Measuring Service Quality: To Tailor or not to Tailor?

Abstract

Service quality measurements are often made by academics and practitioners using a standardised measuring instrument. It is apparent that different industries display their own peculiar characteristics and some argue for the tailoring of measurement. This research investigates the relative importance to consumers of ‘standard’ quality measurements versus those tailored for particular service contexts. Results indicate that questions tailored to, or unique to, particular industries typically achieve higher ratings than standard questions indicating tailoring to be desirable.