Methodology for assessing and improving the quality of services based on a process approach. Assessment and improvement of the process of customer service in a restaurant

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the methodology for assessing and improving the quality of service in a process approach, using the method of the process description and assessment typical of service organizations: Service Blueprinting and Walk Through Audit and demonstrating its practical application on the example of the service process of a real service organization – the customer service process in one of Wroclaw’s restaurants. The procedure and the advantages, and limitations of the methodology were demonstrated. Compared with other methods of assessing the quality of services, its advantages are related to the examination of the entire service process and quality assessment of each of its stages. The main disadvantages result from the limitations and drawbacks of surveys used in this methodology. Practical application of the methodology of assessing the quality of service was shown on the example of the assessment process of customer service in the restaurant (located in the centre of Wroclaw). A literature review of methods of assessing the quality of services and data collected among customers and employees of the analysed organizations was used. It was found that it helps to identify the stages in the process of customer service in which the expectations of customers are not met and to determine the extent of improvement actions.