Different Dimensions of Quality as related to a service and a ProductDIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF QUALITIES IN A PRODUCT.

Performance

Performance refers to a product’s primary operating characteristics. For an automobile performance would include traits like acceleration, handling, cruising speed, and comfort. this dimension of quality involves measurable attributes.

Features

Features are the ‘‘bells and whistles’’ of products those characteristics that supplement their basic functioning. Example include permanent-press cycles on a washing machine, and automatic tuners on a color television set. Fine furniture stores offer their customers countless variations in fabric and color

Reliability

Reliability. This dimension reflects the probability of a product malfunctioning or failing within a specified time period. Among the most common measures of reliability. Reliability normally becomes more important to consumers as downtime and maintenance become more expensive.

Durability

Durability. A measure of product life, durability has both economic and technical dimensions. Technically durability can be defined as the amount of use one gets from a product before it deteriorates. After so many hours of use, the filament of a light bulb burns up and the bulb must be replaced. Repair is impossible. Economical consumers must weigh the expected cost of future repairs against the investment and operating expenses of a newer, more reliable model.

Aesthetic

Aesthetic. How a product looks, feels, sounds tastes or smell is clearly a matter of personal judgment and reflection of individual performance. Example a car is the interior design, soft touch etc.

Serviceability

Serviceability. Speed, courtesy, competence and easy of repair. Consumer are concerned not only about a product breaking down but also about the time before service is restored.

Different dimension of quality in a service

Responsiveness

Responsiveness. It is the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. This dimension emphasizes attentiveness and promptness in dealing with customer's requests, questions, complaints and problems. Responsiveness is communicated to customers by length of time they have to wait for assistance, answers to questions or attention to problems.

Assurance

Assurance. The extent to which the service provider and the staff is able to inspire trust and confidence. For example the customer dining in a restaurant may not be able to directly judge the level of hygiene maintained by the restaurants. Here it is not only important to actually provide hygienic food but also to inspire confidence that the food is hygienic. For example a doctor with MD degree may inspire more assurance than a doctor with just an MBBS degree, although the basic treatment provided by them may be of same quality

Empathy

Empathy. This is being able to understand the needs of the customer as an individual and meet the special requirements of the customer. This is more about customizing the service and the general service provider behavior for each customer, rather than providing a uniform high quality treatment to all. True empathy means understanding the special characterizes and needs of individual customer, and modifying service to them accordingly

Tangibles

Tangibles. This is the parallel of physical characteristics of quality of goods. This refers to the physical characteristics of facilities, equipments, consumable goods and personnel used in or associated with the service provided. However here also the quality is judged not by some uniform specifications in terms of physical characteristic, but by the impact these physical characteristics have on customer assessment of the service quality.

Reliability

Reliability. The extent to which the service performed matches implicit or explicit promises made by the service provider regarding the nature of service. For example, the basic quality of room decor, food, and facilities provided in a hotel.