The Key for Sustainable Companies: Difficulties in Measuring Service Quality and an Evaluation of the Servqual Scale^*

Abstract

Purpose: Different approaches have been applied to define and measure service quality as both a process and a performance-intensive presentation. The literature agreed that service quality assessments are essential in measuring performance, however they could only reach a partial consensus. Although the Servqual scale is the most widely known and used tool in measuring service quality, it has received various criticisms. This study presents the difficulties encountered in measuring service quality and an evaluation of the Servqual scale.

Methodology: The study provides a conceptual framework, examining the research on the subject in the literature and the criticisms of the Servqual scale. It is designed as a compilation/assessment to improve the perspectives of the interested parties by bringing together evaluations about the pros and cons of the most well-known service quality scale.

Findings: Measurement of service quality is a complex business. Although it has received various criticisms, the Servqual scale which enables the measurement of quality in the services sector is still the most frequently used measurement tool.

Practical Implications: The difficulty of defining the service and its quality, which arises from the characteristics of the services, does not eliminate the necessity of measuring the quality of the service. With this study, a conceptual framework has been provided on the subject, a collective evaluation has been made for the most widely used scale, and the ground has been prepared for improvement and development in the criticisms of the scale.

Citation

Kuzu, A. (2024), "The Key for Sustainable Companies: Difficulties in Measuring Service Quality and an Evaluation of the Servqual Scale^*", Sharma, R., Bhardwaj, I., Grima, S., Sachdeva, T., Sood, K. and Özen, E. (Ed.) Sustainable Development Goals: The Impact of Sustainability Measures on Wellbeing (Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis, Vol. 113A), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 41-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1569-37592024000113A003