Showing papers on "Service quality published in 2015"

Collaborative consumption: determinants of satisfaction and the likelihood of using a sharing economy option again

Abstract: Collaborative consumption, often associated with the sharing economy, takes place in organized systems or networks, in which participants conduct sharing activities in the form of renting, lending, trading, bartering, and swapping of goods, services, transportation solutions, space, or money. In this paper, a framework on the determinants of choosing a sharing option is developed and tested with two quantitative studies by applying partial least squares path modeling analysis. In study 1, users of the B2C car sharing service car2go (N = 236), and in study 2, users of the C2C online community accommodation marketplace Airbnb (N = 187) are surveyed. The results reveal the satisfaction and the likelihood of choosing a sharing option again to be predominantly explained by determinants serving users' self-benefit. Utility, trust, cost savings, and familiarity were found to be essential in both studies, while service quality and community belonging were identified solely in study 1. Four proposed determinants had no influence on any of the endogenous variables. This applies to environmental impact, internet capability, smartphone capability, and trend affinity. Finally, research and managerial implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Effect of Experience Quality on Perceived Value, Satisfaction, Image and Behavioral Intention of Water Park Patrons: New versus Repeat Visitors

Abstract: This study proposed a conceptual model to examine how customers' perceptions of the quality of experiences influence perceived value, water park image, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions for first-time and repeat customers of the water park of the tourism industry This study finds that the quality of participants' experiences significantly affects perceived value, water park image and customer satisfaction Moreover, perceived value and water park image exert a direct influence on customer satisfaction, and they also positively affect behavioral intentions Finally, the impacts on customer satisfaction of experience quality and water park image significantly differ between first-time and repeat customers Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Customer Effort in Value Cocreation Activities: Improving Quality of Life and Behavioral Intentions of Health Care Customers

Abstract: Transformative service research is particularly relevant in health care where the firm and customer can contribute to individual as well as societal well-being. This article explores customer value...

Service quality, service convenience, price and fairness, customer loyalty, and the mediating role of customer satisfaction

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which service quality, perceived price and fairness and service convenience influence customer satisfaction and customer loyalty for Indian retail banking sector. It further explores the role of customer satisfaction as mediating variable between service quality dimensions, perceived price and fairness, service convenience dimensions and customer loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional research on 445 retail banking customers through questionnaire is conducted. Population of study is valued retail urban customers of banks in Rajasthan, India, who frequently visit bank premises for transactions, have accounts in at least two banks and have availed of at least one information technology-based services. Responses are analyzed using factor analyses and regression analyses. Findings – Results reveal that service quality dimensions, perceived price and fairness and service convenience dimensions have positive impact on customer sat...

Transformative Service Research: Advancing Our Knowledge About Service and Well-Being

