Food banks are the primary form of addressing food insecurity in low socioeconomic communities across high-income countries. Because positive feedback of food banks is mostly associated with volunteers, this poses a question of what qualities are associated with high-quality volunteerism or service. The SERVQUAL model (1988) is used as the standard for food pantries, financial banks, and businesses with more emphasis on the provider’s perspective of the services. The Brady and Cronin model (2001) has high explanatory potential of the relationship of goods and services with more emphasis on the consumer’s perspective of the services. However, there is a significant gap in literature in terms of analysis and application of these service models. This paper serves to compare the characteristics of two prominent models—SERVQUAL as well as Brady and Cronin —and highlight their relevance in the context of my GHS immersion experience. By volunteering and collaborating with GraceWorks Ministries Food Pantry and TOPSS, I made note of several characteristics of service-oriented operations. In addition, I completed an extensive review of relevant literature discussing both models and related qualities. As a result, few characteristics (immediacy and emphasis of empathy) seem to relate solely to the SERVQUAL model, and many characteristics (expertise, cleanliness, internal attitude, and adaptability) are associated with the Brady and Cronin model. Hence, the Brady and Cronin model is found to be more applicable at least to the referenced experiences. Although, there is still a dire need for a new model to integrate the qualities lacking in the Brady and Cronin model, and this model needs to be publicized universally to apply in organizations and maximize service quality on a global scale. This research experience informs the aspects I want to integrate in my pursuit of a service-based career, and I hope this inspires others, as well.
Author(s): Aidan Schacht
Advisor(s): Joseph Carlin, Microbiology; Paul Flaspohler, Psychology
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