An evaluation of students’ perspectives of service in high street banks

Abstract

Service quality is important in all businesses and the after-sale service now goes beyond just adding value to the company. The measurement of service quality addresses customer loyalty, satisfaction and behavioural intentions and helps companies to maintain a competitive stance with a highly recognised reputation. The use of up to date empirical contributions was used throughout this study to address the importance of service quality. It used the application of the Gap model and specifically addressed the contextual application of the SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry to measure service quality components in relation to the five dimensions that are believed to be of high importance in the measurement of service quality. Examination of evidence presenting the continued use of the SERVQUAL model since its formation is used to address its reliability and validity. With the importance of service quality being addressed, this objective, deductive and quantitative thesis uses closed-question questionnaires to alleviate reliability and validity in gathering responses to meet the thesis’s aim and objectives. Statistical data analysis was then used to measure CSM students’ perspectives of service quality in high street banks through the application of the SERVQUAL dimensions, the Gap model and the behavioural intentions battery. In summary, the results from this study found that students generally perceive overall service quality in high street banks to be dissatisfactory with regards to all SERVQUAL dimensions. With gender having no significant effect on SERVQUAL dimension analysis but students’ year of study showing an increase in expectations alongside a fall in perceptions, banks need to tailor their services to meet all students expectations. Overall, negative gap scores provide indication that students’ are expecting more than banks actually offer in terms of service with the overall service quality measurements revealing a number of service quality gaps indicating areas for future improvement.