Identifying shortcomings in the measurement of service quality

SERVPEFR, the performance component of the Service Quality Scale (SERVQUAL), has been shown to measure five underlying dimensions corresponding to Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1988). This paper describes three separate studies employing SERVPERF in an Australian context. In the first of these studies (N = 113), a shortened 15-item version of the SERVPERF scale (SERVPERF-R) was found to be suitable for use in an Australian small business setting. A five-factor structure was identifiable but the factors were highly correlated, suggesting that they were not clearly distinct. The tendency for marked negative skewness observed by other researchers was also noted here. A follow-up study involving three other small businesses (N = 212) used Rasch analysis to test assumptions about the spread of items on the underlying continuum. These analyses indicated that there is an even, though narrow, spread of items across the continuum. The Rasch analysis suggested that the items in both SERVPERF and SERVPERF-R are too easy to rate highly and that more "difficult" items need to be added to the scale. The third study (N = 122) was conducted using a version of SERVPERF-R that included seven new items intended to extend the range of the scale. The new items, however, did not achieve this desirable outcome. The implications for service quality assessment are discussed.