Discovering the variables that influence new home‐buyer service satisfaction

While home builders traditionally think of customer service in terms of upgrades and mortgage options, home buyers are thought to view the quality of service on a much broader basis. Previous research has identified five dimensions of service quality: appearance, reliability, timeliness, knowledge, and empathy. Home‐buyer satisfaction with service quality is then the result of home builders providing services that are perceived as meeting or exceeding buyer expectations. Although much research has been done regarding home‐buyer satisfaction with service quality, there is still a gap between builders' and home buyers' perception of the quality of service. Builders need to identify and understand home‐buyer needs in order to constantly improve service quality. This paper describes an exploratory study that focused on customer satisfaction with service quality. The objective of this study was to assess the correlations between various factors on home‐buyer expectations and their perceptions of service quality. Demographics considered in this study included age, gender and household income, while transaction characteristics included purchase price, number of occupants and house size. Characteristics such as higher income, higher purchase price, and larger house size appeared to value dimensions such as reliability most highly. Characteristics such as lower income, lower purchase price and smaller house size appeared to value dimensions such as empathy and appearance most highly. Gender, age and household size did not have significant associations with expectations or relative importance, but age and household size were associated with actual perceptions of service dimensions. Understanding the influence of these variables on customer satisfaction with service quality can positively impact home builders through improved reputation and increased local referrals.     

Achieving favourable customer outcomes through employee deviance

This study advances current knowledge by examining how employee deviance and customer participation during a single employee–customer exchange generate favourable customer responses. This work bridges the employee deviance stream with the service encounter literature and illustrates the importance of equity theory in deviant service exchanges between customers and employees. Moreover, results add to the ongoing debate on service nepotism by canvassing the consequences from the customer’s active participation in deviant exchanges which appears to enhance customer perceptions of the exchange. A 3?×?2 between-subjects experimental design was adopted which manipulates three types of pro-customer deviance along with customer’s participation (or not) to the exchange. The dependent variables capture three types of perceived customer justice (cognitive outcomes) and customer’s affective state (affective outcome). Findings illustrate that customers approve employees’ deviance for their own benefit while also indicate favourable outcomes from deviant exchanges with employees such as higher perceived justice and a more positive affective state. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications, limitations and research directions that emerge from this study.     

A new service development integrated model

Several scholars have proposed a new service development (NSD) process but the failure rate of NSD is high, due to the lack of an efficient development process and customer orientation and input. Quality function deployment (QFD) is one of the structured methodologies that is used to translate customer needs into specific quality development, but the effect should be improved, especially when used in service industries applications. This research integrated Kano's model with QFD to categorize the attitude, and proposed a revised improved ratio to strengthen the rise in customer satisfaction, then through the revised gap model the gaps are evaluated to provide an indicator to the manager about the importance, priority and direction of the service development. Two illustrative cases are applied to this research, which proves the obvious contribution of this integrated model.     

Zone of tolerance for banks: a diagnostic model of service quality

Service quality has become an increasingly important factor for success and survival in the banking sector. Provision of high-quality service aids in meeting several requirements such as customer satisfaction and its consequent loyalty and market share, soliciting new customers, financial performance, and profitability (Cui, C.C., Lewis, B.R., & Park, W. (2003). Service quality measurement in the banking sector in South Korea. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 21(4), 191–201.). This paper presents the bank service quality measurement in its extended form. It deals with the concept of ‘zone of tolerance’ in judgments of service quality proposed by Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman (1993, The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21(1), 1–12.). The ‘zone of tolerance’ is recognized in the service quality literature as representing a range of expectations and an area of acceptable outcomes in service interactions. The present study describes the zone of tolerance for young customers’ service expectations and determines the customer satisfaction level for banks. The study focusses only on the youth market to formulate long-term strategies because young customers tend to keep themselves up to date with latest technological developments. A conceptual model BANKZOT is presented in this study, and the results demonstrate that evaluation of services can be scaled according to different types of expectations – ‘desired' and ‘adequate’ – and that customers use these two types of expectations as a comparison standard in evaluating bank services. The findings reveal that young customers have a narrow zone of tolerance with regard to the services provided by the banks. The results with respect to gap analysis reveal that there was a shortfall in the service quality provided by the banks in the sample, with the largest gap being found in tangibles and empathy of service quality dimensions. The results of exploratory factor analysis reveal that the SERVQUAL model is found to be uni-dimensional in this study. The results, managerial implications, and future research implications are discussed in detail.     

Relationships and impacts of service quality,perceived value,customer satisfaction,and image: an empirical study

In today's world of intense competition, satisfying customers is only the base line and may not be sufficient for survival. Management should focus on gaining customer loyalty by enhancing customer perceptions of service quality and increasing as perceived by the consumer value. Although previous studies have addressed the importance of service quality, satisfaction, perceived value, and image, the precise nature of the relationships that exist between these constructs and the understanding of their effect on customer behaviour still remains a key issue. This empirical study seeks to understand the relationships that exist between service quality and perceived value and how they impact customer satisfaction, corporate image, and behavioural intentions. The proposed model indicates that delivering high quality service and creating superior customer value can result in achieve high customer satisfaction, thus effecting the firm's corporate image, and ultimately leading to consumer retention.     

