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Dimensions of service quality
In this step, we define the five dimensions of service quality.
© Coventry University. CC BY-NC 4.0
In the last step, we covered the eight dimensions of product quality – but there’s also a service quality aspect, which we’ll explore in this step.
Parasuraman, Zeithamel and Berry (1985) defined five dimensions for service quality, represented by the diagram below:
Adapted from Research Gate (2017).
Below, we define each dimension with examples:
| Dimension | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tangibles | Includes the physical appearance of the physical service facilities, the equipment, the personnel who do the servicing, the communication materials and all tangible elements of service provider facilities or surroundings | Cleanliness of the environment; personnel uniform; vehicles; flight |
| Service reliability | Differs from the product reliability in that it relates to the ability of the service provider to perform the promised service dependably and accurately | Achieving delivery times stated on the website |
| Responsiveness | The willingness of the service provider to be helpful, be prompt in providing services, and to respond to customers’ requests, problems or complaints | The speed of helping customer online or by telephone |
| Assurance | The knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence – creating trust and confidence will gain the customers’ loyalty | The excellent reputation and high levels of trust based on previous experiences with the company |
| Empathy | Caring, individual attention paid to customers by the service firm to meet each customer’s demands properly. | Employees’ high emphasis on customer requests to achieve higher satisfaction |
Your task
Visit a website featuring customer reviews (eg Amazon). Consider the positive reviews, preferably for the same product from previous tasks, and discuss the customer feedback in relation to the service dimensions.
References
Parasuraman, A., Ziethaml, V., & Berry, L. (1985). SERVQUAL: A multiple item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 62(1), 12-40.
© Coventry University. CC BY-NC 4.0
This article is from the online course:
International Logistics: A Beginner’s Guide to Logistics Management
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International Logistics: A Beginner’s Guide to Logistics Management
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