Servqual survey on customer experience management
Using the SERVQUAL format—where you measure both Expectations (E) and Perceptions (P) on a Likert scale give you the crucial Gap Score ($P-E$) for each key aspect.
Based on the typical content of a Customer Experience Management (CEM) lecture (Strategy, Journey Mapping, Metrics, and Culture), here are 5 proposed SERVQUAL-style questions for students. The scale should be a 5-point Likert scale, with options like: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree
5 SERVQUAL Questions for Your CEM Lecture
The questions are organized to cover the core dimensions students would likely expect from a course titled “Customer Experience Management.” For each item, the student will answer two questions: what they Expected and what they Perceived (Got).
| SERVQUAL Dimension | Question Topic | Expectation (E) Statement | Perception (P) Statement |
| Reliability (Delivering on promises) | Practical Application | The lecture would provide specific, actionable tools (e.g., templates, frameworks) I can immediately use in a job. | The lecture provided specific, actionable tools (e.g., templates, frameworks) I can immediately use in a job. |
| Assurance (Knowledge and Trust) | Instructor Expertise | The instructor would clearly demonstrate deep, practical experience in Customer Experience Management beyond just textbook theory. | The instructor clearly demonstrated deep, practical experience in Customer Experience Management beyond just textbook theory. |
| Tangibles (Physical/Visual Aspects) | Learning Materials & Structure | The lecture materials (slides, handouts) would be visually clear, well-structured, and easy to follow for note-taking and review. | The lecture materials (slides, handouts) were visually clear, well-structured, and easy to follow for note-taking and review. |
| Empathy (Caring and Individual Attention) | Relevance & Customization | The lecture would address current industry trends and challenges relevant to my specific interests or career field. | The lecture addressed current industry trends and challenges relevant to my specific interests or career field. |
| Responsiveness (Willingness to Help/Deliver) | Key Learning Outcomes | By the end of the lecture, I would understand how to design and map a complete customer journey to identify key “Moments of Truth.” | I now understand how to design and map a complete customer journey to identify key “Moments of Truth.” |
Calculating the Gap Score
Once students complete the survey, you can calculate your Gap Score for each of the 5 items:
A Negative Score indicates a gap where the lecture failed to meet student expectations (e.g., 3 – 5 = -2).
- A Zero Score indicates the lecture met expectations (e.g., 4 – 4 = 0).
- A Positive Score indicates the lecture exceeded expectations (e.g., 5 – 4 = +1).
You can read more here: ServQual methodology for assessing the usability of automated sales in grocery
This is a much better way to tailor the survey! Based on the specific themes found on your blog (mietwood.com), which emphasize digital business models, data science, competitive advantage, and sustainability within Customer Experience Management (CEM), I have adapted the 5 SERVQUAL dimensions to reflect your unique lecture content.
Students will rate their Expectation (E) (based on the title) and their Perception (P) (what they got) on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree.
5 SERVQUAL Questions Tailored to mietwood.com
| SERVQUAL Dimension | Theme from Your Blog | Expectation (E) Statement (Likert 1-5) | Perception (P) Statement (Likert 1-5) |
| Reliability (Delivering on Core Promise) | Competitive Advantage | The lecture would provide a clear, proven framework to use CX/UX as a primary source of competitive advantage. | The lecture provided a clear, proven framework to use CX/UX as a primary source of competitive advantage. |
| Assurance (Knowledge & Credibility) | Sustainability/Green Challenges | The instructor would demonstrate specific knowledge on how to apply CX principles to sustainability, green products, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). | The instructor demonstrated specific knowledge on how to apply CX principles to sustainability, green products, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). |
| Tangibles (Materials & Analytical Focus) | Data Science & Analytics (SQL, Python) | The analytical concepts (e.g., data sources, KPIs, metrics) mentioned in the curriculum would be presented in a clear, logical, and easy-to-understand manner. | The analytical concepts (e.g., data sources, KPIs, metrics) were presented in a clear, logical, and easy-to-understand manner. |
| Empathy (Understanding Student Needs) | Digital & Modern Application | The lecture would focus on modern, digital business models and touchpoints, rather than just traditional service examples. | The lecture focused on modern, digital business models and touchpoints, rather than just traditional service examples. |
| Responsiveness (Willingness to Help/Deliver) | CX vs. Service Quality Distinction | I expected to learn methods for analyzing and improving CX that are distinctly different from traditional Customer Service and Service Quality measures. | I learned methods for analyzing and improving CX that are distinctly different from traditional Customer Service and Service Quality measures. |
How to Use the Scores
After the students complete the survey, you can calculate the Gap Score for each question by subtracting the expected score (E) from the perceived score (P)
Reliability – servqual
That’s an excellent way to focus your immediate survey efforts—by zooming in on the Reliability dimension.
