Gaps Model of Service Quality

Gap 1: The listening gap

• Not knowing what customers expect

• Inadequate customer research

• Lack of upward communication (lack of interaction between management and customers, contact employees and manager, too many layers between top management)

• Insufficient relationship focus

• Inadequate service recovery

Gap 2: Service Design and Standards Gap

• Not having the right service design and standards

• Poor service design (unsystematic new service development process)

• Absence of customer driven standards

• Inappropriate physical evidence and servicescape

Gap 3: The Service Performance Gap

• Not delivering to service standards

• Deficiencies in human resource policies

• Failure to match supply and demand

• Customers not fulfilling roles

• Problems with service intermediaries

Gap 4: The Communication Gap

• Not matching performance to promises

• lack of ismc

• Ineffective management of customer expectations

• Overpromising

• Inadequate horizontal communication

• Inappropriate pricing

Gaps Model of Service Quality