List the Dimensions of Service Quality

1. Tangibles
   ✔ Tangibles refer to a service’s look or feel.
   ✔ Tangibles similar to the physical characteristics of quality of products. This refers to the physical characteristics of facilities, equipments, consumable goods and personnel used in or associated with the service provided.
   ✔ Examples: Does the equipment appear modern?; How clean is the waitress’s apron?; etc.
   ✔ However the quality is judged, not by some uniform specifications in terms of physical characteristics, but by the impact these physical characteristics have on customer assessment of the service quality.
2. Reliability
   ✔ Reliability refers to the dependability of the service providers and their ability to keep their promises.
   ✔ It is the extent to which the services performed matches implicity or explicity promises made by the service provider regarding the nature of service.
   ✔ For example, the basic quality of room décor, food, and facilities provided in a hotel.
3.  Responsiveness
   ✔ Responsiveness refers to the reaction time of the service.
   ✔ It is the willingness to help the customer promptly in case of special and unforeseen requirements.
   ✔ For example, helping a customer who falls sick when staying in the hotel.
4. Assurance
   ✔ Assurance refers to the level of certainty a customer has regarding the quality of the service provided.
   ✔ It is the extent to which the service provider and the staff is able to inspire trust and confidence.
   ✔ For example, the customer dining in a restaurant may not be able to directly judge the level of hygiene maintained by the restaurants. Here it is not only important to actually provide hygienic food but also to inspire confidence that the food is hygienic.
   ✔ The assurance is regarding giving the customer peace of mind that everything will be taken care of as required, rather than just actually taking care when the need arises. For example, a doctor with MD degree may inspire more assurance than a doctor with just  an MBBS degree, although the basic treatment provided by them may be of same quality.
5. Empathy
   ✔ Empathy is being able to understand the needs of the customer as an individual and meet the special requirements of the customer.
   ✔ This is more about customizing the service and the general service provider behaviour for each customer, rather than providing a uniform high quality treatment to all.
   ✔ Many companies try to create this sense of empathy by employing tactics like addressing each customer by name. However, true  empathy means understanding the special characteristics and needs of individual customer, and modifying service to them accordingly.
6. Other Dimensions
   The additional dimensions of service quality include:

(i) Time: Time the customer waits for the service.
(ii) Timeliness: Will the service meet time commitments?
(iii) Completeness: Are all commitments met?
(iv) Courtesy: Politeness, consideration, and friendliness of service personnel.
(v) Consistency: Are services delivered in the same manner for every customer, and every time for the same customer?
(vi) Accessibility and convenience: Is the service easy to obtain?
(vii) Accuracy: Is the service performed right the first time?
(viii) Competence: Possession of skills and knowledge required to perform the service.
(ix) Access: Approachability and ease of contact of service personnel.
(x) Communication: Educating and informing customers in language they can understand; listening to customers.
(xi) Credibility: Trustworthiness, belief, having customer’s best interest at heart.
(xii) Security: Freedom from danger, risk, or doubt.

Table 1. describes the five dimensions of service quality that customers use to evaluate service quality.