In the context of a CEM lecture, Reliability measures the ability of your course to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. It asks: Did the lecture deliver on its core promises and core functions?
Here are 5 SERVQUAL questions, all focused on the Reliability of your CEM lecture (based on the themes from mietwood.com), where students will rate both Expectation (E) and Perception (P) on a Likert scale (1-5).
| Dimension | Reliability Focus Area | Expectation (E) Statement (Likert 1-5) | Perception (P) Statement (Likert 1-5) |
| Reliability 1 | Core Takeaway (Competitive Edge) | The lecture would provide a clear, proven framework to use CX/UX as a primary source of competitive advantage, as suggested by the title. | The lecture provided a clear, proven framework to use CX/UX as a primary source of competitive advantage. |
| Reliability 2 | Accuracy of Data/Metrics | I expected the lecture to present all CX metrics, data concepts, and tools (e.g., Python/SQL related concepts) with complete accuracy and no ambiguity. | The lecture presented all CX metrics, data concepts, and tools with complete accuracy and no ambiguity. |
| Reliability 3 | Consistency of Flow/Content | The lecture content and slides would be consistently logical and free of errors (typos, misleading figures, wrong formulas) throughout the entire session. | The lecture content and slides were consistently logical and free of errors (typos, misleading figures, wrong formulas) throughout the entire session. |
| Reliability 4 | Fulfillment of Learning Objectives | The lecture would fully cover the key learning objectives listed in the syllabus or course description without leaving out core promised topics. | The lecture fully covered the key learning objectives listed in the syllabus or course description without leaving out core promised topics. |
| Reliability 5 | Practical Application | I expected the lecture to deliver reliable, immediately applicable tools and templates (e.g., journey mapping) that I can use in a professional setting. | The lecture delivered reliable, immediately applicable tools and templates (e.g., journey mapping) that I can use in a professional setting. |
This set of five questions will give you a detailed view of how well you delivered on the fundamental promises of your CEM lecture.
The most significant scientific paper related to the SERVQUAL scale is the original publication that introduced the instrument:
Title: SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality1 Authors: A. Parasuraman, Valarie A.2 Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry3 Journal: Journal of Retailing4 Volume/Issue/Pages: Vol. 64, No. 1, pp. 12-405, Publication Year: 19886
Why This Paper is the Most Significant
This paper is considered seminal for several reasons:
- Introduction of the 5 Dimensions (RATER): It refined the ten initial determinants of service quality (proposed in their earlier 1985 paper) into the five established dimensions used today: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, and Responsiveness.
- The Instrument: It describes the development, refinement, and validation of the 22-item SERVQUAL questionnaire itself, which is designed to measure the gap between customer Expectations (E) and Perceptions (P).7
- Foundation of the Field: It provided the first widely accepted, psychometrically rigorous, and empirically tested scale for measuring the abstract concept of service quality, establishing the fundamental model for nearly all subsequent research in the field.
It’s important to note that the conceptual framework, known as the Gaps Model of Service Quality, was initially introduced by the same authors in an earlier 1985 paper:8
- 1985 Paper: A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and its Implications for Future Research, published in the Journal of Marketing.9 This paper introduced the five service quality gaps. link
- 1988 Paper: SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale…, published in the Journal of Retailing.10 This paper introduced the actual 22-item measurement scale based on the 1985 framework.11
For anyone specifically looking for the measurement tool (the 22-item scale), the 1988 Journal of Retailing paper is the most significant one.
