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"Customers perceive service in their own unique, idiosyncratic, emotional, irrational, end-of-the-day, and totally human terms. Perception is all there is!"

 - Tom Peters

Moments of truth - A contact by which the customer will judge the quality of your service.

It may be :

Initial phone contact- How is the interaction, In what manner is the customer greeted, are the concerns solved?

Walking in the office for the door - What do they see? Who do they see? Is the customer attended?

Discussion with the sales staff - Is there a real effort to understand the needs of customer?

Dealing with the problems - Is there a systematic plan of approaching the customers who are having a problem?

Paying bills - Is the billing process accurate, are the staff well versed in the process and do they arrive in time?

All these can have a lasting impression in the minds of customer. 

  Dimensions of service quality: ( RATER )

  

RESPONSIVENESS-Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service 

ASSURANCE-Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence

TANGIBLES-Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials 

EMPATHY-Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers

RELIABILITY-Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately 

Not All Dimensions Are Equal

All dimensions are important to customers, but some more than others.
Service providers need to know which are which to avoid focusing on only one dimension.

GAP Model of Service quality

 
Expected service is a function of word of mouth communication, personal need and past experience, and perceived service is a product of service delivery and external communications to consumers.

Gap 1

• Inadequate market research orientation
• Lack of upward communication
• Insufficient relationship focus

Gap 2

• Absence of customer driven standards
• Inadequate service leadership
• Poor service design

Gap 3

• Deficiencies of human resource policies
• Failure to match supply and demand
• Customers not fulfilling roles

Gap 4

• Ineffective management of customer expectations
• Over promising
• Inadequate horizontal communications

  
The Gap Model of service quality gives insights and propositions regarding customer's perceptions of service quality. It helps to predict, generate and identify key factors that cause the gap to be unfavorable to the service firm in meeting the customer expectation.

 Key concepts : Moments of truth, Dimensions of service quality, validity, Opinion leaders, Gap model