Javed was eating in a restaurant when he found a fly in his soup. He called the server over to complain, but the server said that happens when you eat outdoors. The server demonstrated poor
tangibility.
responsiveness.
sympathy.
reliability.
assurance.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is responsiveness.
Explanation:
In this situation, Javed was dissatisfied with the service because he found a fly in his soup, and when he raised the issue, the server responded dismissively by saying that this happens when you eat outdoors. This response indicates a lack of responsiveness, which is one of the key dimensions of service quality.
Responsiveness refers to the willingness and ability of service providers to help customers and address their needs or concerns in a timely and appropriate manner. It includes how quickly and effectively a service provider acknowledges a problem and works to resolve it. In this case, the server did not acknowledge Javed’s concern appropriately and instead dismissed it, showing little willingness to resolve the issue or ensure Javed’s satisfaction.
Let’s consider the other potential answers:
- Tangibility: This dimension refers to the physical aspects of the service, such as the appearance of the restaurant, its equipment, and the staff’s attire. While the fly in the soup might relate to cleanliness or the restaurant’s physical environment, the main issue here is the server’s response, not the physical setting.
- Sympathy: This refers to the empathy shown by the service provider. In this case, the server did not show sympathy, but the issue was more about a lack of proper action or concern for the customer’s complaint.
- Reliability: Reliability is the ability of a service provider to consistently deliver accurate and dependable services. The server’s failure to resolve the issue does not directly relate to reliability, as the primary concern is the lack of an appropriate response.
- Assurance: Assurance involves the service provider’s ability to instill confidence in the customer by demonstrating competence, courtesy, and professionalism. The server’s response undermined this, but the core issue is the lack of a proper and responsive approach to the complaint.
Thus, responsiveness is the best fit because the server’s dismissive attitude and failure to take action directly relate to the unwillingness to address the issue promptly.