Service quality driven approach for innovative retail service system design and evaluation: A case study

Abstract

This paper proposes a service-quality-driven service design approach with four phases using the SERVQUAL model and the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). In the “Retail service quality measurement” phase, the customer requirements are identified from a service quality perspective. Then, in “Identifying problem and contradiction elimination” phase, the above service quality dimensions are figured out by Problem formulator as the parameters to be the input of the service TRIZ contradiction matrix. In “Specific retail solution generation” phase, the service TRIZ contradiction matrix is constructed, which leads to the resolution of innovative principles and then new service system can be carried out. Then, we evaluate the new service system in the “Evaluating customer experience” phase by using the experiential model. This paper uses a shopping mall case study to verify the proposed novel approach. By using the proposed design approach, a new smart shopping guidance services system: “Whereabout identified personalized service” (WIPS) with both interactive signage and Apps was proposed and developed. Finally, a consumer survey was conducted to identify the factors that influenced service quality in the retail business, and to evaluate the consumer perceptions of a shopping image in a tangible shopping district.