Gap Model of Service Quality
The Gap model of service quality was developed by Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1985), and more recently described in Zeithaml and
Bitner (2003). It has served as a framework for research in services marketing, including hospitality marketing, for over two decades. The model identifies four specific gaps leading to a fifth overall gap between customers’ expectations and perceived service.
The five gaps
Customers have expectations for service experiences and they use them to measure against the perceived service performance in their judgment of service quality. It is essential, then, that managers determine what those expectations are when designing the service. The first gap in service quality occurs when management fails to accurately identify customer expectations. It is referred to as the knowledge gap. Specifically, it is the difference in customer expectations and management’s perception of customer expectations. Hotel managers, for instance, must know and understand what their guests expect from their stay, including all tangibles (the room, amenities, lobby features) and intangible components (availability of additional services, ease of check-in and check-out procedures). The size of the gap is dependent on the extent of upward communication (from customers to top management), the number of layers of management, the size of the organization, and most importantly, the extent of marketing research to identify customer expectations.
The second gap is referred to as the design gap.
It is measured by how well the service design specifications match up to management’s perception of customer expectations. The extent of this gap is dependent on management’s belief that service quality is important and that it is possible, as well as the resources that are available for the provision of the service. A restaurant manager may understand customer expectations for being served within 20 minutes of ordering, but
Bitner (2003). It has served as a framework for research in services marketing, including hospitality marketing, for over two decades. The model identifies four specific gaps leading to a fifth overall gap between customers’ expectations and perceived service.
The five gaps
Customers have expectations for service experiences and they use them to measure against the perceived service performance in their judgment of service quality. It is essential, then, that managers determine what those expectations are when designing the service. The first gap in service quality occurs when management fails to accurately identify customer expectations. It is referred to as the knowledge gap. Specifically, it is the difference in customer expectations and management’s perception of customer expectations. Hotel managers, for instance, must know and understand what their guests expect from their stay, including all tangibles (the room, amenities, lobby features) and intangible components (availability of additional services, ease of check-in and check-out procedures). The size of the gap is dependent on the extent of upward communication (from customers to top management), the number of layers of management, the size of the organization, and most importantly, the extent of marketing research to identify customer expectations.
The second gap is referred to as the design gap.
It is measured by how well the service design specifications match up to management’s perception of customer expectations. The extent of this gap is dependent on management’s belief that service quality is important and that it is possible, as well as the resources that are available for the provision of the service. A restaurant manager may understand customer expectations for being served within 20 minutes of ordering, but