Assessing service quality and its link with value for money in a UK local authority's housing repairs service using the SERVQUAL approach

The environments within which UK local authority housing services operate are undergoing significant externally driven change. Levels of service which may have been tolerated only a generation ago are now regarded as unacceptable by many tenants and professionals alike. In the Falkirk area of Scotla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Total quality management & business excellence 1999-07, Vol.10 (4/5), p.S498
Main Authors: Donnelly, Mike, Shiu, Edward
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Councils
Customer services
Discriminant analysis
Focus groups
Housing
Investments
Public housing
Quality of service
Repair & maintenance
Retail banking
Studies
Tenants
Workforce planning
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Summary:The environments within which UK local authority housing services operate are undergoing significant externally driven change. Levels of service which may have been tolerated only a generation ago are now regarded as unacceptable by many tenants and professionals alike. In the Falkirk area of Scotland in particular there has been a fragmentation in household formation, resulting in a larger number of household units in spite of a reducing total population. Falkirk Council is the statutory planning and housing authority for the Falkirk area. The housing repairs function comes under the control of the Housing Management Services section. The responsive repairs service is discussed. In May 1998, the Housing Service Plan was approved by the Housing Services Committee of the council. This plan included a commitment to conduct a pilot study of the assessment of customers' views of the quality of housing repairs using the SERVQUAL methodology. The research yielded five dimensions by which customers evaluate service quality: 1. tangibles, 2. reliability, 3. responsiveness, 4. assurance, and 5. empathy.
ISSN:1478-3363
1478-3371