Define Service Quality Definition

There is no agreed definition of service quality. This is because of its multi-dimensional nature. In service literature and marketing, researchers like to define service quality from an individual consumer’s perspective, also known as user-based (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2006). Service quality is a way to manage business processes in other to ensure total satisfaction to the customer on all levels (Grzinic, 2007). This term service quality in the transport literature context has long been investigated and has been defined in many forms (Mahmoud et al, 2011). It has been defined as “the overall measured or perceived performance of transit from the passenger’s point of view” (May, 2000). Service quality is also defined as the difference between the expectations of the passengers about the service performance before they had the service and the perceptions of them about the service performed (Mercangöz, et.al, 2012). An improvement of the supplied service quality can attract further users (Sezhia, et al, 2011).

It has been variedly applied in both developing and developed countries such as in Australia (Baldwin and Sohal, 2003); China (Lam, 2002; Zhou et al., 2002; Chung-Wei, et.al., 2012); Croatia (Markovi & Raspor, 2010); Cyprus (Arasli et al., 2005); Ghana (Mensah, 2009; Bondzi-Simpson, 2011; Ojo et al, (forthcoming); Hong Kong (Kettinger et al., 1995); Hungry (Ercsey, & Józsa, 2009); India (Randheer & Al- Motawa, 2011; Sezhia, et al, 2011); Korea (Kettinger et al., 1995; Kang and James, 2004); Malaysia (Zakaria et al. 2010); Netherlands (Kettinger et al., 1995); Nigeria (Ali, 2010, Chikwendu, 2012); South Africa (Pitt et al., 1995; Van der Wal et al., 2002; ); Taiwan (Chung-Wei et.al., 2012); UK (Pitt et al., 1995; Kil...

... middle of paper ...

...However, despite the lack of a standard, the agency does track or monitor the performance indicator by collecting/analyzing pertinent data and by calculating various indicators and statistics on a more or less regular basis. Transit systems that monitor performance indicators frequently use such general terms as “minimize” or “maximize”, which indicate a desire to improve some aspect of performance levels that are quantifiable or measureable.

e. No Standards or Indicators- A final case is a situation, in which no standards or performance indicators are used by the agency.

Many agencies today, are reluctant to set and use service standards. However, as pressure increases from the supervising agencies to suit specific demands, which may not always be economically viable, the agencies are becoming more and more in favor of setting standards as a way to “protect” them.