systematic approach for improving service quality of...
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2013 年 8 月第十六卷三期 • Vol. 16, No. 3, August 2013
A Systematic Approach to Improving
Service Quality in the Sale of Furniture
Chang-Lin Yang Rong-Hwa Huang
http://cmr.ba.ouhk.edu.hk
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 1
A Systematic Approach to Improving Service
Quality in the Sale of Furniture
Chang-Lin Yang Rong-Hwa Huang
Abstract
With changes in consumers’ attitudes, the sales field has been transformed from selling
cheap products to emphasizing customer-driven services and products. This study uses a
three-step procedure for investigating service quality, analyzing service defects, and
improving such weaknesses. SERVQUAL and service deficiency analysis are used to
meet customers’ requirements; and quality function deployment (QFD) is utilized to
develop an action plan for improving service quality and enhancing furniture sales.
Keywords: Service quality, SERQUAL, quality function deployment
____________________
Chang-Lin Yang Department of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University
Rong-Hwa Huang Department of Business Administration, Fu Jen Catholic University
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 2
Introduction
Globalization and improvements in the division of labor have accelerated
industrialization. As living standards have improved, consumers have begun to focus on
quality-of-life issues, resulting in changes in their practices when shopping for furniture.
Rather than just focusing on functionality, they are now concerned with aesthetic aspects,
and this has led the furniture market to emphasize design and special services to attract
them.
Given the transformation in the furniture market, this study proposes a systematic
procedure for examining customers’ requirements and determining a service quality
improvement plan. The procedure includes investigating service quality and its
deficiencies, and suggesting how the furniture market could be improved.
This research uses SERVQUAL and the PZB model for analyzing service deficiencies
(Bowers et al., 1994; Parasuraman et al., 1985). Through discussing the quality of
services, customers’ demands are transformed into service design demands. Also,
through quality function deployment (QFD), the study integrates customers’ demands
into the design and planning processes. In addition, an action plan is developed to
improve the quality of services and cater for a wide range of customers’ needs.
Research structure
This study takes the furniture sales field as an example, and uses a systematic approach
for investigating and enhancing service quality. To establish an improvement model, the
following three-step procedure is used:
1 Investigation of service quality: In this stage, the SERVQUAL of the PZB model is
employed to identify customers’ expectations and perceptions. This model has five
dimensions — tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy — and
24 items.
2 Service deficiency analysis: Based on the SERVQUAL results, a gap model is used
to analyze gaps in understanding and communication between employees and
customers, and the negative effects of others on the perceptions of service quality.
3 Service deficiency improvement: This study applies QFD to a two-stage deployment,
including the ability of a department and action scheme planning (Chang et al., 1998;
Jagdev et al., 1997; Philips et al., 1994; Yang and Fang, 2003; Yang et al., 2006).
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 3
Chang et al. (1998) produced a normative method to determine the development
priority of information systems which was based on the QFD and considered the
alignment between business strategies and information systems. Also, in a two-stage
deployment, Yang et al. (2006) applied the QFD to construct a tactics model for
obtaining orders from international medical apparatus company; and they found and
set up the priority for an action scheme for quality improvement. These research
programs illustrate that the QFD can effectively stimulate and reflect real
anticipation and demand, and can enhance the acceptability of the contents. The
main objective of the action scheme deployment is to propose an action plan and
strategy that resolve service deficiencies and satisfy customers’ needs.
Figure 1 gives details of the framework for improving service quality.
Word-of
-mouth
Past
experience
Personal
needs
Expected
service
Perceived
service
SERVQUAL
Service defect
analysis
Service improving
requirement
The service quality
gap model
Imp
rov
ing
requ
iremen
t
Department
Dep
artmen
t
Action scheme
planning
Weig
ht facto
r
Priority of
improvement
Deployment for the
action scheme
Deployment for the
department
Relationship
matrix
Stage 3
Service defect
improvement
Stage 2
Service defect
analysis
Stage 1
Service quality
investigation
Relationship
matrix
Priority of
improvement
Weig
ht facto
r
Figure 1. The framework of service quality improvement
(Source: compiled by the authors)
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 4
Investigation and analysis of service requirements
As noted already, SERVQUAL has five dimensions (tangibility, reliability,
responsiveness, assurance, and empathy) and 24 items. In this research, service quality
was investigated by distributing questionnaires randomly to furniture consumers before
and after shopping. Of the 60 questions included, 50 were valid. The following service
deficiencies were identified.
