Total Quality Management Multiple Choice Questions on “Dimensions of Service Quality”.
1. Rahul had booked a room in a 5-star hotel. After he checked in at his hotel room he was angry on finding that his bed sheet was filthy. Which dimension of ‘service quality’ was poorly reflected?
a) Tangibles
b) Reliability
c) Responsiveness
d) Empathy
Answer: a
Clarification: Tangibles refers to the appearance of the service that is being provided. It is a dimension of ‘service quality’. By providing a dirty bed sheet the customer got angry and this resulted in customer dissatisfaction.
2. Manoj went to buy a washing machine. On top of the washing machine, it was mentioned that free service will be provided every 3 months until one year is completed. Manoj approached the shopkeeper to get a confirmation on the authenticity of the statement. Which dimension of ‘service quality’ was Manoj focusing on?
a) Empathy
b) Aesthetics
c) Reliability
d) Reputation
Answer: c
Clarification: Reliability as a dimension of ‘service quality’ on the authenticity of the promised service. Here, Manoj wanted a confirmation from the shopkeeper that free service will be provided to him. An assurance from the shopkeeper will convince Manoj to buy the washing machine.
3. At Bengaluru Airport, Karan was surprised by the help he received from the staff at the airport. He was worried about the standard procedures like collecting boarding pass and security check-in. But the staff overwhelmingly helped him overcome all the difficulties. Which dimension of ‘service quality’ was strongly promoted by the staff at the airport?
a) Aesthetics
b) Features
c) Empathy
d) Reputation
Answer: c
Clarification: Empathy refers to the care that is provided to customers. Here, the staff proved to be a great help for Karan. By overcoming his difficulties by providing individual attention, empathy was strongly promoted.
4. Manish had purchased a ticket from a famous airline for his upcoming business meeting in London. He had injured his left leg a couple of days back and needed wheelchair assistance. He called the airline customer service and asked for wheelchair assistance. He was not only promised wheelchair assistance but also pick-up and drop facility. Which dimension of ‘service quality’ was strongly promoted here?
a) Assurance
b) Features
c) Aesthetics
d) Reputation
Answer: a
Clarification: Assurance refers to the knowledge and courtesy of the staff who provide customer service and their ability to convey trust and confidence. By assuring Manish of wheelchair assistance, a sense of confidence was promoted. In addition to this, pick-up and drop facility was also provided which augmented customer satisfaction.
5. Which of the following is not a technique to study the ‘service quality gap’?
a) Surveys
b) Online Research
c) Focus Groups
d) Asking the boss of the company
Answer: d
Clarification: Surveys, Online Research, and Focus Groups are exploratory research techniques to identify the service quality gap. The difference between customer expectations and customer perceptions at the time of service is called service quality gap.
6. Which of the following is incorrect while referring to challenges faced while ensuring service quality?
a) Customer expectations change over a period of time
b) Different customers can have different expectations
c) Customer expectations do not change at all
d) Knowledge of all customers about the service may not be the same
Answer: c
Clarification: Customer expectations change over a period of time and different customers can have different expectations. These results in variation in service quality desired. In addition to this, all customers do not have the same knowledge of the service being provided.
7. If the time taken to respond to customer complaints is less, which dimension of ‘service quality’ is strongly promoted?
a) Responsiveness
b) Aesthetics
c) Empathy
d) Durability
Answer: a
Clarification: The responsiveness refers to the quickness with which customer problems are dealt with. With a short response time, the responsiveness of the service is strongly promoted here.
8. Company A and Company B are two social networking service companies. It has been found that Company A shares a user’s private information with undetectable sources while Company B is not accused of any such activities. Which dimension of ‘service quality’ is at stake?
a) Security
b) Empathy
c) Responsiveness
d) Durability
