One of the most known methods of measuring the level of service satisfaction is the Servqual Method. On the one hand, it is a simple, and on the other, multistage scale, by means of which the quality of services can be measured from the customer’s point of view. In addition to the quality measurement itself, this method allows you to get a lot of valuable tips about the directions and actions to improve the level of your services in the eyes of the customer.

The Servqual method assumes that providing the right quality of service means meeting the expectations of the consumer. It is based on measuring the difference between the quality perceived by the client and the quality that this client expects from a given service. In order to accurately determine such a difference, two issues should be examined:

1. customer expectations in relation to the level of a specific service provided by the company,
2. meeting these expectations by the company.

The Servqual level of satisfaction indicator was created with the aim of conducting marketing research by three scientists: A. Parasuramana, V.A. Zeithamlai and L in 1988. Since then, the method has been used to study the quality of services in many business sectors and industries, which proves the universality of the indicator’s use and the possibility of making the method one of the grounds to take action to improve the company’s operations and increase its standards.

Servqual method – how to conduct the research?

According to the assumptions of the method, it is possible to distinguish five main factors (requirements) that have an impact on the assessment of the quality of services in the eyes of the customer. These are:

1. reliability – availability at a guaranteed level,
2. responsibility – fulfillment of the promise to provide services in the announced form and time,
3. trust – making promises and fulfilling your obligations,
4. empathy, ie how the company approaches the client (how company treats them),
5. access to equipment, materials and personnel – so-called material elements that determine the general reception of the quality of services offered by the client.

Research using this method can’t be carried out in any way – the company uses a specially prepared questionnaire. Each of the above 5 features are attributed to several subsequent statements. Finally, the respondent receives 22 qualities for the assessment, which he scores on a scale from 1 to 7. The assessment covers the adequacy of a specific feature in relation to the customer’s own feelings in relation to the services provided by the company.

Thanks to collected results of the research conducted among the company’s clients, it is possible to detect the so-called gaps. These gaps are nothing more than moments that are particularly important for the final assessment of the quality of services. They point to areas that need improvement, and to what extent a change should be made.

The first gap represents the difference between expectations and the company’s assessment of these expectations. The second concerns the lack of compatibility between how the company’s needs are perceived by the company and standards of service implementation implemented. Another gap is the difference between the existing standards and how the services really are implemented. The fourth gap shows the difference between the level of services and how they are presented in the communication addressed to the customer. Finally, the fifth gap, is the difference between what the client expected and what he really got.

What can a company gain by using the Servqual method?

Above all, insight into what customers’ expectations are. The method allows Your company to know the level at which the services are evaluated and to how much they diverge (or converge) with what their imagination was in the eyes of the client. In the Servqual method the emphasis is placed on the need to constantly improve their services. It is also important to involve all employees and teams in the process of improving the entire company.

The questionnaire based on the Servqual method can be created in a simple way on the Startquestion platform. If you have any doubts regarding the creation of the questionnaire, please use our Guide book or contact our support department.