1 Tangibility
a Appropriate dress for sales clerks: All sales clerks should be dressed neatly,
wearing a top with the company name, jeans and white flat shoes. They must also
be well-groomed, and should not make customers feel uncomfortable.
b Restroom cleanliness: Restrooms in stores should be kept clean to ensure that
customers feel relaxed when using them.
c Easy availability of restrooms: Stores should provide a sufficient number of
restrooms for customers, so that they can find one when needed.
2 Reliability
a Sales clerks’ assistance to customers: When customers have questions about
products or cannot find the products they want, a sales clerk should offer help.
b Timely and secure information on customers: Companies should retain up-to-date
customer data securely, so that third parties cannot access these data, thereby
ensuring customers’ privacy.
3 Responsiveness
a Failure of customers to find a sales clerk immediately: When customers have
questions about products or cannot find them, sales clerks should offer assistance
immediately.
b Sales clerks’ ability to answer questions: When customers seek assistance from a
sales clerk, the sales clerk must be able to answer questions correctly
immediately.
c Sales clerks’ attitudes to customers: When a sales clerk meets a customer who
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 5
requires help, they must be friendly and enthusiastic while providing it.
d Customers feeling safe during transactions with sales clerks: All staff must be
extremely careful in handling transactions with customers. They should not make
mistakes or lose money, to ensure that customers are at ease.
4 Empathy
a Customers feeling comfortable in dealing with sales clerks: Sales clerks should
be frendly and ask customers if they need any particular service or assistance.
b Adjusting business hours: The business hours of a store should be based on
customers’ needs, ensuring that it is open when they want to shop.
c Identifying with customers: Sales clerks should put themselves in customers’
shoes and be responsive to their needs.
d Offering varied services: Sales clerks should be aware that customers’ needs vary,
and should offer different services to different customers and provide appropriate
assistance to each of them.
Improvement of service defects
After determining the defects in service quality, this study used QFD to develop a plan to
enhance service. The process was divided into two stages:
a Assigning departmental responsibilities, which involved identiying the relationship
between aspects customers require that need to be improved and the responsibility of
each department to determine the proportion of resource inputs
b Developing an action plan for improvement and determining the implementation
priorities.
Department responsibilities
The deployment of department responsibility is based on an organization’s departmental
structure, the main purpose being to discuss responsibilities, the division of labor, and
resource allocations. The furniture sales field can be divided into eight major
departments, with each division under a department being responsible for itself. Table 1
lists the main responsibilities of each department:
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 6
Table1. Department responsibility deployment
Organization Function Main job
Master
(Vice-m
aster
)
F&
B D
epartm
ent
Kitchen
Food and beverage
management, internal
(staff) and external
(customer)
All internal business in the kitchen, including
cooking, purchasing food, cleaning tableware, and
providing the staff restaurant with food
Food service
Outward marketing:
Swedish meal and each
department of meal
marketing
Outfield server responsibilities, including ordering,
catering, food supply, billing, and cleaning
Cu
stom
er
Serv
ice
Dep
artmen
t
Customer
service
All related matters
except customer selling
Cashier, return of goods, members’ management,
express delivery, customer consulting and
customer service by phone and the internet
Equipment Manages all substantial
equipment Handcarts and contact with cleaning company
Lo
gistics
Dep
artmen
t
Recovery
Manages and controls
the stock
Replenishing goods in the self-server area
Goods flow
Managing the flow of goods, including purchasing
orders, checking stocks in other stores and
managing the volume of goods flow
Stock control
Controlling the inventory, according to the daily
sales volume to calculate how many goods should
be replenished
Desig
n
Dep
artmen
t
Interior
design
Responsible for the
hardware in the store
Arranging for the placing of added sales products,
design guideposts, and planning the shelving of
products
Visual
merchandiser
Focuses on promotion
products and visual
marketing
Planning the area of the display and sample room
Deco
ration
Dep
artmen
t
Added sales
Selling all decoration
and furniture products
Arranging and replenishing every different added
sales product throughout the store
Four areas of
decoration
Decorating the department and furniture
department according to product type which can be
divided into four areas, which mainly deal with all
product problems in their range and other work
assigning staff to information stations to answer
questions
Fu
rnitu
re
Dep
artmen
t
Four areas of
furniture
Self-server
Mainly assisting the customers in seeking furniture
which needs to be package, and helping customers
to transport it. Customers can find staff for help at
this area.
