SERVQUAL is a multi-dimensional research instrument, designed to capture consumer expectations and perceptions of a service along the five dimensions that are believed to represent service quality. SERVQUAL is built on the expectancy-disconfirmation paradigm, which in simple terms means that service quality is understood as the extent to which consumers' pre-consumption expectations of quality are confirmed or disconfirmed by their actual perceptions of the service experience.
Published in Chapter:
The Influence of Tourist Characteristics on the Perceived Quality of Hostels in Portugal: An Exploratory Study
Beatriz Fernandes Duarte (Polytechinc Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal), Laurentina Cruz Vareiro (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal),
Bruno Barbosa Sousa (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal), and Victor Figueira (Polytechinc Institute of Beja, Portugal)
Copyright: © 2021
|Pages: 20
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-7239-9.ch011
Abstract
The hostels sector in Portugal, despite its late appearance compared to other countries in the world, has registered an expressive development. However, the observed growth is not properly accompanied by research that supports and helps in understanding the sector and its future perspective. The chapter intends to be a contribution in this area, having as central focus the analysis of the influence of the characteristics of the tourists in relation to the expectations and perceptions regarding the service quality provided in a hostel in Portugal. The methodology used is a descriptive nature of a quantitative nature, based on an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire essentially applies the SERVQUAL model, not fully following the original structure, presenting reformulated statements that are adequate to the hostel service in dimensions such as tangible aspects, reliability, empathy, promptness, and security.