Measuring service quality: from theory into practice

Philip J Calvert

Abstract
Converting the theory of service quality measurement into a practical method for librarians to use has required a continuum of work over the past two years. The Hernon and Altman research created a theoretical framework upon which further research could be conducted. Hernon and Calvert refined the framework to produce a pool of statements about service quality usable by university libraries in New Zealand, and tested them in a pilot survey. Bydder and Harwood selected appropriate questions from the Hernon and Calvert pool then conducted a two-stage service quality gap analysis survey at the University of Waikato. Even now, practising librarians should not regard the situation as static, as customer perceptions of service quality will change over time.