HR Department
Planning and managing
everything related to
staff
Recruiting, educating and training, and salary
management. The staff are given a detailed
employee handbook by the corporation, but
monitoring the benefits of education and training is
the responsibility of various department managers
Marketing Department
The foreign window, as
a public relations unit
which is also
responsible for all sales
strategies and
implementing plans
Responsible for the external marketing strategy,
including the off season, busy season and holiday
promotion plans, tracing costumer expenditure
records and so on, and also public relations, the
establishment of an enterprise image and
maintenance.
(Source: compiled by the authors)
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 7
Figure 2 illustrates the deployment of responsibility to departments. The left side shows
service demand items that should be improved; and the departmental structure of the
furniture sales field is put above. The relationship matrix in the middle of the figure
represents the link between items that need to be improved and the responsibilities of
each department. (◎ means that staff are directly responsible and the weighting is 9; ○
means that staff are related and the weighting is 3; and △ means that staff are support
staff and the weighting is 1). The right side of the matrix lists the weighting and scores
of furniture sales competitors which have the same grade of furniture. Below the matrix
are the weightings after assigning responsibility to departments and the priorities for
improvement.
According to the results, the top three items are customer service, four areas of furniture
and four areas of decoration, and self-service. These findings mean the four units of
departments are key to improving services. Additional resources should be allocated to
improve and monitoring these aspects more rigorously. As these four units are in contact
with customers, they influence customers’ satisfaction directly. These results were in
response to the negative questionnaire items, demonstrating that markets should
strengthen the service quality of first-line clerks.
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 8
Master
F&B
Department
Customer
Service Department
Logistics
Department
Design
Department
Decoration
Department
Furniture
department
HR
dep
artmen
t
Mark
eting d
epartm
ent
Kitch
en
Fo
od
service
Cu
stom
er
service
Equ
ipm
ent
Reco
very
Go
od
s flow
Sto
ck co
ntro
l
Visu
al
merch
andiser
Interio
r
desig
n
Ad
ded
sale
Fo
ur areas o
f
deco
ration
Fo
ur areas o
f
furn
iture
Self-serv
er
Weig
ht
IKE
A
B&
Q
HO
LA
Tangibility
Sales clerk attire should be appropriate. △ ○ ○ △ △ △ △ △ △ △ ○ ○ ○ ○ △ 3 4 4 4
The restrooms in stores must be comfortable. ◎ ○ 4 2 4 4
Customers can find restrooms quickly. ○ 4 4 3 3
Reliability
When customers have questions, a sales clerk
should offer assistance. ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 5 4 4 3
Customer information will be kept updated and
secure. ○ ○ ○ ◎ 5 5 4 4
Responsiveness
When customers cannot find a sales clerk
immediately ○ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ 5 2 4 3
Sales clerks should offer customers assistance. ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 4 4 5 4
Sales clerk must be willing to help customers. ○ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 4 3 4 4
Assurance Customers feel safe during transactions with sales
clerks. ○ ◎ ○ ○ ◎ 4 3 3 5
Empathy
Customers must feel comfortable when dealing
with sales clerks. ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 3 5 3 3
The business hours of a store should be based on
customers’ needs. ○ 3 3 3 4
Sales clerks should put themselves in a customer’s
shoes. ○ ◎ △ △ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 5 2 4 4
Sales clerks should offer different services to
different customers. △ ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 3 4 4 3
Weight 3 174 321 39 3 3 3 32 3 8 270 297 270 108 93
Priority 11 5 1 8 11 11 11 9 11 10 3 2 3 6 7
Figure 2. Deployment of department responsibility
(Source: compiled by the authors)
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 9
The action scheme
Deploying an action plan is aimed mainly at service quality that does not satisfy
customers. The action plan includes all direct and indirect services items related to
customers’ requirements. According to the weighting for service items for each
department, the priorities for improvements in the action scheme can be calculated. In
accordance with the departmental responsibilities, the action schemes for
improvements in the furniture sales field are as follows.