顾客参与、吸收能力与新服务开发成效的关系研究——动态环境的调节作用

顾客参与对企业新服务开发具有显著的正向作用,既会直接影响新服务开发的速度和品质,还会通过吸收能力间接促进新服务开发的成效,但在需求不确定性持续增加和竞争强度日益激烈的动态环境下,顾客参与对新服务开发的影响程度有所不同：市场需求旺盛时,竞争强度会强化顾客参与对新服务开发成效的正向作用,需求不确定性的调节作用不显著;市场需求疲软时,需求不确定性会强化顾客参与对新服务开发成效的正向作用,竞争强度的调节作用不显著。上述研究结论启示企业管理者,积极吸引顾客参与新服务开发,并提升自身吸收能力,发挥吸收能力的中介作用。此外,当市场需求旺盛时,企业应更关注竞争对手,通过差异化竞争;当市场需求疲软时,企业应更专注于顾客需求的变化,从而提升新服务开发的成效。     

Diagnosing service quality using customer reviews: an index approach based on sentiment and gap analyses

Recognizing the importance and potential benefits of customer reviews as a source of the voice of customers, this study proposes an analytic framework and procedures for analyzing customer reviews—termed a customer review-based gap analysis—that are tailored to diagnosing service quality. To this end, we conduct sentiment analysis on customer reviews to capture customers’ perceptions and expectations at the service-feature level, which are not expressed explicitly in their reviews. A case study of a mobile navigation service shows that the customer review-based gap analysis can provide the practical information required to diagnose service quality from customer review data. The suggested indexes for capturing customers’ perceptions and expectations reveal quality strengths and drawbacks at the service-feature level. In addition, incorporating these indexes into those for quality performance and objectives based on a service-feature hierarchy provides a diagnostic tool capable of examining service quality in both overall as well as detailed aspects.     

Mediating and moderating processes in the relation between problem customer perceptions and work–family conflict

Deploying the emotion regulation perspective, this study examined the process linking the relationship between problem customer perceptions (PCPs) and work–family conflict (WFC) by focusing on the mediating influence of surface acting (SA) and the moderating role of distress tolerance (DT). Data were obtained from 265 frontline service clerks located in the banking industry throughout 71 different local banks in Taiwan. The results revealed that SA fully mediated the PCP–WFC relationship. Meanwhile, frontline service clerks' DT moderated the SA–WFC relationship, such that the relationship was weaker when service clerks with the higher the DT. The managerial implications of the findings were discussed.     

Perception Gaps in Customer Expectations: Managers Versus Service Providers and Customers

Two new gaps are added to the 5-gap model proposed by PZB. These new gaps reflect the differences in the understanding of customer expectations by manager and front-line service providers and in customer expectations and service providers' perception of such expectations. Using room service as the object for investigation, the present study provides empirical evidence indicating the existence of these gaps which have negative impact on overall service quality. The findings also disclose that the gap between customer expectations and managers' perception of such expectations is much larger than the gap between customer expectations and service providers' understanding of such expectations.     

Loyalty in e-Tailing

Abstract

Internet retailers that attempt to establish a steady customer base by offering the lowest price are not basing their expectations on firm ground. An alternative to low-price strategies is to develop and maintain a loyal customer base. In this paper, we present a framework for developing loyalty via the Internet. Internet strategies should be developed based upon the firm's competencies and an analysis of the current loyal customer base. The components of the Internet exchange-such as site content, design, navigation and interactivity-are linked to convenience and risk perceptions. These in turn affect the satisfaction/loyalty and performance. Continuous evaluation of customers' perceptions of value determines the adjustments that need to be made to the existing retention activities. The benefits of Internet loyalty are discussed, along with directions for future research.     

消费情感对顾客服务经历评价的作用机理研究

日常管理实践可以注意到,顾客在消费过程中的情感状态会影响他们在服务完成后对服务的评价水平.但是这一管理事实在学术研究上长期未能引起足够的重视:以往关于服务质量和顾客满意度的研究本质上几乎都是基于认知的,情感的作用被忽视或低估.以商业银行服务为背景,本研究以问卷调查为实证工具,同时考察认知和情感因素在顾客服务后评价形成过程中的作用.研究结果显示,顾客消费情感与顾客认知显著相关,并且与顾客认知共同显著影响着整体服务质量评价和顾客满意.同时,顾客的情感状态可以划分为积极情感与消极情感,二者对顾客的服务经历评价也表现出了不同的影响作用.文章最后给出了该领域进一步研究的方向.     

Exploring Country Bias in a Retailing Environment:

The importance of source countries' influences as predictors of consumer attitudes and behavior toward products originating in the respective countries has been amply acknowledged in the global marketing literature, where it is considered a major research stream-known as "country-of-origin" research. Furthering discovery in this domain, the present study compares consumer perceptions of an electronics store originating in an industrially-developed country known for its technological capabilities in this domain (Germany), with perceptions of a similar store from a developing country (Mexico). In the process, differences between managerial and clerical customer groups in terms of store expectations are also assessed and suggestions are advanced for future research.     

