Quality Makes Perfect (3): What is Service Quality Gap?

Service Quality Gap indicates the difference between the service expected by the customers and the service they actually perceived or received . The wider the gap because of expectation is greater than performance, the more dissatisfied would be the customers towards the perceived service quality.

There are seven gaps in the service quality concept, Gap1, Gap2, Gap3, Gap4, Gap5, Gap 6 and Gap7. The three important gaps, which are more associated with the external customers are Gap1, gap5 and Gap6.

• The existence of Gap1 is due to not knowing what customers expect from the service
• Gap2 exists because of the wrong service quality standard adopted by the company
• Gap3 is the service-performance gap; eventhough the company has put forward the right quality standard the worker who delivered the service has a very low performance in doing it.
• Gap4 is when the promises do not match the delivery; the company promises different thing and delivers a different thing to the customer.
• Gap5 is the discrepancy between customer expecations and their perceptions of service delivered.
• Gap 6 si the discrepancy between customers expectations and the employees' perceptions.
• Lastly, gap 7 is the discrepancy between employees' perceptions and management perceptions.

So, to win the heart of the customers, the company should put forward certain strategies that could close any possible gaps. The three important gaps to be closed would be Gap1, gap5 and Gap6 as they are more associated with the customers. Therefore to labour the interest of the customers towards our service we must provide services without gaps.

Similarly in school, if we want to win the heart of our students as they are the customers to us we must provide services far better than what they expect from the school. However with the unique kind of services provided by school and the unique kind of customers that we have would that be possible to inspire a high quality standard kind of school? To know the real answer to this problem we should do a lot of research on our service as well as on our customers...the journey should have started here....

Al-aqlu Salim Fi Jismi Salim

..."Trn main ptgni. Friendly game dgn Hulu Bernam 5.30 ptg-Pengurus" Received this message while I was having a class at IKBN this afternoon. I rushed home after class just to join the friendly match. At least to flush out all the unwanted accumulated toxic in my body if not to win the game. Recently we have set up a netball team with the sole objective to create a healthy society among the Bernam Jaya folks. Beside netball we also having aerobic every weekend. The healthy mind comes from the healthy body as quoted from the arabic famous saying. Stay Healthy Stay Young (especially at heart) and Stay Close in Relationship....Bersamamu Bernam Jaya.

Pa...you are always on my mind

Pa...
You are always on my mind... but at the moment I have to struggle very hard for my PhD...It really demand my time. I go out at 6.30 am and come back quite late in the evening. My writing up progress is also very slow. Below is the e-mail from my supervisor to show where am I about now. It's quite difficult to handle many things at one time but I'm sure you know your daughter well... never easily give up pa...I can still remember your piece of advice pa..."Genggam bara api biar jadi abu..." eventhough it was given 30 years back. Pa... I am in great need for your prayer...please pray for my destiny. My prayer also goes to you pa...all the time. Thank you pa...for every thing.

Dear Kata Hatiku...
Yes I am back from B & thanks for the introduction to the Case Study Format.
Well I am quite well versed with Case Study formats as I have edited 3 case study monographs in IAB. You may use the approach but since yours is a PhD Thesis you have to still keep to the conventions of a research study.
Do you think you want to see me some time soon to discuss details? Have you analysed your findings.let's sit and talk and let's complete this study by the end on this year.
Take care and all the best.
Rgds
Dr Supervisor

Congratulation To Dr Shahrul Arba'iah binti Othman (Kak yah)

Congratulation for being confered by the National University of Malaysia (UKM) the advanced academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy on the 9th August 2008 (First Session). Her dissertation was on factors contributing to the academic excellence of the deaf students.
Currently teaching at MBSKL. Possess an excellent academic background. Former student of SEMSAS and represented SEMSAS in hockey during her school time (primary information gathered through personal conversation). I guess her humble motto is "Be yourself..."

I hope her victory could inspire me to complete mine too. Congratulation again, hardwork pays...

Mendidik Hati

Di dalam jasadku ini ada seketul daging, apabila baik daging itu maka baiklah keseluruhan jasadku. Maka sebaliknya jika tidak baik daging tersebut maka tidak baiklah pula seluruh jasadku.

Itulah sekeping hati yang memainkan peranan yang sangat penting di dalam diri seorang yang bernama manusia seperti aku. Hati ini bagaikan sebuah kereta, mempunyai pelbagai warna, ada yang putih, ada hijau, ada merah, ada kuning, ada biru dan sebagainya. Diwarnai mengikut kecenderungan pemiliknya. Jika dimiliki oleh tuan yang rajin maka seringlah kereta ini dibersihkan, di belai dan touch up dengan aksessori yang cantik dan mahal. Sebaliknya jika ia dimiliki oleh tuan yang malas, tidak punyai perasaan kasih dan sayang kepadanya, sebulanpun belum tentu dibersihkan apa lagi untuk dibelai dan ditouch up.

Untuk kelihatan cantik, berkilat serta kemas, kereta ini hendaklah selalu dibersihkan. Begitu juga dengan hati kita, perlu sentiasa dijaga, dibersihkan, semoga ia akan menjadi sekeping hati yang bersih, tulus ikhlas, beriman dan bertaqwa kepadaNya.

Life is like a rainbow...

Life is just like a rainbow. Painted with various colours. Man has the freedom to choose the colour and bestowed with guts to splash whatever colour to be painted on the drawing life block. Be it green, yellow, red, blue or even black...is just the choice of wisdom.

Menghargai saat bersama...

Kadang-kadang apa yang ada di hadapan mata kita langsung tidak dihargai...kita lebih nampak kebaikan yang jauh daripada kita. Sedangkan yang jauh itu hanyalah sebuah fatamorgana yang mana tidak wujud langsung seperti yang kita sangkakan. Sebenarnya apa yang ada di hadapan kita itulah anugerah sebenar yang Allah nak beri pada kita. Itulah yang sebenarnya terbaik buat kita, tetapi kerana penilaian kita lebih berdasarkan nafsu-nafsi maka yang terbaik itu kelihatan seperti batu di antara permata. Cuba menghargai sesutu yang hampir dengan kita itu seringkali amat sukar bagi kita melakukannya. Ada sahaja penghalang untuk kita berbuat demikian. Hanya pada satu ketika ia sudah menjauhi kita baharulah terasa akan kehilangannya...barulah kita merasakan yang hilang itulah permata di antara kaca...