2.Critically evaluate the statement extra focus on service quality management is required?

Service quality is a perception of the customer. Customers, however, form opinions about service quality not just from a single reference but from a host of contributing factors. Service marketers need to understand all the dimensions used by customers to evaluate service quality. David Garvin in the article ‘Competing on the Eight Dimensions of Quality’ identified the following eight dimensions of quality applicable to both goods and services. These include: Performance, Features, Reliability, Conformance, Durability, Serviceability, Aesthetics, Perceived quality or prestige. In a further refinement of their earlier factor identification, Parasuram, Zeithmal and Berry has identified the following five dimensions of service quality as crucial.

* Reliability:
This dimension is shown to have the highest influence on the customer perception of quality. It is the ability to perform the promised service dependably anda ccurately. Sahara Airlines, an upcoming domestic air carrier within India, has been striving to protect itself as a reliable airline. It hopes to differentiate itself from other airlines Indian Airlines. To p[protect this reliability, Sahara Airways has a scheme of full refund plus a coupon of Rs3,000 to every passenger on delay of flights by more than 59 minutes. When service delivery fails the first time, a service provider may get a second chance to provide the same service in the phase called ‘Recovery’. The expectations of the customer are usually higher during the recovery phase than before because of the initial failure. Thus, the service provider is likely to come under greater scrutiny, thereby increasing the possibility of customer dissatisfaction. The reliability dimension, which ensures timely delivery time aftertime, helps the service provider to meet the customer expectations fully at the lowest level of service expectation.

* Responsiveness :
It is the willingness of the service firm’s staff to help customers and to provide them with prompt service. The customers may have queries, special requests, complaints, etc. In fact, each customer may have problems of his or her own. While the front-end employee may have been trained or equipped to deliver standardized services, the customers want them to go beyond this limit. It is the willingness to help the customer or willingness to go that extra distance that is responsiveness.
Example: A customer calls room service to find out if they would pack a Jain lunch. It is not the hotel’s normal policy to cook such specialty and customized meals. However, the customer being very religious minded would be very pleased if the hotel could pack it for him to carry and eat. This may impose some strain on the kitchen. However, the hotel may be rewarded in two different ways if it agreed to provide the meal. The customer would be very pleased with the service and is very likely to recommend the hotel to his friends and acquaintances. In addition, the hotel could charge extra commensurate with the extra efforts. He is unlikely to mind paying more. The second aspect of responsiveness is speedy response to a customer request. When response is delayed customers usually loses interest. Many sales representatives respond on the phone, ‘I will call you back’. The call is never returned. The customer draws his or her own conclusion about the quality of service he is likely to receive in the future.

* Assurance :
It defined as the ability of the company to inspire trust and confidence in the service delivery. It refers to knowledge and courtesy of the service firm’s employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence in the customer toward the company. This dimension is considered vital for services that involve high risk as customers may not be able to evaluate all the uncertainties involved in the process by them. Example: Medical services requiring complex uncommon procedures, sales / purchase of financial securities, investment issues, legal affairs, etc. demand this service quality dimension. There are property developers/builders who provide a list of previous buyers of flats or apartments to potential buyers. The evaluation of construction services is beyond technical capabilities of most buyers. However, the prospective customers are free to call the previous customers. When prospective customers hear from them about the company and its satisfactory delivery, they feel assured and develop a more positive attitude towards the company.

* Empathy :
It refers to the caring, individualized attention the service firm provides each customer. When service provider puts himself in the shoes of the customers, he may see the customer’s viewpoint better. When customers feel t5hat the provider is making his best effort to see their viewpoint, it may be good enough for most.<br />Example: a lady customer with a young child arrives slightly late at the check-in counter and requests the agent for a seat along the aisle and near the toilet. Even if all such seats have already been taken up, the agent and the airline may make even effort to request another passenger to exchange seats and meet the customer demand. The lady passenger would be delighted if her request could be honored despite the last minute checking in, and even if she does not get such a seat, she would be grateful for their effort.

* Tangibles :
It refers to physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of a service firm’s employees. The job of the tangible and physical evidence of a service is multifunctional. When a patient in the waiting room of a clinic sees the doctor’s certificate, he becomes aware of the quality of service he is about to receive. If a dental clinic provides patients with clean rubber footwear and freshly laundered bibs or coats before the actual service, the patients and their accompanying relatives or friends will be impressed. A dentist dressed in a spotless white coat is likely to impress, them even further. Tangibles provide the customer proof of the quality of service.

3.Devices a framework based on servqual of any services? When evaluating service quality, consumers examine five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.
Using SERVQUAL to Measure Service Quality.
The SERVQUAL instrument was based on the premise that service quality is the difference between customers’ expectations and their evaluation of the service they received.
The first part of the questionnaire asks customers to indicate the level of service they would expect from a firm in a particular industry.
The second part of the questionnaire asks customers to evaluate the service performed by a specific service firm.
Gap Theory is the method for calculating service quality that involves subtracting a customer’s perceived level of service received from what was expected.
SERVQUAL uses 21 questions to measure the five dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.
Through SERVQUAL, firms can measure customers’ evaluations of their service performance.
For example, if customers consistently give firm low scores for one dimension, such as reliability, then the firm’s management can take steps to improve that particular dimension of their service offering. Problems with SERVQUAL Although SERVQUAL is an excellent instrument for measuring service quality, managers must be aware of potential problems with the instrument, as well as with the gap theory methodology on which it is based. An understanding of these problems may prevent service companies from misinterpreting the results and developing inappropriate marketing plans.

The SERVQUAL instrument has three potential problems.
First, SERVQUAL measures customers’ expectations of the ideal firm in a particular service industry. This may or may not be relevant to the capabilities of a particular service firm or the set of service firms available to a consumer. For example, consumers may indicate that physicians should provide their services at the time they promised. Seldom do patients see the doctor at the scheduled time. No one likes waiting after their appointment time, yet, because of excess demand, patients will continue to wait.
The second problem with SERVQUAL is its generic nature. Since its not industry specific, it does not measure variables that may be important for a particular industry. For example, in the airline business, on-time arrival is a very important dimension to travelers, but SERVQUAL does not measure travelers’ perceptions of this variable.
The third problem with problem with SERVQUAL deals with the gap theory methodology used for measuring the level of service quality. Measuring consumer expectations after a service has been provided will bias consumers’ responses. If customers had a positive experience at Blockbuster, they will tend to report lower scores for their expectations, so there is a measurable gap between what they expected and the actual service they received.