Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam

What measurement scale is commonly used to evaluate service quality by comparing customer expectations with performance?

1. SERVQUAL

2. Quality Index

3. Service Quality Assessment

4. Customer Satisfaction Scale

The correct answer is: SERVQUAL

SERVQUAL is a widely recognized measurement scale specifically designed to assess service quality. It operates on the principle of comparing customer expectations against the actual performance received. This method helps identify gaps between what customers expect from a service and what they perceive they have experienced. The SERVQUAL model focuses on five key dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, which collectively provide a comprehensive evaluation of service quality. In contrast, the other options do not specifically focus on measuring the difference between expectations and actual performance in the same systematic manner as SERVQUAL. The Quality Index might refer to various quality metrics but lacks the specific framework for evaluating service quality relative to customer expectations. The Service Quality Assessment could be a general term without a standardized approach tied to customer expectations. Meanwhile, the Customer Satisfaction Scale typically measures overall satisfaction levels rather than the nuances of service quality in relation to expectations. This makes SERVQUAL the most appropriate choice for evaluating service quality based on the expectations-performance model.