Service quality in retail banking: the experience of two British clearing banks

Presents an empirical study of major quality improvement initiatives recently undertaken by two British banks. Provides a useful comparison of the two different approaches, and contributes new evidence on the current debate concerning the validity of the SERVQUAL model. First outlines the implementation of the SERVQUAL model, the bank’s subsequent quality improvement programme, and evidence of an improvement in customer satisfaction. Second, included for comparative purposes, describes the adoption and implementation of the Crosby total quality training programme. In both cases relevant evidence was gathered on staff attitudes. Given the long‐term nature of these comprehensive quality programmes, any evaluation must necessarily be tentative, but both banks are able to report an improvement in service quality, and fresh evidence is provided in support of the SERVQUAL model.