Service quality evaluation in the context of a technology laboratory

Abstract

The intent of this research is to investigate how the customers of a technological control laboratory for civil construction materials perceived the quality of the services delivered by the lab, specifically in regard to the service of concrete compression testing. The popular SERVQUAL scale, a multidimensional instrument used to capture customer expectations and perceptions, was used as a model for the application of a survey. Exploratory factor analyses were employed to evaluate customers’ perceptions and experiences of service quality in regard to the dimensions and accompanying attributes of the SERVQUAL scale. Twenty attributes, which were grouped within five dimensions (Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Responsiveness, and Empathy), were identified, explaining 80.417% of the variance between customer expectations and perceptions and characterizing these dimensions on a modified SERVQUAL scale. Analysis of the results allowed us to identify discrepancies in perceived service quality compared with customers’ expectations. Most of the identified gaps between expectations and perceptions resulted in negative values.

Service quality dimensions in the context of a civil construction technology laboratory in Brazil

“…For a better understanding, the research performed with concrete specimen breaking customers using the adapted SERVQUAL scale will be called Study A (Da Silva et al, 2017); the research performed with ceramic brick breaking customers using the adapted SERVQUAL scale will be called Study B (Da Silva et al, 2018); the research performed with concrete specimen breaking customers using the customized Lazzari scale will be called Study C; and finally, the research performed with ceramic brick breaking customers using the customized Lazzari scale will be called Study D. In study A, the dimension that showed higher gap was Empathy (-1.496) followed by Reliability (-1.418). Regarding the attributes, "Provide results in a clear and easy way" showed the highest gap (-3.414) followed by "Helpful staff when the customers have a problem" (-1.659), both from the Reliability dimension.…”