The Identification of Gaps between perceived and required Service Quality and Strategies to increase Customer Satisfaction

Abstract: The assurance of customer satisfaction is an increasing challenge for airline companies. Bridging the gap between passenger expectations and the perceived image of service quality is a permanent problem that is in the need to be optimized. Therefore, it is indispensable for the company to identify these gaps and develop strategies to increase customer satisfaction. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify gaps between perceived and required service quality, and strategies to increase customer satisfaction. Consequently, the customer as well as the company perspective shall be considered carefully. The theoretical foundation for this dissertation can be referred to the service quality model of Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985). To illustrate the coherencies and provide actual data from the reality, the cases of the airline companies Air Berlin, TUIfly and Lufthansa are chosen. By conducting a survey, quantitative data was collected from the customer. In order to collect data about the company perspective, qualitative methods like an interview and secondary information from the companies’ homepages are used. Based on the cases of the three airlines, specific gaps are identified. From this, concrete needs for action and strategies on the part of the companies can be derived. The findings of this study show that core and secondary service quality attributes can be identified. Consequently, the improvement of certain attributes can be more important than the improvement of other attributes to increase customer satisfaction. These priorities depend also on the size of a service quality gap and on the access to company resources.