Abstract: As humans and consumers, we spend much of our time immersed in an array of services and service systems (e.g., telecommunications, education, financial, government, and health care) that affect almost every aspect of our lives. Our continuous connection with and usage of services and the implications they have for our lives go far beyond questions related to traditional service dependent measures such as service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Service fundamentally affects our lives and our well-being as individuals, employees, families, and communities. Given this, we are honored to be the guest coeditors for this special issue on transformative service research (TSR). First conceptualized by Anderson (2010), today we regard TSR as any research, regardless of academic discipline, that, at its core, investigates the relationship between service and well-being. More specifically, TSR represents research that focuses on creating ‘‘uplifting changes’’ aimed at improving the lives of individuals (both consumers and employees), families, communities, society, and the ecosystem more broadly (Anderson et al. 2013). What distinguishes TSR from other service work is often the outcomes under investigation. With TSR, indicators of both increasing and decreasing well-being take center stage. These metrics may focus on assessing aspects of well-being, such as physical health (objective and subjective perceptions), mental health (e.g., resilience, stress, and burnout), financial wellbeing, discrimination, marginalization, literacy, inclusion, access, capacity building, and decreased disparity among others (Anderson et al. 2013; Rosenbaum et al. 2011). Although the term ‘‘transformative service research’’ is relatively new, prior service, consumer, and marketing research has emphasized service and well-being. In a review we undertook to examine prior research that we considered TSR (see Ostrom, Mathras, and Anderson 2014), we identified eight TSRrelated themes—cocreation, employee well-being, vulnerable consumers, social support, access, service literacy, service design, and service systems—highlighting the breadth of research that has investigated service and well-being. Since TSR was spotlighted as a research priority by Ostrom et al. (2010; i.e., ‘‘Improving Well-Being through Transformative Service’’), there has been increased interest in the service community in undertaking research that examines the intersection of service and well-being. Research has attempted to better conceptualize the domain (e.g., Anderson et al. 2013; Rosenbaum et al. 2011) as well as tackle important service-related issues centered on well-being (e.g., how organization socialization can promote coproduction behaviors that influence financial well-being [Guo et al. 2013]; how systemic restricted choice related to financial services affects minority business owners [Bone, Christensen, and Williams 2014]; customer healthoriented cocreation practice styles [McColl-Kennedy et al. 2012]). In the most recent service research priority-setting effort completed by Ostrom et al. (2015), not only was ‘‘Improving Well-Being through Transformative Service’’ spotlighted again as a research priority based on input from 23 roundtable discussions conducted by 19 different service centers/networks located around the world, but, in a global survey of academic service researchers, it was ranked as the most important of the 12 identified priorities by the largest percentage of respondents. Given the interest of the service research community, we hope that the emerging, interdisciplinary subfield of service, TSR, will lead to the investigation of important but understudied service contexts and issues and that it will be inclusive of diversity of discipline and method/approach as well as the unit of analysis, focusing not only on individuals but on collectives as well. In addition, we hope that the term ‘‘transformative service research’’ itself will make it easier to identify service research that makes contributions to our understanding of well-being. As we discuss subsequently, we want the impact of TSR to go beyond publications to measurable positive improvements in the lives of consumers. To advance these objectives, our goals for

How does a servant leader fuel the service fire? A multilevel model of servant leadership, individual self identity, group competition climate, and customer service performance.

Abstract: Building on a social identity framework, our cross-level process model explains how a manager's servant leadership affects frontline employees' service performance, measured as service quality, customer-focused citizenship behavior, and customer-oriented prosocial behavior. Among a sample of 238 hairstylists in 30 salons and 470 of their customers, we found that hair stylists' self-identity embedded in the group, namely, self-efficacy and group identification, partially mediated the positive effect of salon managers' servant leadership on stylists' service performance as rated by the customers, after taking into account the positive influence of transformational leadership. Moreover, group competition climate strengthened the positive relationship between self-efficacy and service performance.

The dark side of customer co-creation: exploring the consequences of failed co-created services

Abstract: Whereas current literature emphasizes the positive consequences of co-creation, this article sheds light on potential risks of co-created services. Specifically, we examine the implications of customer co-creation in service failure episodes. The results of four experimental studies show that in a failure case, services high on co-creation generate a greater negative disconfirmation with the expected service outcome than services low on co-creation. Moreover, we examine the effectiveness of different service recovery strategies to restore customer satisfaction after failed co-created services. According to our results, companies should follow a matching strategy by mirroring the level of customer participation in service recovery based on the level of co-creation during service delivery. In particular, flawed co-creation promotes internal failure attribution which in turn enhances perceived guilt. Our results suggest that in such case customer satisfaction is best restored by offering co-created service recovery.

Quality of Service in Public Transport Based on Customer Satisfaction Surveys: A Review and Assessment of Methodological Approaches

Abstract: The growth of literature in the field of quality of service in the public transport PT sector shows increasing concern for a better understanding of the factors affecting service quality SQ in PT organizations and companies. A large variety of approaches to SQ have been developed in recent years owing to the complexity of the concept; the broad range of attributes required to evaluate SQ; and the imprecision, subjectivity, and heterogeneous nature of the data used to analyze it. Most of these approaches are based on customer satisfaction surveys. This paper seeks to summarize the evolution of research and current thinking as it relates to the different methodological approaches for SQ evaluation in the PT sector over the years and to provide a discussion of future directions.

