Measuring Service Quality Through Mystery Shopping

Service quality is the delivery of excellent or superior service relative to customer expectations. Given the inherent characteristics of services—intangibility, inseparability and heterogeneity—measuring service quality perceptions has long been a topic of debate. Pioneering research by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry has established that customers assess service quality across five key dimensions:

According to these authors, perceived service quality is defined as the discrepancy between customers’ expectations and their perceptions of the service received. In simple terms:

The Gaps in Service Quality

This is the difference between what customers expect from a service and a company’s understanding of those expectations. A business must identify which features satisfy consumer needs and deliver high-quality service.

This gap occurs when a company fails to select the right service standards or operating procedures. When consumers perceive that they can get a similar product with better service elsewhere, the knowledge gap becomes evident.

This represents the difference between the service quality standards set by the company and the actual service delivery. Contributing factors include:

The Communication Gap

Closing the Gaps with Mystery Shopping

By evaluating each touchpoint through a mystery shopping exercise, businesses can:

Also read: Measuring Customer Experience at QSR’s through Mystery Shopping

Enhancing service quality is not merely about meeting customer expectations—it’s about exceeding them. Mystery shopping provides the actionable insights needed to close the gaps in service delivery, resulting in improved customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty. By understanding and addressing the discrepancies between expected and perceived service quality, organisations can foster long-term relationships with their customers and stand out in a competitive market.