The best way of obtaining a better understanding of your stakeholders’ needs and expectations is to ask them.  However, before you do this, it is useful to put some work into obtaining a view of your services from your stakeholders’ perspective.  The RATER Model can be used to do this.

This model, developed by Zeitham et al (1992), defines five dimensions that stakeholders are believed to consider in their assessment of service quality: 

These five dimensions have been found to be relevant for universities.  The model is used by universities to identify and assess stakeholder expectations, to plan and improve services, and to measure stakeholder satisfaction.

In examining your ability to deliver to your stakeholders’ expectations, you could ask questions such as these:

Reliability
Do you deliver the service you promised and what your stakeholders believed they were promised?  Do you do this every time and under all conditions?  Is your service timely, consistent, accurate, and dependable?

Assurance
Do your staff have the right knowledge and skills to deliver the service you promised?  Are they respectful of your stakeholders?  Do they convey trust and confidence?

Tangibles
Do your physical facilities, equipment, employees, and communication materials look attractive and appropriate?

Empathy
Do your staff provide caring, individualized attention to stakeholders, is it easy to access staff, services and information?  Is your communication with stakeholders clear, appropriate and timely?  Do you provide services that are appropriate to the individual needs of the stakeholder?  Do your staff demonstrate they understand the stakeholder’s needs and situation?

Responsiveness
Are you willing to help the stakeholder, provide prompt service, and resolve problems satisfactorily?

The following table shows more detail on the RATER model and the ways in which it is interpreted for different services.  A worksheet is also provided for assessing the quality of your services. 

The RATER Model - Service Quality Dimensions 

 Adapted from 2004 Monash University ABN 12 377 614 012  Last updated: 23 May 2005 – Maintained by cheq@adm.monash.edu.au