1 Tangibles
a Punishing violations of the dress code: If a staff member does not dress
appropriately, he/she will not be allowed to serve customers and will be
regarded as absent. This has a direct impact on employee performance.
b Examining the dress code annually and appointing an auditor to check it
randomly: Assign attire as an audit item and link it to salary. Furthermore, a
manager must remind the auditor to assess staff attire, so that staff make a
good impression on customers.
c Ensuring restroom cleanliness: Increase the frequency with which restrooms
are checked to maintain cleanliness.
d Producing a checklist for restroom cleanliness: Develop a detailed checklist
for cleaning restrooms.
e Adding clear in-store signage: Provide shortcuts through a store for
customers in a rush.
2 Reliability
a Noting members’ information: A computer should be used to input and
manage customer information to minimize paper use.
b Restricting the use members’ information: Information on members should
only be used and managed by the Customer Service Department to make
customers’ data secure.
3 Responsiveness
a Locating sales clerks: Sales clerks should be located at information stations
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 10
at all times to solve customers’ problems.
b Building a service SOP: Establish a set of standard operating procedures for
sales clerks to adhere to.
c Using the employee handbook: Each staff member should receive an
employee handbook and carry out its instructions fully.
4 Assurance
a Adding a Chinese interface on the transaction screen: When paying a bill,
customers should be able to check the transaction easily.
b Reminding customers to look at the transaction screen: During checkout, the
cashiers must remind customers to pay attention to the total amount on the
display screen to avoid mistakes.
c Assessing the effects of training: After a training course, a manager should
keep track of staff performance to ensure that each member has benefited
from the training.
5 Empathy
a dentifying the best employees: The employee who offers the best service on a
monthly basis should be identified to motivate staff.
b Investigating the business hours: Use a questionnaire to assess whether the
business hours are appropriate, and adjust them accordingly.
Figure 3 shows the implementation of the action plan. An organizational chart of a
company is on the left, and at the top is an improvement action plan proposed
according to the required items. The middle part analyzes the relationship between the
improvement action plan and each department (◎ means that staff members are
directly responsible and the weighting is 9; ○ means the staffs are related and the
weighting is 3; and △ means the staff are support staff and the weight is 1). The
weighting on the right side was obtained from the weighting below deployment of the
department responsibilities. Also, below the figure are weightings, difficulty levels,
absolute weightings, and improvement priorities.
According to the top five improvement action plans, this study established practical
plans for each department to execute.
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 11
1 Use the employee handbook
Directly related departments: the F&B Department (kitchen and food services), the
Customer Service Department (customer service), the Decoration Department
(four areas of decoration), and the Furniture Department (four areas of
furniture) and the Human Resources Department
Indirectly related departments: the Logistics Department (recovery, flow of goods,
and stock control)
Support departments: the Customer Service Department (equipment)
a Each staff member should work according to the employee handbook.
b Each department should check and record this in the handbook.
2 Recognize the best employee to motivate staff
Directly related departments: the F&B Department (food service), the Customer
Service Department, the Decoration Department (four areas of decoration) and
the Furniture Department (four areas of furniture)
a Customers should vote on the best employee monthly, and he/she will get a
bonus.
b The Human Resource Department will establish a reward system.
3 Monitor the effects of training continually
Directly related departments: the Customer Service Department (customer
service), the Decoration Department (four areas of decoration) and the
Furniture Department (four areas of furniture and self-service)
a Based on the training course and its content, establish a standard for assessing
it.
b Establish a quantitative table for gauging the effects of the training course
periodically.
c Each department manager should grade employee attendance.
d Each department should present its achievements at the year end.
4 Punish employees for inappropriate attire
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 12
Indirectly related departments: the F&B Department (food services), the Logistics
Department (recovery, flow of goods and stock control) and the Furniture
Department (four areas of furniture)
a Each department manager must establish strict rules about attire and a suitable
punishment for inappropriate attire.
b Check that the staff attire is appropriate on a regular basis.
c Violating the dress code will influence annual performance ratings.
