The Gap Model in Service
Quality of the service is the degree of conformance of all the relevant features and characteristics of service to all the aspects of the consumers’ needs limited by the price and delivery s/he will accept. Quality can be viewed from two perspectives:
Internal quality based on conformance to specifications External quality based on customer-perceived quality
Gain competitive advantage, maintain loyalty Increase value (may permit higher margins) Improve profits
Expected Service
CUSTOMER
Customer Gap
Perceived Service
Service Delivery External Communications to Customers
COMPANY
Gap 3 Gap 1
Gap 4
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 2
Company Perceptions of Consumer Expectations
Customer Expectations
Gap 1
•Inadequate marketing research orientation •Lack of upward communication •Insufficient relationship focus •Inadequate service recovery
Company Perceptions of Customer Expectations
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 2
• Poor service design • Absence of customer-driven standards • Inappropriate physical evidence and services gap
Management Perceptions of Customer Expectations
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 3
•Deficiencies in human resource policies •Customers who do not fulfill roles •Problems with service intermediaries • Failure to match supply and demand
Service Delivery
Service Delivery
Gap 4
•Lack of integrated services marketing communications. •Ineffective management of customer expectations. •Overpromising. •Inadequate horizontal communications.
External Communications to Customers
Expected Service
CUSTOMER
Customer Gap
COMPANY
Perceived Service
Service Delivery External Communications to Customers
Gap 1
Gap 4
Gap 3
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 2
Company Perceptions of Consumer Expectations
The central focus of the gaps model is the customer gap, the difference between
Quality of the service is the degree of conformance of all the relevant features and characteristics of service to all the aspects of the consumers’ needs limited by the price and delivery s/he will accept. Quality can be viewed from two perspectives:
Internal quality based on conformance to specifications External quality based on customer-perceived quality
Gain competitive advantage, maintain loyalty Increase value (may permit higher margins) Improve profits
Expected Service
CUSTOMER
Customer Gap
Perceived Service
Service Delivery External Communications to Customers
COMPANY
Gap 3 Gap 1
Gap 4
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 2
Company Perceptions of Consumer Expectations
Customer Expectations
Gap 1
•Inadequate marketing research orientation •Lack of upward communication •Insufficient relationship focus •Inadequate service recovery
Company Perceptions of Customer Expectations
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 2
• Poor service design • Absence of customer-driven standards • Inappropriate physical evidence and services gap
Management Perceptions of Customer Expectations
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 3
•Deficiencies in human resource policies •Customers who do not fulfill roles •Problems with service intermediaries • Failure to match supply and demand
Service Delivery
Service Delivery
Gap 4
•Lack of integrated services marketing communications. •Ineffective management of customer expectations. •Overpromising. •Inadequate horizontal communications.
External Communications to Customers
Expected Service
CUSTOMER
Customer Gap
COMPANY
Perceived Service
Service Delivery External Communications to Customers
Gap 1
Gap 4
Gap 3
Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
Gap 2
Company Perceptions of Consumer Expectations
The central focus of the gaps model is the customer gap, the difference between