4.4 Service-Oriented Quality Models

4.4.2 The Image Model of Grönroos

Grönroos builds his model starting after the service has been done. The customer will compare the given service with the service. The result of this comparision both will be the experienced service. Grönroos divides the given service into two quality dimensions: technical quality and functional quality.

technical quality
The former can be rated without difficulty. It will best be described with the question: What will the customer get? Know-how, machine performance, computer systems and problem-solving ability.

functional quality
The latter stands for the nature of service. It will answer the question: How is the service presented? Contact with customer, appearance, behaviour, atmosphere and service-oriented basic attitude. Rating this dimension of quality will be far more difficult as it is of subjective nature.

Technical quality and functional quality will be perceived through the already existing image of the service provider.

image
The image represents a kind of delay function of the technical and the functional quality. The image filters the perception during the process of the actual quality of service.
 
Figure 10: The Model of Grönroos

4.4.3 A Pragmatic Development Towards the Model of Meyer
Looking at the nature of services, taking the Model of Donabedian as a mental base, and modifying and adding elements, one can easily understand the Model of Meyer.

The Model of Donabedian divides service into structure, process and outcome. However, the connection between structure and process seems unclear. That is to say, that best equipped technology in medicine (= structure quality) does not necessarily result in good process quality, or in good outcome quality. The most important element of a service, the customer, somehow, does not appear in this model at all.

Grönroos builds his service model from the eyes of the customer, comparing the expected quality with the given quality. He realised the importance of the image in service. However, he still missed the integration of the customer into the model.

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[1]Compare [MM87p.190f.].