Dear Abdel,

In the first place, I would like to agree with you that SERVQUAL has its own shortcomings because levels of satisfaction vary from one to another. Secondly, it becomes difficult to evaluate whether respondents are saying the truth if using one method, so I would advise you to use multiple methods for verification the former and also to overcome shortfalls in measuring 2 in 1. But take note that despite shortcomings, SERVQUAL is still considered to be the best tool by other researchers provided your results are confirmed also by other research methodologies.

Of course there are alternatives for SERVQUAL if you want to add performance, then you use SERVPERF or you can go for SERVSAT if measuring service and satisfaction only. In addtion, there is SIMALTO which stands for Simultaneous Multi-attribute Level Trade-off. It is a research scale that was developed to help measure more clearly the elements of service delivery.

I hope with these few remarks and comments, will be able grasp one or two.

Regards,

James

Your question is a good one. The gap between service expectations and the service experienced gave the service quality and the customer experience. Many a time could be mutual expectation and the understanding between the customer and the service provider. Take for example you go to have your shirt tailored at a tailor shop. The tailor makes you a shirt which is very basic. However, your expectation is more than that and it is here that the understanding of fashion and well being of your requirements plays and this varies. Thus, the need of the mutual understanding and expectation between you and the tailor. The small talks you have with the tailor, interpretation of your services expectations, the latent understandings, assumptions made, subconscious consideration for delivery of service by the tailor etc give you the service performance. Thus, it could be a complex situation which can give you the satisfaction or not satisfied with the tailor service. While having my working trip in Bali Indonesia this year, I asked the taxi driver who is polite, well attired and courteous took me around the Bali town this question - what service you provide? His answer was "feelings". I actually felt "feels" of service. I think I will come to visit Bali again. It is important to discover what is your customer expectation and to provide that expectations that is necessary to fulfill the service to remain competitive. Service is dynamic and it changes in time. The mass media, the people around you, the social economy factors, and many more are changing and so do expectations. Understanding the methodology, getting it right and continue to the empirical research works and redefine it through what we term marketing research is the reality.   

Dear Abdel,

You may look at SERVPERF by Cronin and Taylor (1992) titled measuring service quality; a reexamination and extension. You may also look at researchers who have maintained SERVQUAL but operationalise it by merging perception and expectation  such as Khan & Manthiri (2011) - Quality of service in mobile phone industry in Madurai district.

if you are looking at functional quality, you may consider using on SERPERF OR SERPEX. However, you can also use technical and corporate image quality attribute (see Kang and James 2004; Kang, 2006). Please see articles by Eboli and Mazzulla 2008,2009 etc. They have extensively researched into service quality

I am very thank your valuable  answers and directions

This paper attached has developed a single dimension with six elements measurement for measuring quality for e-service supporting learning, research, and communication in the education sector.

You better try SERPERF

The previous replies interesting, I completely agree with Chalamalla Srinivas