On-line Service Quality
The pioneering authors of SERVQUAL have turned their attention to online shopping service quality and the result is a measurement instrument that we think has 'legs'; E-S-QUAL
Research on service quality has typically concentrated on services delivered by people; the instruments that have been widely used for measuring service quality may not be appropriate or useful when evaluating the quality of no-people e-service. And many of the commonly used measures of online behaviour are just that - behavioural - frequency, time and click-based.
At the same time, Satmetrix&Reichheld's Net Promoter Score (NPS) has proven to be an effective foundation for integrated customer relationship / service programs. It does a great job of highlighting when things are going well or badly (or unremarkably) but does not tell you, on its own, what exactly is the cause / appropriate action.
Mmmmm... an opportunity?
The E-S-QUAL instrument measures 4 empirically derived dimensions important to customer perception of e-service quality (Amazon and Walmart sites were used to confirm the instruments' validity and reliability);
- Efficiency: The site can be used easily and quickly
- Fulfillment: The site fulfills its promises about order delivery and item availability
- System Availability: the site functions properly
- Privacy: The site is safe and protects customer information
The E-RecS-QUAL instrument measures the 3 dimensions important to service recovery quality following service failure;
- Responsiveness: The site handles problems (and returns) effectively
- Compensation: The site compensates customers for problems
- Contact: Assistance is available through telephone or online representatives
E-S-QUAL also measures Perceived Value received on the site - NPS seems to be a valid alternative to these questions.
Idea - combine the 2 into a single instrument for the measurement and management of service quality while shopping online. Customers could tell you what they think and why, so you know what remedial action is required.