Service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in automobile repair services sector

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL scale within non-western service setting as well as the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach was employed, using 32-item, seven-point Likert-scaled questionnaire administered to 384 participants with 55.99 per cent usable response rate. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s internal consistency and γ test to, respectively, measure scale suitability, usability and strength/direction of association. Findings – The outcome from the study was the reduction of the 32 items to 26 scale items with 0.929 total α score. Further outcomes show that service quality dimensions are significant predictors of customer satisfaction and loyalty with the commitment dimension accounting for the highest degree of this impact. Research limitations/implications – Findings failed to corroborate past research as it was established that distinct efforts to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty within non-western service contexts proved to be less useful. However, outcomes cannot be generalized and as such, the modified scale that emerged from this research should receive more rigorous tests in other emerging services contexts. Practical implications – Automobile repair services firms within Ebonyi State will be better placed in their strategic responses to customer loyalty if they boost customers’ satisfaction through excellent service quality improvement actions. Social implications – The best way to enhance the welfare of the consumers of automobile repair services in Ebonyi State is by improving the empathy, tangibles, responsiveness, reliability and commitment dimensions of service quality. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates that the commitment dimension of service quality emerged as the most significant predictor of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The research also demonstrates that satisfied customers will definitely be loyal because a distinct effort to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty was found to be less useful.

Investigating success of an e-government initiative: Validation of an integrated IS success model

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the success (by measuring intention to use and user satisfaction) of the online public grievance redressal system (OPGRS) from the perspective of the citizens of India. The success of this e-government system is examined using an integrated IS success model. The model developed includes the constructs such as system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived satisfaction, perceived risk, and behavioral intention. The proposed integrated research model of IS was validated using the response taken from 419 citizens from different cities of India. The empirical outcomes provided the positive significant connections between all 12 hypothesised relationships between eight constructs. The empirical evidence and discussion presented in the study can help the government to improve upon and fully utilise the potential of the OPGRS as a useful tool toward a transparent and corruption free country.

How to Improve Perceived Service Quality by Increasing Customer Participation

Abstract: A conceptual framework is developed to examine the impact of customer participation in service delivery on perceptions of service quality. It is proposed that for certain services, such as those familiar to consumers or those requiring a low level of expertise, increased customer participation will generally lead to higher perceived service quality. Both direct and indirect effects of customer participation on perceived service quality are examined. A causal model is proposed to encompass these relationships and serve as a foundation for future empirical research. Implications for service firms are discussed.

An SEM-artificial-neural-network analysis of the relationships between SERVPERF, customer satisfaction and loyalty among low-cost and full-service airline

Abstract: The study examines the effects of SERVPERF on customer satisfaction and loyalty.A comparison between full service and low cost carriers is conducted.A predictive analytic approach via SEM-artificial-neural-networks is engaged.Multiple group analysis is used to assess the group invariance.63.1% and 55.6% of variance in customer satisfaction and loyalty are explained. There is a dearth of studies pertaining to the influence of SERVPERF on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty among low cost and full service airlines. Prior studies have measured service quality using the GAP-5 model with SERVQUAL; however this study offers a new perspective by using the SERVPERF with an SEM-artificial-neural-networks predictive analytic approach. This is different from the previous studies as it contributes to application of expert systems and intelligent algorithms in the context of low cost and full service airline. The findings revealed significant influences of SERVPERF dimensions on customer satisfaction towards customer loyalty with 63.1% and 55.6% variance explained. The implications from this research may help CEOs and managers of the air travel and tourism industry players to make better decisions in their resource planning stage, at the same time improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Effect of Customer Participation on Service Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Participation Readiness

Abstract: Prior empirical evidence on the role of customer participation (CP) on service outcomes is limited and inconsistent. The authors add new insights by investigating the boundary conditions of the CP-service outcome link. Using two experiments, the article examines the moderating effect of three CP readiness factors: ability, perceived benefits of participation, and role identification. The results show that when CP readiness is high, increasing CP enhances service outcomes including customer satisfaction and perceived service quality; however, when CP readiness is low, the effect of CP on service outcomes tapers off or becomes negative. The results highlight the contingent nature of CP’s effect, demonstrate that CP could indeed be a double-edged sword, and provide managerial guidelines to enhance CP’s benefits through appropriate targeting and service design.

