Service Quality [SQ]

Description

Service Quality (SQ) refers to the degree to which a service meets or exceeds customer expectations. It is closely associated with customer satisfaction, loyalty, trust, and the likelihood of repeated service use. Key dimensions commonly considered include tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.

Objective

The main objective of service quality assessment is to identify strengths and weaknesses in service delivery, understand customer expectations, and support the development of strategies aimed at improving the overall customer experience and organizational performance.

Measurement and Analysis

Service quality can be assessed through questionnaires and rating scales, typically using Likert-type responses. In expectation–performance approaches, the difference between what customers expect and what they perceive they receive can be used as an indicator of service quality.

Statistical analysis may include descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, factor analysis, correlations, and regression models, depending on the research objectives and study design.

Applications

Service quality assessment is widely applied in business, healthcare, education, tourism, public services, and other service-oriented sectors, supporting customer-centered improvement and evidence-based decision-making.

References

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.

Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., & Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations. Free Press.

Brown, T. J., & Swartz, T. A. (1989). A gap analysis of professional service quality. Journal of Services Marketing, 3(3), 35–44.

Grönroos, C. (1984). A service quality model and its marketing implications. European Journal of Marketing, 18(4), 36–44.

Carman, J. M. (1990). Consumer perceptions of service quality: An assessment of the SERVQUAL dimensions. Journal of Retailing, 66(1), 33–55.