Support departments: The F&B Department (kitchen), the Logistics Department
(recovery, goods flow and stock control), the Design Department (interior
design and visual merchandiser) and the Decoration Department (added sales)
a Each department manager should give a verbal warning to staff members
when they do not dress in accordance with the rules for attire.
b Violating attire rules influences annual performance ratings.
5 Put a sales clerk at information stations
Directly related departments: the Decoration Department (four areas of decoration)
and the Furniture Department (four areas of furniture, self-service)
a Have staff members log the hours they have worked.
b If a customer complains that no clerk is at an information station, the staff
member who ought to be there should be punished.
Indirectly related departments: the Human Resource Department and the
Marketing Department
a According to the results of directly related departments, the Human Resource
Department should improve the training course.
b Customers can complain when they cannot find a staff member at an
information station.
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 13
tangible reliability responsiveness Assurance empathy
Pu
nish
vio
lation
s of th
e dress co
de.
Ex
amin
e th
e d
ress co
de
ann
ually
an
d
app
oin
t an
aud
itor to
check
rando
mly.
Ch
eckin
g restro
om
s frequ
ently.
Estab
lish a d
etailed ch
ecklist fo
r restroo
ms.
Ad
d clear in
-store sig
nag
e.
Mem
bers’
info
rmatio
n
taken
d
ow
n
and
d
ealt w
ith
usin
g co
mpu
ters.
Mem
ber
info
rmatio
n
shou
ld
on
ly
be
used
by
th
e
Cu
stom
er Serv
ice Dep
artmen
t.
Sales clerk
s sho
uld
be lo
cated at in
form
ation
station
s.
Bu
ild a serv
ice SO
P fo
r sales clerks.
Th
e emp
loy
ee han
db
oo
k w
as carried o
ut u
nd
eniab
ly.
Ad
d a C
hin
ese interface o
n th
e transactio
n screen
.
Rem
ind
custo
mers to
look
at the tran
saction
screen.
Co
ntin
ually
assess the effects o
f trainin
g
Iden
tify th
e best em
plo
yees to
mo
tivate staff.
Inv
estigate cu
stom
ers’ dem
and
s and
adju
st bu
siness
ho
urs
weig
ht
Master
(Vice-m
aster
)
F&B
Department
Kitchen △ △ △ ◎ 3
Food service ○ ○ △ ◎ △ ◎ ○ ◎ 174
Customer
Service
Department
Customer service ○ ○ ○ ◎ ◎ ○ ◎ △ ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ 321
Equipment ○ ◎ ◎ △ △ ◎ 39
Logistics
Department
Recovery △ △ △ △ ○ ○ 3
Goods flow △ ○ ○ 3
Stock control △ ○ ○ 3
Design
Department
Interior design △ ◎ 32
Visual merchandiser △ ○ 3
Decoration
Department
Added sale △ △ △ △ 8
Four areas of
decoration ○ ○ △ ◎ △ ◎ ◎ ◎ 270
Furniture
Department
Four areas of furniture ○ ○ △ △ ◎ △ ◎ ◎ ◎ 297
Self-server ○ ○ △ ◎ △ ◎ 270
HR Department ◎ ◎ ◎ ○ ◎ ◎ △ ◎ ◎ 108
Marketing Department △ ○ ○ 93
Weighting
51
40
50
75
13
23
13
14
11
45
31
86
31
68
81
36
29
99
10
623
95
4
44
55
10
971
10
530
19
35
Difficulty level 5 4 3 5 4 2 3 3 2 4 2 5 3 4 2
Absolute weighting
25
700
20
300
39
69
65
70
45
80
63
72
95
04
24
408
59
98
42
492
19
08
22
275
32
913
42
120
38
70
Priority 4 7 13 9 12 10 8 5 11 1 15 6 3 2 14
Figure 3 Deployment of action plan
(Source: compiled by the authors)
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 14
Conclusion
This study uses a service quality survey and the QFD to draft improvement action
plans. It translates customer requirements into service considerations and executes a
service design process. According to the results of the investigation for service quality,
the three main deficiencies are as follows.
1 The limited availability of comfortable restrooms for customers in furniture stores.
Most customers believe that furniture stores do not provide a sufficient number of
restrooms as they have to wait during peak hours.