Employees' overestimation of functional and relational service quality: A gap analysis

This study extends previous research on gap analysis of service quality by including not only functional service quality but also relational benefits. To this end, a field study was carried out in 36 hotels and 35 restaurants. The samples consisted of 213 employees and 657 customers. A questionnaire format was used to measure both functional and relational service quality, as well as customers' loyalty. When comparing employee and customer perceptions, gaps potentially range from ‘overestimation’ (employees' perceptions are greater than customers' perceptions) to ‘underestimation’ (customers' perceptions are greater than employees' perceptions). In general, the results indicated that the employees surveyed overestimated the service quality they offer to customers, although gaps were greater for certain service attributes than for others. In addition, some gaps were more related to customer loyalty than others. The findings also showed that employees' overestimation of relational benefits plays a moderating role, increasing the negative relationship between employees' overestimation of functional service quality and customers' loyalty. The theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed further in this paper.     

Service quality and the congruency of employee perceptions and customer expectations: The case of an electric utility

Understanding how the quality of customer service is impacted by employees is essential to managing and improving customer service quality. This article develops a model that looks at the relationship between a series of two important customer service gaps. The first series of gaps (service provider gaps) is a result of the difference between consumers' and employees' expectations based on various dimensions of the customer service encounter. The second series of gaps (service quality gaps) occur when a difference exists between consumer expectations and the service they actually receive based on specific aspects of the customer service encounter. This study found a positive significant relationship between these two series of gaps. This significant relationship provides empirical evidence as to the importance of keeping employees informed about the expectations of consumers. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Value and Satisfaction Evaluations During a Service Relationship

Abstract

The research used a sample of credit union customers to determine (a) the relative importance of core and peripheral service attributes on customer evaluations of service value and customer satisfaction, and (b) how the relative importance of these criteria change over the life of the service relationship. For the overall sample, peripheral service attributes accounted for over three-fourths of the variance for service value and customer satisfaction. Dividing the sample into three sub-samples based on age of the customer's relationship with the credit union, peripheral service attributes drove evaluations of service value and customer satisfaction for the first stage of the relationship (ten years or less) and the middle stage of the relationship (eleven to nineteen years). Once the relationship aged to twenty or more years, core attributes drove evaluations of service value and customer satisfaction. Findings indicate that relationship strategies for the credit union may need to be customized based on the amount of time customers have had a relationship with a service firm.     

Explaining Market Heterogeneity in Terms of Value Perceptions

In the past decade, companies and academics have become aware of the great benefits of creating value for customers. However, little empirical research has yet been conducted in the area of services with respect to how customers may differ in their perceptions of value and what variables can explain such differences. This article provides an insight into how three relationship-based contingencies are likely to explain market heterogeneity in customers' perceptions of value. In particular, we explore how special treatment of the customer by the service provider, the level of customer involvement with the service, and the customer's accumulated experience with a particular company may act as predictors of market heterogeneity in the customer's perceptions of value within a service setting. Results offer evidence for the important role of relationships and experience in a service context mainly characterised by standard encounters, and provide interesting managerial insights to tailor strategies that effectively respond to market heterogeneity.     

Social Networks and Credit Card Overspending Among Young Adult Consumers

Research that has looked at the reasons why young individuals overspend using their credit cards has not paid attention to the perceptions that they have about important others' credit card debt, their expectations as to how much to spend when they consume in the presence of them, and how the strength of the social relationships within their social network potentially influences the extent to which they overspend using their credit cards. A survey of 225 US university students composing a culturally diverse sample revealed that these social norms and network variables have interactive effects on credit card overspending. Specifically, the results show that the perceptions that young adult consumers have about important others' credit card debt impact their overspending using credit cards when they feel that they are expected to consume at the same level as important others in shared experiences, and when they are strongly connected to these individuals.     

A sequence analysis approach to segmenting credit card customers

This research examines the longitudinal relationships between patterns of customer loyalty behavior and firm financial outcomes in the context of credit card use. By examining credit card users' transactions with a focal bank and its competitors, this study creates a typology of loyalty behavior and employs a sequence analysis to segment customers on the basis of their behavioral patterns exhibited over time. The analysis results in six distinct customer segments: Loyalist, Switching Loyalist, Switching Defector, Defector, Dormant Loyalist, and Dormant Defector. We subsequently estimate the revenue, servicing costs, and profitability associated with each segment, and assess differences across segments. We discuss the implications for managing distinct credit card customer segments and optimizing the bank's marketing resource allocation.     

Linking service climate to customer loyalty

The present study evaluates the effect of service climate on customer loyalty by incorporating resident perceptions of service quality regarding their interaction with staff members in a nursing home. The study also explores the mediating role of service quality between service climate and customer loyalty. A conceptual two-level model linking service climate to customer loyalty was developed and analyzed using data collected from 197 nursing staff members and 477 residents in 44 nursing homes in Taiwan. The results show that service climate improves service quality and customer loyalty and provide empirical support for the mediating role of service quality between service climate and customer loyalty. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as future research directions.