4.4 Service-Oriented Quality Models

dimension II: potentials of contact
These are the specific service potentials. It will be of utmost importance to take care of all subjects and objects the customer comes into contact with. The nature of service provokes the attitude of the customer to take these as surrogates for measuring the potential quality. The experienced contact is highly image shaping. Specially mentioned need to be the persons in direct contact with the customer. The ability to calm a patient during ambulant laser treatment will highly improve the objective outcome and even the experienced process quality.

The following picture outlines the two modifications of the Model of Donabedian towards the Model of Meyer.
 
Figure 11: Potential Quality in the Model of Donabedian

third step: potential quality of the customer
The basic attitude of the customer, his emotional, intellectual and physical constitution towards co-operation during the production process, highly influences the quality of the service [MM87p.193].

Meyer divides the potential quality of the customer into potentials of integration and potentials of interactivity. Referring to the dimension III and dimension IV of Chapter 4.1.3 respectively.

potentials of integration
In the case that the customer is a patient, it seems even more obvious that the outcome strongly depends on his attitude. The direct assistance of the patient during the process can be positive, neutral or negative to the quality reached. The patient's attitude will pre-determine the quality.

potentials of interactivity
If the service is provided to a group of people, they can stimulate each other or frustrate one another. These potentials strongly predetermine the process quality of a service. Just imagine how the atmosphere of a ballroom dance is influenced by its people. However, potentials of interactivity even influence the quality of outcome in ambulant medical care. Any mistake of the physician, mentioned by a patient in the waiting room, will alert the group of patients, whereas positive experience will stimulate the other patients. In medical care potentials of interacivity are also facilitators in image shaping. Of course, the potentials of interactivity in ambulant medical care should not be actively manipulated for image reasons. However, depending on the architecture of consulting rooms potentials of interactivity can be provoked or rather diminished.