The Gaps Model featured in this assignment is a useful way to audit the service performance and
Question:
The Gaps Model featured in this assignment is a useful way to audit the service performance and capabilities of an organization. The model has been used by many companies as an assessment or service audit tool because it is comprehensive and offers a way for companies to examine all the factors that influence service quality. To use the tool, a company documents what it knows about each gap and the factors that affect the size of the gap. Although you will learn much more about each of these gaps in the duration of the Services Marketing course, we provide here a basic gaps audit.
TASKS
- You are required to use this audit with a named existing Services Organisation to determine its service quality gaps. Choose any operating Service Organization within Zambia to interview, and use the Integrated Gaps Model of Service Quality below as a framework.
- The score for each gap should be compared to the maximum score possible. Are particular gaps weaker than others?
- Ask the manager to identify the deficient provider gaps his organization from the list in the audit. Which areas in each gap need attention?
- Which of the above does the manager consider the most troublesome?
- What does the company do to try to address the problems?
- Suggest some recommendations for improvement to the service organisation under review.
- Based on the recommendations for improvement suggested in F. above, develop a Service Blueprint depicting the Improved Service Process.
Service Quality Gaps Model Audit
For each of the following numbered factors in the gaps, indicate the effectiveness of the organization on that factor. Use a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is “poor” and 10 is “excellent.”
Customer Gap 1) How well does the company understand customer expectations of service quality? 2) How well does the company understand customer perceptions of service? | 1 = Poor 10 = Excellent |
Provider Gap 1, the Listening Gap 1) Market Research Orientation • Are the amount and type of market research adequate to understand customer expectations of service? • Does the company use this information in decisions about service provision? 2) Upward Communication • Do managers and customers interact enough for management to know what customers expect? • Do contact people tell management what customers expect? 3) Relationship Focus • To what extent does the company understand the expectations of different customer Segments? • To what extent does the company focus on relationships with customers rather than transactions? 4) Service Recovery • How effective are the service recovery efforts of the organization? • How well does the organization plan for service failures? Score for Provider Gap 1 | |
Provider Gap 2, the Service Design and Standards Gap 5) Systematic Service Design • How effective is the company’s service development process? • How well are new services defined for customers and employees? 6) Presence of Customer-Defined Standards • How effective are the company’s service standards? • Are they defined to correspond to customer expectations? • How effective is the process for setting and tracking service quality goals? | 1 = Poor 10 = Excellent |
7) Appropriate Physical Evidence and Servicescape • Are the company’s physical facilities, equipment, and other tangibles appropriate to the service offering? • Are the company’s physical facilities, equipment, and other tangibles attractive and effective? Score for Provider Gap 2 | |
Provider Gap 3, the Service Performance Gap 8. Effective Human Resource Policies • How effectively does the company recruit, hire, train, compensate, and empower employees? • Is service quality delivery consistent across employees, teams, units, and branches? 9. Effective Role Fulfillment by Customers • Do customers understand their roles and responsibilities? • Does the company manage customers to fulfill their roles, especially customers that are incompatible? 10. Effective Alignment with Service Intermediaries • How well are service intermediaries aligned with the company? • Is there conflict over objectives and performance, costs and rewards? • Is service quality delivery consistent across the outlets? 11. Alignment of Demand and Capacity • How well is the company able to match supply with demand fluctuations? Score for Provider Gap 3 | |
Provider Gap 4, the Communication Gap 12) Integrated Services Marketing Communications • How well do all company communications—including the interactions between company employees and customers—express the same message and level of service quality? • How well does the company communicate to customers about what will be provided to them? • Does the company avoid overpromising and overselling? • How well do different parts of the organization communicate with each other, so that service quality equals what is promised? 13) Pricing • Is the company careful not to price so high that customer expectation are raised? • Does the company price in line with customer perceptions of value? Score for Provider Gap 4 |
IMPORTANT NOTE:
- Your written assignment should follow the standard format – Introduction, Literature review, Discussion and Analysis of the findings of the above audit and Conclusions.
- Also submit a completed copy of the above audit questionnaire as a separate attachment in the appendix section together with your written assignment report.
Financial Accounting Tools for Business Decision Making
ISBN: 978-1118644942
6th Canadian edition
Authors: Paul D. Kimmel, Jerry J. Weygandt, Donald E. Kieso, Barbara Trenholm, Wayne Irvine