PRIORITIZING SERVICE ATTRIBUTES FOR IMPROVEMENT USING FUZZY ZONE OF TOLERANCE

The main purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic algorithm to prioritize the service attributes to be improved based on a fuzzy zone of tolerance (fuzzy ZOT). First, generalized means, a precise ZOT, and fuzzy set theory are used to construct a fuzzy ZOT and a fuzzy-based performance ratio. Then, by combining the concepts of fuzzy set theory, the fuzzy ZOT and the fuzzy-based performance ratio, an algorithm is presented for prioritizing service attributes needing improvement. Finally, an empirical study is carried out involving prioritizing service attributes that need improvement in the airline cargo business in Taiwan to demonstrate the application of the proposed algorithm. The results of this study show that active response and problem-solving in abnormal cargo situations have the highest priority for improvement. The main contribution of this paper is to develop a practical algorithm for business application to help managers understand operational service quality to improve performance and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction in a fuzzy environment.