Service Quality Measurement Models: Comparative Analysis and Application in Airlines Industry

Matloob Hasan; Mohammed Naved Khan; Rahela Farooqi

Matloob Hasan Research Scholar, Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh – (UP), India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5356-7292
Mohammed Naved Khan Professor, Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh – (UP), India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0576-8927
Rahela Farooqi Professor, Centre for Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9483-5329

Keywords: SERVQUAL | SERVPERF | AIRQUAL | Service Quality | Customer Satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess the instruments that are used to measure service quality. The SERVQUAL model,
developed by Parasuraman et al. is a benchmark in the measurement of service quality across the industries for the last three
decades. Many variants of this service quality instrument have been developed and applied by researchers and academicians,
but the one instrument that has been gaining wider acceptance is the SERVPERF model, developed by Cronin and Taylor. The
five-dimensional SERVPERF model, appreciated for measuring only the performance or perceptions and not expectations of
customers, have been adopted in the present pilot study for measuring service quality and customer satisfaction of passengers
flying in low cost airlines in India.
Design/Methodology Approach: Paper is empirical in nature. A Sample population of 128 persons who travelled in and out
of Delhi through low cost airlines in the last one year were collected and118 samples were found to be complete and relevant.
Data was collected through the questionnaire and was analysed using SPSS Statistics 21.
Originality/Value: The study has made a comprehensive literature review in the area of service quality in context of Airlines
industries and used empirical data to support the findings.
Findings:The authors find that satisfaction of customers and reuse of services is dependent on the type of services provided
by the airline industry. All the dimensions of the service qualities followed in the study tangibles, reliability, responsiveness,
assurance, empathy are found to have a strong correlation between service quality and customer satisfaction. Therefore,
industries should focus more on increasing their service quality to retain as well as expand their customer base.