2 The lack of understandin of customers’ needs by sales clerks, despite the fact that,
when joining a company, they are all given an employee handbook which
documents product information and procedures for solving customers’ problems
As a result, customers do not feel comfortable when buying furniture.
3 When experiencing problems, clients cannot find sales clerks quickly — the
furniture sales field has adopted a self-service model. The materials and sizes are
marked in detail on each product, but if customers have questions, they cannot
easily find a sales clerk for help — which reduces customers’ satisfaction with
services.
Consequently, for improvement, the following actions should be taken:
1 Ensure that the employee handbook is used effectively by staff so that they
understand how their company works and their respective duties, to avoid
redundancies. This can help a company to reduce unnecessary personnel expenses.
Moreover, the employee handbook records the standard operation procedures of
each department, which can ensure that service is good and professional.
2 Reward the best employee to motivate staff. Such a praise system provides staff
members with motivation to improve their service voluntarily and construct a
progressive work environment.
3 Track the effects of training on staff, so that their learning is effective and of high
quality; and this will help managers to understand staffing conditions during each
period and establish long-term career development programs for staff.
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 15
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Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 16
Appendix: Questionnaire for SERVQUEL Expectations Survey
Strongly
disagree Strongly
agree
1 2 3 4 5
Tan
gib
les
1. Customers will want to use the equipment and
services.
2. Sales clerks’ attire should be appropriate.
3. Customers know where they can find the goods.
4. There is a favorable brand image.
5. The transaction process is efficient.
6. An adequate number of cashiers is provided for
serving numerous customers.
7. There is adequate parking space and
well-designed lines for movement in the parking
lot.
8. The restrooms in stores must be comfortable.
9. Customers can find restrooms quickly.
Reliab
ility
10. Able to fulfill commitments to customers.
11. When customers have questions, a sales clerk
should offer assistance.
12. Customers can be assured that services are
provided.
13. Customers’ commitments can be complete on
time.
14. Customers’ information will be kept updated and
secure.
Resp
on
-
siven
ess
15. When troubles customers can find a sales clerk
immediately.
16. Sales clerks should offer customers assistance.
17. Sales clerks must be willing to help customers.
Assu
rance
18. Sales clerk have enough knowledge to solve
customers’ problems.
19. Sales clerks have a good attitude.
20. Customers feel safe during transactions with
sales clerks.
Em
path
y
21. Customers must feel comfortable when dealing
with sales clerks.
22. The business hours of a store should be based on
customers’ needs.
23. Sales clerks should put themselves in a
customer’s shoes.
24. Sales clerks should offer different services to
different customers.
Web Journal of Chinese Management Review • Vol 16 • No 3 17
SERVQUAL Perceptions Survey
Strongly
disagree Strongly
agree
1 2 3 4 5
Tan
gib
le
1. Customers will want to use the equipment and
services.
2. Sales clerks’ attire should be appropriate.
3. Customers know where they can find the goods.
4. There is a favorable brand image.
5. The transaction process is efficient.
6. An adequate number of cashiers is provided for
serving numerous customers.
7. There is adequate parking space and
well-designed lines for movement in the parking
lot.
8. The restrooms in stores must be comfortable.
9. Customers can find restrooms quickly.
Reliab
ility
10. Able to fulfill commitments to customers.
11. When customers have questions, a sales clerk
should offer assistance.
12. Customers can be assured that services are
provided.
13. Customers’ commitment can be completed on
time.
14. Customer information will be kept updated and
secure.
Resp
on
-
siven
ess
15. When troubles customers can find a sales clerk
immediately.
16. Sales clerks should offer customers assistance.
17. Sales clerk must be willing to help customers.
Assu
rance
18. Sales clerks have enough knowledge to solve
customers’ problems.
19. Sales clerks have a good attitude.
20. Customers feel safe during transactions with sales
clerks.
Em
path
y
21. Customers must feel comfortable when dealing
with sales clerks.
22. The business hours of a store should be based on
customers’ needs.
23. Sales clerks should put themselves in a
customer’s shoes.
24. Sales clerks should offer different services to
different customers.
(Source: compiled by the authors)