A critical review of service excellence models: towards developing an integrated framework

Service excellence is increasingly being recognized as a critical factor for the success of a business. Notwithstanding its growing popularity, systematic approaches for the implementation of service excellence are lacking, and the models for service excellence are still developing. This paper provides a critical analysis of different models of service excellence. The purpose is to determine their strengths, limitations, and adequacy to provide a structured approach to service excellence implementation. The findings show that while individual models have their strengths and limitations, none provides a comprehensive approach to systematic implementation and management. The limitations of each model warrant the use of an integrated approach to develop an overarching system for service excellence. This paper develops a framework that builds on the integrated use of service excellence models. The use of the framework is illustrated with examples.