Service Quality Perspectives in Higher Education Marketing in India

In the present era, it is not natural resources which distinguishes an affluent society from a backward one¿it is the knowledge resource. Education was never as important a utility as it is today. In a developing country like India where resources are scarce and a better match between needs and services provided is to be attained. Education planners in order to plan the service offer well and deliver it effectively need to understand the behaviour of the target segment and the criteria they use to choose. As students are considered to be the ¿primary customers¿ of a University, being the direct recipients of the service provided, student perceived service quality has turned out to be an extremely important issue for universities and their management. Because of an increase in consumers¿ (target students' segment) sensitivity, the intensification of competition in the higher education industry professional service quality has emerged as a subject in need of investigation. The study had tested the perceptions of students about education service marketing mix and the gaps between student¿s expectations and perceptions of service delivered by their higher education institution.