Book•
Delivering Quality Service : Balancing Customer Perceptions And Expectations
01 Jan 1990-
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors construct a model that, by balancing a customer's perceptions of the value of a particular service with the customer's need for that service, provides theoretical insight into customer expectations and service delivery.
Abstract: Excellence in customer service is the hallmark of success in service industries and among manufacturers of products that require reliable service. But what exactly is excellent service? It is the ability to deliver what you promise, say the authors, but first you must determine what you can promise. Building on seven years of research on service quality, they construct a model that, by balancing a customer's perceptions of the value of a particular service with the customer's need for that service, provides brilliant theoretical insight into customer expectations and service delivery.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that service quality relates to retention of customers at the aggregate level, as other research has indicated, and evidence of its impact on customers' behavioral responses should be detectable.
Abstract: If service quality relates to retention of customers at the aggregate level, as other research has indicated, then evidence of its impact on customers’ behavioral responses should be detectable. Th...
10,574 citations
TL;DR: The SERVQUAL instrument and the perceptions-minus-expectations specification invoked by it to operationalize it are discussed in this paper, where the authors respond to concerns raised by Cronin and Taylor (1992) and Teas (1993).
Abstract: The authors respond to concerns raised by Cronin and Taylor (1992) and Teas (1993) about the SERVQUAL instrument and the perceptions-minus-expectations specification invoked by it to operationalize...
2,798 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that emotional labor may facilitate task effectiveness and self-expression, but it also may prime customer expectations that cannot be met and may trigger emotive dissonance and selfalienation.
Abstract: Emotional labor is the display of expected emotions by service agents during service encounters. It is performed through surface acting, deep acting, or the expression of genuine emotion. Emotional labor may facilitate task effectiveness and self-expression, but it also may prime customer expectations that cannot be met and may trigger emotive dissonance and self-alienation. However, following social identity theory, we argue that some effects of emotional labor are moderated by one's social and personal identities and that emotional labor stimulates pressures for the person to identify with the service role. Research implications for the micro, meso, and macro levels of organizations are discussed.
2,667 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review and synthesize the literature about service quality delivery through Web sites, describe what is known about the topic, and develop an agenda for needed research.
Abstract: Evidence exists that service quality delivery through Web sites is an essential strategy to success, possibly more important than low price and Web presence. To deliver superior service quality, managers of companies with Web presences must first understand how customers perceive and evaluate online customer service. Information on this topic is beginning to emerge from both academic and practitioner sources, but this information has not yet been examined as a whole. The goals of this article are to review and synthesize the literature about service quality delivery through Web sites, describe what is known about the topic, and develop an agenda for needed research.
2,520 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed and tested a conceptual framework, which predicts that customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between CSR and firm market value (i.e., Tobin's q and stock return), and corporate abilities (innovativeness capability and product quality) moderate the financial returns to CSR, and these moderated relationships are mediated by customer satisfaction.
Abstract: Although prior research has addressed the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on perceived customer responses, it is not clear whether CSR affects market value of the firm. This study develops and tests a conceptual framework, which predicts that (1) customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between CSR and firm market value (i.e., Tobin’s q and stock return), (2) corporate abilities (innovativeness capability and product quality) moderate the financial returns to CSR, and (3) these moderated relationships are mediated by customer satisfaction. Based on a large-scale secondary data set, the results show support for this framework. Notably, the authors find that in firms with low innovativeness capability, CSR actually reduces customer satisfaction levels and, through the lowered satisfaction, harms market value. The uncovered mediated and asymmetrically moderated results offer important implications for marketing theory and practice.
2,358 citations
Cites background from "Delivering Quality Service : Balanc..."
...…Business Ethics, csrwire.com, Social Responsibility Initiative reports) may track companies’ CSR investments objectively, the nature and amount of CSR investments for the same firm can change dramatically from one source to another (Berner 2005; Fombrum and Shanley 1990; Margolis and Walsh 2003)....
[...]