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From these ten dimensions, a pool which included 97 items of SERQUAL instrument was 
generated. Each dimension generated around 10 items. After combining and shortening, it has 22 
items (Appendix 1). Each item was divided into two statements: one to measure expectation 
about organizations in general within a given service area and another to measure perceptions 
about given organization whose service quality was being assessed. The scale was pointed from 
“strongly agree” (7) to “strongly disagree” (1). Fifty percent of statements were worded 
positively and the rest was worded negatively suitable with the scale development (Churchill 
1979).  
For each dimension, the SERVQUAL scale provides a score for customer expectations (E) and a 
score for customer perceptions (P) of service providers’ performances. Customer expectations 
are “wants or desires of customer” (Miller, 1977), what they feel the providers should provide or 
it can be the prediction of future events. They appear before using service. While customer 
perceptions are measured directly within and after their experience in using service. They reveal 
the evaluations of customers about what they gain from service.  
According to Parasuraman and his colleagues, the difference between the two scores is service 
quality (Q).  
 Q = P – E 
 The key to optimizing service quality is to maximize this positive gap score. The negative value 
of this gap score reveals the dissatisfaction of customers. The input to calculate this score is 
customers’ feedbacks. 
Because each dimension has the different influence to the service quality, to calculate the overall 
service quality each dimension need to be weighted corresponding with its importance. Those 
weights can be different between hotels in one country as well as in different countries. It 
depends on the policy of hotels and the culture of each region. In some cases, hotel management 
uses standards of hotel rating systems to decide the weights.  
 
It seems that SERQUAL model has been used only for gap 5. But in reality, its application could 
be extended to other gaps. Since its introduction in 1985, SERQUAL model is used in numerous 
measurement and study of hotel industry. SERVQUAL model is not only very popular in 
assessment of external service quality but also used in internal service quality measurement with 
some modifications. It can be used by employees of one department to access another 

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department within company. Based on the specific data, managers will judge exactly which 
dimensions need to be improved and which are their strength; how well their employees perform 
in each dimension. It is also the foundation to allocate the resources as well as redesign the 
service provision.   
 
Despite its popularity and wide application, SERVQUAL is exposed to numerous criticisms, 
from both the conceptual and the operational aspect, such as: 
•
 
Direction to the process: SERVQUAL directs to the service delivery process but the result of 
service experience. 
•
 
Expectations: the term of expectations has multiple meanings; it is impossible for 
SERVQUAL to measure the absolute expectations of service quality. 
•
 
Moment of truth: in the different moment, customers have different satisfaction levels. 
•
 
Polarity: the reverse polarity of the scale elements causes wrong response. 
•
 
Data collection: it is not always easy for hotel managers to ask guests to fulfill the long 
questionnaire to get the statistic data of all ten dimensions.   
2.3.2 HOLSERV and LODGING QUALITY INDEX 
 
To overcome some problem related to SERVQUAL in accessing service quality and customer 
satisfaction in hotel industry, one variation of SERVQUAL which called HOLSERV and another 
instrument called LODGING QUALITY INDEX are recommended. Not like SERVQUAL 
which can be used in all the service industry, HOLSERV and LODGING QUALITY INDEX 
were built and used only for hotel or hospitality industry. 
2.3.2.1 HOLSERV 
 
HOLSERV is a new format of SERVQUAL. HOLSERV is the one-column format questionnaire 
that has produced a reliable instrument specifically for the hotel industry. In HOLSERV, eight 
items of the original SERVQUAL scale were either modified or added and three items were 
deleted, leaving a total of 27 items in final scale. The HOLSERV scale is a shorter, more user-
friendly compared to SERVQUAL scale.  

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Table 4: Modifications of the SERVQUAL scale 
NUMBER 
BASIC WORDING 
ORIGION 
GROUP 
REL1 
Promises to provide a service and does so 
SERVQUAL 
Reliability 
REL2 
Shows dependability in handling service problems  SERVQUAL 
Reliability 
REL3 
Performs the service right the first time 
SERVQUAL 
Reliability 
REL4 
Provides services at the time it promises to do so 
SERVQUAL 
Reliability 
RES1 
Tells guests exactly when the services will be 
performed 
SERVQUAL 
Responsiveness 
RES2 
Gives prompt service 
SERVQUAL 
Responsiveness 
RES3 
Always willing to help 
SERVQUAL 
Responsiveness 
RES4 
Never too busy to respond to guests’ requests 
SERVQUAL 
Responsiveness 
ASS1 
Instills confidence in guests 
SERVQUAL 
Assurance 
ASS2 
Guests feel safe in the delivery of services 
SERVQUAL 
Assurance 
ASS3 
Guests feel safe and secure in their stay 
New 
Assurance 
ASS4 
Polite and courteous employees 
SERVQUAL 
Assurance 
ASS5 
Have the knowledge to answer questions 
SERVQUAL 
Assurance 
ASS6 
Have the skill to perform the service 
New 
Assurance 
EMP1 
Gives individual attention 
SERVQUAL 
Empathy 
EMP2 
Deals with guests in a caring fashion 
SERVQUAL 
Empathy 
EMP3 
Has guests’ best interests at heart 
SERVQUAL 
Empathy 
EMP4 
Understands guests’ specific needs 
SERVQUAL 
Empathy 
TAN1 
Equipment, fixtures and fittings are modern 
looking 
SERVQUAL 
Tangibles 
TAN2 
Facilities are visually appealing 
Customized 
Tangibles 
TAN3 
Neat and professional employees 
SERVQUAL 
Tangibles 
TAN4 
Materials are visually appealing 
SERVQUAL 
Tangibles 
TAN5 
Fixture and fittings are comfortable 
New 
Tangibles 
TAN6 
Equipment and facilities are easy to use 
New 
Tangibles 

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