Abstract
M.Comm.
Organisations could previously succeed on the basis of having customers, but
now customers are more educated and aware of their rights. This makes them
demanding in their service expectations and affect their perceptions of the
service rendered.
Physical evidence is one of the 7 P’s in marketing a service. The service that is
to be marketed has to be developed according to demand by market segment.
Marketing the service is essential to differentiate the organisation’s service from
other similar services, using the correct competitive advantage.
Physical environment in a health care setting have a significant effect on
customer satisfaction, perceived service quality, intention to re-patronize and
willingness to recommend. Physical evidence is the servicescape and consists of
the interior and exterior environment in a facility
Hospitals and hospital environments are dependant on the physical evidence in
their facilities and this is often the deciding factor when it comes to choice of a
facility. Although the independent doctors play a role in South Africa when it
comes to choice of a facility, it is often the patient that chooses the facility on
their perceptions of previous experience and word of mouth.
Service quality is the difference between expectations and perceptions of the
outcomes experienced by the customers. Service quality is essential for
customer service and customer services are an essential part of services in the
hospital and hospital environment.
Although physical evidence was chosen as the dimension for the research,
physical evidence is only one dimension of service quality. Other dimensions
include reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.
A questionnaire was formulated based on the five above dimensions of the
SERVQUAL developed by Parasuraman to evaluate the perceptions of patients
in a maternity unit in a hospital setting to determine the effect by changing the
physical evidence.
The outcome of the study identified important aspects that can be utilized in
managing an organisation in the health industry. It was identified that adequate
seating around a bed is always important for patients in any circumstances, noise
levels must be acceptable at all times, the décor in a maternity does influence the
perception of service quality, patient’s records kept up to date by the nursing staff
are seen as adequate in any physical environment and patients perceive the
nurses as having their best interest at heart.
This study has shown its importance through the use of a Quasi-experiment that
physical evidence is an important dimension in the perception of service quality
for patients in a maternity unit in the private health sector. This should be
considered by management for future planning in the strategies of an
organisation in the healthcare industry.