Journal of Services Marketing

Corliss L. Green

1998 Journal of Services Marketing

doi: 10.1108/08876049810219494

Service quality has been widely examined in the area of consumer research. The SERVQUAL scale, in particular, has been used to examine consumer perceptions of service quality as well as the communication of service quality cues in advertising. The literature suggests that service quality is an important purchasing criterion among business customers; however, no studies have examined how service quality is communicated through advertisements targeting business customers, as opposed to general consumers. SERVQUAL consists of five dimensions of service quality ‐ assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness, and tangibles. Using these dimensions as a basis for the study, a content analysis revealed that advertisements targeting business customers communicate service quality differently than ads targeting general consumers.

Banwari Mittal; Walfried M. Lassar

1998 Journal of Services Marketing

doi: 10.1108/08876049810219502

One of the most unexamined assumptions marketing firms have made in recent years is that satisfaction alone will guarantee customer loyalty. Our research questions this assumption. We explored the correspondence between customer satisfaction and loyalty, and found as many as half of the “satisfied” customers to be predisposed to switching service suppliers. This satisfaction‐loyalty gap reflects the fact that different components of service quality drive satisfaction versus loyalty. Satisfaction is driven more by “technical quality” (the quality of the work performed) than by “functional quality” (how the service work was delivered); however, once satisfaction is achieved, loyalty is driven more by functional than by technical quality. This is the pattern of influence for a “low contact” (where customers’ direct contact with service providers is absent or marginal) service. For a “high contact” service, the pattern of influence is exactly the reverse. Of significant importance to service managers, the paper explains the dynamics of loyalty versus satisfaction and derives their managerial implications.

Dan Sarel; Howard Marmorstein

1998 Journal of Services Marketing

doi: 10.1108/08876049810219511

Despite the increased attention being paid to service delivery, lengthy waits for service are still common. This paper provides a conceptual and empirical examination of the effects of perceived employee action and customer prior experience, on reactions to service delays. The results of a field study of customers experiencing actual delays in a major retail bank are then discussed. The findings indicate that events and actions taking place prior to, during, and after the delay, affect consumer response. First, customers’ prior experience with that service provider is critical. Contrary to much of the literature on expectations, customers who had frequently experienced delays in the past were even more angered by the current service failure. Second, perceived employee effort during the delay had a tremendous impact on customers’ reactions. Irrespective of the length of the delay, when employees are perceived as not making a real effort, customer anger is high. Third, the impact of an apology is more complex. An apology is not a substitute for genuine employee effort. An insincere apology may even backfire, especially when customers experience frequent delays and believe employees are not making a concerted effort to help. Managerial implications for addressing this problem, before, during and after the delay, are discussed.

Kirk L. Wakefield; Victoria D. Bush

1998 Journal of Services Marketing

doi: 10.1108/08876049810219520

Previous sales promotion research has focused primarily upon groceries and packaged goods. This research examines what motivates consumers to respond to sales promotions for leisure services. Leisure services may offer price deals, but also frequently offer non‐price sales promotions which may add entertainment value for some consumers. We find that consumers who are likely to respond to leisure service price deals are motivated by primarily economic reasons. Emotional motives, on the other hand, are found to drive consumer responses to organization‐related non‐price deals.

Molly Inhofe Rapert; Brent M. Wren

1998 Journal of Services Marketing

doi: 10.1108/08876049810219539

Quality has progressed from a rough conceptualization of a tactical problem to a viable competitive opportunity that should be maximized strategically. We discuss the viability of quality as a sustainable competitive advantage. Based on a longitudinal study of general service hospitals, we provide results indicating that quality not only has a temporal effect on organizational performance, but also translates into long‐term benefits. The findings of this study reinforce anecdotal claims of the efficacy of quality‐based strategies in improving organizational performance.