School of Hospitality Management

Chapter 2
The Gaps Model of Services Quality

Fall 2022
Fall 2016
Hospitality Marketing
Hospitality Marketing
 HM 442: Hospitality Marketing

Today’s Topics:
• Why the gaps model?
• The Customer Gap
• The Provider Gaps:
• Gap 1: Listening gap
• Gap 2: The design and standards gap
• Gap 3: The performance gap
• Gap 4: The communication gap
• Putting it all together: Closing the gaps
 Why the Gaps model?

Expected Service
The Customer Gap
CUSTOMER
Perceived Service
Gap 1
Listening Gap
Service Delivery Gap 4 External
Communications
Performance Gap Gap 3 to Customers
Communication Gap
Customer-Driven
Service Designs and
COMPANY Standards

Gap 2 Service Design & Standard Gap

Company Perceptions
of Consumer
Expectations
Why the Gaps model?
 The Provider Gaps

Expected Service

CUSTOMER
Perceived Service

Service Delivery External

Communications
to Customers
Customer-Driven
Service Designs and
COMPANY Standards

Company Perceptions
of Consumer
Expectations

1. Cannot be inventoried;
2. Cannot be easily patented;
3. Cannot be readily
displayed or
communicated;
4. Pricing is difficult.
Tangible vs.
Intangible
Simultaneous
Separate vs.
1. Customers co-produce;
2. Customers influence each
other;
3. EE affect service outcome;
4. Decentralization;
5. Mass production is
difficult.
Why the Gaps model?
1. Service delivery depend on
employee and customer;
2. Many uncontrollable
factors;
3. No sure knowledge if
service matches promise.
Standardized vs.
Heterogeneous
Perishable
Non-perishable vs.
1. Services cannot be
returned or resold;
2. Difficult to synchronize
supply and demand.
 The Provider Gaps

Expected Service
The Customer Gap
CUSTOMER
Perceived Service

Service Delivery External

Communications
to Customers
Customer-Driven
Service Designs and
COMPANY Standards

ps!!!
Company Perceptions Ga
of Consumer
Expectations
 The Customer Gap

Expected Service Perceived Service

The Customer Gap

Think about a service you received. Is there a gap between your

expectations and perceptions of that service?
The Customer Gap
 The Provider Gaps

Expected Service
The Customer Gap
CUSTOMER
Perceived Service

Service Delivery External

Communications
to Customers
Customer-Driven
Service Designs and
COMPANY Standards

Company Perceptions
of Consumer
Expectations
 The Provider Gaps

Provider Gap 1: The Listening Gap

Expected Service

CUSTOMER Perceived Service

Gap 1

COMPANY
Company
Perceptions of
Consumer
Expectations
 Gap 1: Listening gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 1

Listening Gap
 Gap 1: Listening gap

Case of Closing Customer Gap by

Closing Provider Gap 1

1. The Problem: Running out of good sites to place typical-

design Marriott Hotels at a high enough rate to assure the
firm’s continued fast growth.
2. Objective: Develop a new hotel chain for the segment of
travelers who are not satisfied with current offerings.
3. Research Question: What type of facilities and services
should Marriott design and offer to attract these travelers
away from their competitors?
4. Research Methodology: Conjoint Analysis
5. Outcome: “a special little hotel at a very comfortable
price.”
 The Provider Gaps

Provider Gap 2: The Design and Standards Gap

CUSTOMER

Customer-Driven
Service Designs and
Standards

COMPANY
Gap 2

Company
Perceptions of
Consumer
Expectations
 Gap 2: The design and standards gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 2

 Hotel fires robot staff after guest complaints

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/tech/hotel-fires-robot-staff-after-guest-complaints
 Gap 2: The design and standards gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 2

 Gap 2: The design and standards gap

Authentic VS. English

Language Menu Design in
Ethnic Dining

(Choi, Liu & Mattila, 2018)

 The Provider Gaps

Provider Gap 3: The Performance Gap

CUSTOMER

Service Delivery

Gap 3
COMPANY
Customer-Driven
Service Designs and
Standards
 Gap 3: The performance gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 3

 Gap 3: The performance gap

This is how my server looks like when..

She is happy
She is angry
She is very busy..
 Gap 3: The performance gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 3

 Customer roles

Waiting lines
 Gap 3: The performance gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 3

 The Provider Gaps

Provider Gap 4: The Communication Gap

CUSTOMER

External
Service Gap 4 Communications
Delivery to Customers
COMPANY
 Gap 4: The communication gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 4

 Gap 4: The communication gap

Overpromising
 Gap 4: The communication gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 4

 Gap 4: The communication gap

Lack of Communication
 Gap 4: The communication gap

Key Factors leading to Provider Gap 4

 The Gaps Model of Services Quality

Expected Service
The Customer Gap
CUSTOMER Consumer Expectations
Perceived ServiceConsumer Perceptions
Gap 1
Consumer Research Service Delivery Gap 4 External
Consumer Relationship Communications
Service Recovery Gap 3 Pricing to Customers
Employees’ RoleCommunication
Customer-Driven Social Media
Customers’
Service Designs and Role
COMPANY Demand and Capacity
Standards

Gap 2 Servicescape
Company Perceptions
of Consumer
Expectations
[EXAMPLE]
Discussion

● Which of the four provider gaps do you believe is hardest to close?

Why?

● Can provider gap 4, the communication gap, be closed prior to

closing any of the other three provider gaps? How?

● If you were the manager of a service organization and wanted to

apply the gaps model to improve service, which gap would you start
with? Why? In what order would you proceed to close the gap?
 Group Project Overview

Group Project (30%)

• Perform a situation analysis (e.g., SWOT analysis) for the
What?
company and identify a customer gap as the objective of your
marketing plan (i.e., a business problem from the customer’s
perspective);
• Conduct market research to further understand your
Why? identified customer gap;
• Based on the Gaps Model of Service Quality, understand the
major provider gaps leading to your identified customer gap;
How? • Develop a concrete, creative and feasible marketing plan
using the expanded service marketing mix framework (i.e.,
7Ps) to close the identified customer gap.
Group Project Overview
Group Project Overview
 Group Project Overview

Sample Outline for a Strategic Marketing Plan

1. Situation Analysis, Research Question

2. Design Instrument

3. Data Collection & Analysis

4. Identify the Major Provider Gaps & Initiatives to Close the Gaps
[DISCUSSION]

So, which company do you want to improve?

● Could be your current/old workplace..
● Any hospitality companies on campus or in town where
you can collect data
● Café Laura, Dining Halls
● Berkey Creamery, Meyers
● MacKinnon's Café (Library), Starbucks
● Panda Express (Hub), Au Bon Pain
● Etc.
 Group Project Overview

• Submit your milestones

• Time management
• Be focused and specific
• Research & analytical ability
• Reasoning based on evidence
• Revise based on feedback
• Writing/presentation skill: communicate effectively
• Be creative!
• Talk with me if you have any problems
 HM 442: Hospitality Marketing

Next Class
● Chapter 3: Customer Expectations
 Read Chapter 3