Service 1: Week 4: XLRI Hostel Mess Service

Need:

Food in the hostel

Expectation:

To get decent quality, hygienic and healthy food. Also, to have some options of dishes in the meals. The expectations regarding the food are not very high since the general perception is that hostel food is not of a superior taste or quality and the hygiene and health factors are not considered during the preparation of food at the mess.

Experience:

The ongoing experience of XLRI Hostel Mess service meets the poor expectations. The quality of the food is dubious at times and the taste of the food is usually poor. Eating to survive has become the normal strategy and most students look for respite in eating joints inside and outside the campus. Restaurants in the city are a haven as a result. The hygiene with which the food is prepared is questionable and although the student committee regularly updates the food menu, the menu seems redundant, repetitive and uninviting. Also, even though the mess serves non-vegetarian food numerous times a week, the quality of the food has pushed me to opt for the vegetarian options over the non-vegetarian dishes.

Off late however, the mess service has improved on the health quotient with fruits being served during lunch daily. Also, the menu has been improved considerably after numerous attempts by the student committee.

Service Analysis:

Service Quality:

In order to determine the perceived service quality of the XLRI Hostel Mess Service, the five dimensions of service quality (SERVQUAL) have been used. These dimensions are given in the table below along with the quality perceived by me during my experience.

Dimension	Rating (Scale of 1-10) 1 – Poor; 10 - Excellent	Analysis of Service
Tangibles	6	The Hostel Mess is kept clean. The dishes are also clean and this surpasses the poor expectations from the mess service. The food however meets the poor expectations.
Reliability	6	The reliability is average as the mess seems to be improving the food quality now. Earlier the reliability was lower.
Responsiveness	5	It took the student committee numerous efforts to get the mess contractors to improve the food quality and agree to a lot of changes.
Assurance	7	Competence of the employees is average and as expected. Courtesy of the employees is high towards students and this is a pleasant surprise. Security of the mess service is average although it is not recommended to enter the mess after dinner hours.
Empathy	8	The mess employees are empathetic towards students and prepare special dishes for individual students if the students are ill.

Based on the above dimensions of quality, I would summarize the perceived service quality to be of a medium to high level with respect to the expectations. However, I feel there is still a vast scope for improvement.

Your opinion and comments are welcome.

Service 2: Week 3: L’Oréal Professionnel Haircut in New Delhi

Need:

Needed a new haircut for brother’s wedding

Expectation:

To get a new style and change my appearance for the wedding. Also, from my previous experience with the stylists, I was confident of getting a good haircut that would not be very common and would suit me. Based on my previous experiences, I also knew that I did not need to be worried about the stylist cutting my hair too short (I prefer long hair) and this is a relieving and assuring factor which attracts me to the same outlet every time I need a haircut.

Experience:

Since the stylist I usually get my hair cut from is usually busy, I set an appointment with the salon for a haircut. I reached the outlet 10 minutes late but the stylist was still available which is not common for the salon as they do not hold appointments and expect the customers to reach 5 minutes or so before the scheduled time. Pleasantly surprised, I was told they knew I preferred the particular stylist and since I had mentioned I am in Delhi for a very short while they accommodated the same.

The stylist usually asks the customers for their preference of style and length. My only preference was to not get my hair cut too short and the stylist met this requirement very well by changing my hairstyle without cutting more than a couple of inches in length. Also, since the hairstyle was similar to what I had in mind, I was very pleased with the results.

The experience at the salon is always good since not only do I get a good hairstyle, but the stylist also informs me of ways to take better care of my hair. He ensures the advice given is not very time consuming and does not require frequent visits to the salon since I told him I am studying in Jamshedpur and not in Delhi. The stylist also informs me of all new services launched by L’Oréal Professionnel and discusses and explains the ones that would suit me best irrespective of whether I opt to try the service or not.

Service Analysis:

Service Quality:

In order to determine the perceived service quality of the L’Oréal Professionnel Haircut, the five dimensions of service quality (SERVQUAL) have been used. These dimensions are given in the table below along with the quality perceived by me during my experience.

Dimension	Rating (Scale of 1-10) 1 – Poor; 10 - Excellent	Analysis of Service
Tangibles	9	The appearance and environment of the salon is clean and well-equipped. The wide range of services available at any L'Oréal Professionnel outlet ensures a wide variety of latest cosmetics and hair products as well as any equipment needed.
Reliability	9	The reliability is very high since I have been highly satisfied with my haircuts at the outlet and have not had any complaints till now.
Responsiveness	8	The employees are very responsive to any requirement of the customers ranging from appointments to the core service to information needed about any other service.
Assurance	9	Competence of the staff and employees is very high. Courtesy of the employees is high towards the customers as well as co-workers. Credibility of the service is high as the employees are well-trained hair professionals hired and trained by L'Oréal Professionnel.
Empathy	8	The employees understand the requirements of the customers well. In case of any concerns regarding the service, the employees are quick in resolving the issues.

Based on the above dimensions of quality, I would summarize the perceived service quality to be of a very high level and I use the service repeatedly and also recommend it to others.

Your opinion and comments are welcome.