Service Quality Perceptions in Banks: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Delivering higher levels of service quality is the strategy that is increasingly being offered as a key to service provider's efforts to position themselves more effectively in the marketplace. Almost all banks perform same functions. Therefore, customer takes into account the relative efficiency while choosing a particular bank. Moreover, banks carry on business with public money and, therefore, customers expect better services from them. Under such circumstances, customer's decision to patronize one and not the other is based on quality service offered to him. Firms, therefore, prosper or decline, depending upon the quality of service they provide to their customers. Because of this widespread belief service organisations have placed service quality at the top of the list of strategic constructs. In view of its strategic importance, an attempt has been made in the present paper to make a comparative study of service quality perceptions in respect of banks, under study, i.e., with the perceptions of their respective customers regarding the quality of service offered by banks, and to offer suggestions to make the overall banking service more effective and efficient. The results of the study lead us to the conclusion that customers perceive that service quality of all banks is below their expectations, and suggests heavy investment on tangibility and improvement in other dimensions of service quality.