communications

Insufficient communication between sales and operationsInsufficient communication between advertising and operationsDifferences in policies and procedures across branches or units

External Communications toCustomers

Key Factors Leading to Provider

GAP 4

GAP4

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Perceived

Service

ExpectedService

CUSTOMER

COMPANY

CustomerGap

GAP 1

GAP 2

GAP 3

ExternalCommunications

to CustomersGAP 4ServiceDelivery

Customer-DrivenService Designs and

Standards

Company Perceptionsof Consumer

Expectations

Gaps Model of Service

Quality

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Prescriptions for Closing the

Seven Service Quality Gaps (1)

1. Knowledge gap:Learn what customers expect

Understand customer expectations (thru market research:

Surveys, customer panels;Quality functions deployment,structured brainstorming and service quality gapanalysis)

Improve communication between frontline staff and

management Relationship focus

Effective service recovery systems

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Prescriptions for Closing the

Seven Service Quality Gaps (2)

2. Standards gap:Specify SQ standards that reflect

expectations

Set, communicate, and reinforce customer-oriented

service standards for all work units

Use service blueprints

Effectively design physical evidence & servicescape tomeet customer expectations

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Prescriptions for Closing the

Seven Service Quality Gaps (3)

3. Delivery gap:Ensure service performance meets standards

Appropriate recruitment and selection

Clarify employee roles

Train employees in priority setting and time management

Develop good reward system

Managing Demand and supply gap

Motivating intermediaries to meet company standards

and goals

Managing customers to performs their roles

appropriately

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Prescriptions for Closing the

Seven Service Quality Gaps (4)

4.Internal communications gap:Ensure that

communications promises are realistic

Seek comments from frontline employees and

operations personnel about proposedadvertising campaigns

Get sales staff to involve operations staff in

meetings with customers

Ensure that communications sets realistic

customer expectations

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Prescriptions for Closing the

Seven Service Quality Gaps (5)

5. Perceptions gap:Educate customers to see realityof service quality delivered

Keep customers informed during service delivery and

debrief after delivery

Provide physical evidence

6. Interpretation gap:Pretest communications to

make sure message is clear and unambiguous Present communication materials to a sample of

customers in advance of publication

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Prescriptions for Closing the

Seven Service Quality Gaps (6)

7.Service gap: Close gaps 1 to 6 to meet customerexpectations consistently

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Integrated ServicesMarketing Triangle

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The Services Marketing

Triangle

InternalMarketing

Interactive Marketing

ExternalMarketing

Company(Management incl. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT)

CustomersEmployees

enablingpromises

keeping promises

settingpromises

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Communications and the

Services Marketing Triangle

Internal MarketingVertical Communications

Horizontal Communications

Interactive MarketingPersonal Selling

Customer Service CenterService Encounters

Servicescapes

External MarketingCommunication

Advertising

Sales PromotionPublic RelationsDirect Marketing

Company

CustomersEmployees