Publication

Abstract : Evaluation of customers' perception and satisfaction of service quality is widely acknowledged as being a favorable strategy in the laundry industry. In recent years, the Laundromats in India have encountered difficult times due to the increasing customer demands, and due to the strong growing internal industry competition development. However, the industry's main concern around the globe is to cater for its customer needs and their desires, which are mostly addressed through personal services. Research on service quality of such a specialized sector is scare. The present research paper aims to fill this gap by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the laundry sector in India and provide an assessment of service quality suggested by Grönroos (1982; 1990). Servqual is being used to understand the gap between the provider and the customer of this scantly researched industry. The major findings indicate that areas where laundromats in India will have to focus in on reduction of defects and the margin of error. In case of errors, the compensation mechanism should be in place to retain customers. Secondly, the customers are too occupied in their daily routines and will not be ready to wait for delivery or collection of clothes. Hence, waiting time reduction at points of collection and delivery is another critical factor that determines the success of a laundromat in India. © Serials Publications Pvt. Ltd.