Relationships Among Customer Satisfaction, Delight, and Loyalty in the Hospitality Industry

Abstract: Customer satisfaction has been a focus of researchers and marketers as an important antecedent of customer loyalty. Some recent studies propose that customer delight possibly produces greater custo...

The value of self-service: long-term effects of technology-based self-service usage on customer retention

Abstract: Advancements in information technology have changed the way customers experience a service encounter and their relationship with service providers. Especially technology-based self-service channels have found their way into the 21st century service economy. While research embraces these channels for their cost-efficiency, it has not examined whether a shift from personal to self-service affects customer--firm relationships. Drawing from the service-dominant logic and its central concept of value-in-context, we discuss customers' value creation in self-service and personal service channels and examine the long-term impact of these channels on customer retention. Using longitudinal customer data, we investigate how the ratio of self-service versus personal service use influences customer defection over time. Our findings suggest that the ratio of self-service to personal service used affects customer defection in a U-shaped manner, with intermediate levels of both self-service and personal service use being associated with the lowest likelihood of defection. We also find that this effect mitigates over time. We conclude that firms should not shift customers toward self-service channels completely, especially not at the beginning of a relationship. Our study underlines the importance of understanding when and how self-service technologies create valuable customer experiences and stresses the notion of actively managing customers' cocreation of value.

Using Customer Journey Maps to Improve Customer Experience

Abstract: A customer journey map is a very simple idea: a diagram that illustrates the steps your customer(s) go through in engaging with your company, whether it be a product, an online experience, retail experience, or a service, or any combination. The more touchpoints you have, the more complicated — but necessary — such a map becomes. Sometimes customer journey maps are “cradle to grave,” looking at the entire arc of engagement. Here, for example, is a customer journey timeline that includes first engaging with a customer (perhaps with advertising or in a store), buying the product or service, using it, sharing about the experience with others (in person or online), and then finishing the journey by upgrading, replacing, or choosing a competitor (re-starting the journey with another company):

Measuring service quality in mid-scale hotels

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify an appropriate factor structure that may be utilized to effectively measure a hotel’s performance relative to service quality in a mid-scale setting. Customer perceptions of service quality in mid-scale hotels have largely been ignored; the focus of researchers has been the upscale (4-star) and luxury (5-star) segments. Design/methodology/approach – A 27-item questionnaire is utilized to measure service quality with an initial sample size of over 2,500 respondents. Principle component analysis is utilized to determine the factor structure and regression analysis to determine which factors may serve as predictors of a hotel’s ability to meet customers’ expectations and to provide value. Findings – A three-dimensional model emerged from the data, consistent with the theorizing of Rust and Oliver (1994), which includes the service product, service delivery and service environment. The service environment is the strongest predictor of a hotel’s ability to mee...

E-Service Quality: A Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract: The dominance of the internet as a shopping and distribution channel also necessitates an understanding of e-service quality. Using means-ends-chain theory, we develop a conceptual framework to understand the different models and the associated multiple measures that have been developed to examine this construct. We test the measures empirically using meta-analytic techniques. We also summarize the impact of e-service quality on key outcomes — customer satisfaction, repurchase intentions, and word-of-mouth, as well as the moderating impact of three contextual factors: country culture, regulatory environment, and industry context. Results indicate that e-service quality has four underlying dimensions (website design, fulfilment, customer service, and security/privacy) though their relevance for overall e-service quality is moderated by country-specific (uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, power distance, individualism), regulatory environment-specific (financial secrecy, rule of law), and industry-specific (services/goods, retailing/banking) factors as well as research-design factors.