Can provider gap 4 be closed prior to closing any of the other three provider gaps How?

Gap 4, which deals with lowering customer expectations, can be closed at any time. While the first three gaps are concerned with raising company performance to meet expectations, gap 4 aims to lower customer expectations to meet perceptions. The two approaches to closing the customer gap operate on different principles and therefore can occur independently. Incidentally, closing gap 4 can be more economical than closing the other gaps.

Lessons from the book services marketing

Managing Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction aims to describe how to use Quality Management tools and methods, Build strong customer relationships, Help influence and set customer expectations, Measure their own degree of customer focus and be able to apply a variety of methods to get closer to the customer, Implement improved people skills to enhance customer service, Improve service to internal customers as well as external customers, Use skills to build effective relationships.

source: youtube.com

The Gap Model of Service Quality (aka the Customer Service Gap Model or the 5 Gap Model) is a framework which can help us to understand customer satisfaction.The model shows the five major satisfaction gaps that organizations must address when seeking to meet customer expectations. The model was first proposed by A. Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry in 1985.

Table Of Contents

1. Oaks at Ojai
2. The Customer GAP
3. The Provider GAPS
   3.1 GAP 1: The listening gap
   3.2 GAP 2: The service design and standards gap
   3.3 GAP 3: The service performance gap
   3.4 GAP4: The communication gap
4. Closing the gaps
5. Summary

1. Oaks at Ojai

Oaks at Ojai, a well-established wellness retreat in the tranquil town of Ojai, does offer regimented weight loss programs, their spa cuisine of 1000–1200 calories per day, plus a wide variety of daily fitness classes along with hikes and brisk walks make it easy for the self-motivated to shed a few pounds. Guests can also partake in evening talks, cooking demos and take-home “tools.”

Two thirds of The Oaks’ guests are repeat visitors who return to the spa for a fun and relaxing service experience unsurpassed by other spas. The owner and staff of The Oaks are committed to delivering the best service possible. Each employee is carefully selected and trained, every event happens with precision, guest questionnaires are thoroughly reviewed, and improvements suggested by guests are implemented.

source: traveltowellness.com

Just before leaving, each guest is asked to complete a questionnaire to provide his or her individual feedback. Questions are specific, and management meets weekly to review each one, taking care to make improvement suggested by the guest. On returning home, each guest who completed a questionnaire receives a letter to thank and a promise to work on the issue mentioned.

Because of its loyal following, The Oaks does not need to spend money on advertising. Instead, it depends on word by mouth and publicity, both of which bring many new and former guests to fill the spa year-round

2. The Customer GAP

The customer gap is the difference between customers expectations and perception. Today’s consumer has become increasingly demanding. They not only want high quality products but they also expect high quality customer service. Even manufactured products such as cars, mobile phones and computers cannot gain a strategic competitive advantage through the physical products alone. From a consumer’s point of view, customer service is considered very much part of the product. Delivering superior value to the customer is an ongoing concern of Product Managers. This not only includes the actual physical product but customer service as well. Products that do not offer good quality customer service that meets the expectations of consumers are difficult to sustain in a competitive market.

3. The Provider GAPS

When a service does not match a customer’s expectations a ‘gap’ arises. There are 4 main Provider gaps in Services Marketing:

1. GAP 1: The listening gap
2. GAP 2: The service design and standards gap
3. GAP 3: The service performance gap
4. GAP4: The communication gap

3.1 GAP 1: The listening gap

It is the difference between customer expectation of services and company understanding of those expectation. A primary cause in many firms for not meeting customers’ expectations — that is, the customer gap — is that the firm lacks accurate understanding of exactly what those expectations are. Many reasons exist for managers not being aware of what customers expect: They may not interact directly with customers, they may be unwilling to ask about expectations, or they may be unprepared to address them. Closing the listening gap requires that management or empowered employees acquire accurate information about customers’ expectations. Customer expectations must be assessed accurately before new services are developed, and they must be tracked after the services are introduced.f service and company understanding of those expectation.

source: .slideshare.net

The above figure shows the key factors responsible for provider gap 1, the listing gap. An inadequate customer research orientation is one of the critical factors. When the management does not acquire accurate information about the customers expectation this gap will increase.

The first strategy is to listen to customers in multiple ways through customer research and employee upward communication. Such research includes the full range of traditional marketing research methods such as surveys, focus groups, and complaint handling. There have also been research methods uniquely useful in service situations such as SERVQUAL surveys, mystery shopping, and critical incidents analysis. A distinguishing factor between marketing research on goods and services is that services research must capture human performance.

3.2 GAP 2: The service design and standards gap

According to Kasper et al, this gap reflects management’s incorrect translation of the service policy into rules and guidelines for employees. Some companies experience difficulties translating consumer expectation into specific service quality delivery. This can include poor service design, failure to maintain and continually update their provision of good customer service or simply a lack of standardization. This gap may see consumers seek a similar product with better service elsewhere.

source: slideshare.net

Service design and standard gap exists in service organizations for variety of reasons. Those people responsible for setting standard, typically management, sometimes believe that customers expectations are unreasonable or unrealistic.

3.3 GAP 3: The service performance gap

This gap exposes the weakness in employee performance. Organisations with a Delivery Gap may specify the service required to support consumers but have subsequently failed to train their employees, put good processes and guidelines in action. As a result, employees are ill equipped to manage consumer’s needs. Some of the problems experienced if there is a delivery gap are:

• Employees lack of product knowledge and have difficulty managing customer questions and issues
• Organisations have poor human resource policies
• Lack of cohesive teams and the inability to deliver

source: slideplayer.com

3.4 GAP4: The communication gap

In some cases, promises made by companies through advertising media and communication raise customer expectations. When over-promising in advertising does not match the actual service delivery, it creates a communication gap. Consumers are disappointed because the promised service does not match the expected service and consequently may seek alternative product sources.

source: slideplayer.com

4. Closing the gaps

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The diagram above shows a clear message to managers wishing to improve their services: the key to closing the customer gap is to close provider gaps 1 through 4 and keep them closed. To the extent that one or more of provider gaps 1 through 4 exist, customers perceive service quality shortfall. The gaps model of service quality serves as framework for service organizations attempting to improve quality service and services marketing.

5. Summary

This chapter presented the integrated gaps model of service quality, a framework for understanding and improving service delivery. The entire text will be organized around this model of service quality, which focuses on five pivotal gaps in delivering and marketing service

• The customer gap: Difference between customer expectation and perception
• GAP 1: The listening gap
• GAP 2: The service design and standards gap
• GAP 3: The service performance gap
• GAP4: The communication gap

Can provider gap 4 be closed prior to closing other three provider gap?

How do I close my provider gaps?

Which of the four provider gaps do you believe is hardest to close?

What is provider Gap 4?