Study1

MAJOR FINDINGS:

1. Customer orientation and medical service quality are correlated.

2. Patient satisfaction is significantly influenced by Customer Orientation,
medical service quality and service value.
3. If service providers take customer orientation seriously, they must design their
service output based on the patient’s need.
4. The results of this study show that, patient satisfaction is positively influenced
by customer orientation, medical service quality and service value.
5. If medical service providers can strengthen their ability to design customer
oriented service and business culture, they can keep their competitive edge
and differentiate themselves from other hospitals.

Link: African Journal of Business Management Vol. 4(4), pp. 448-458, April 2010
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM
ISSN 1993-8233 © 2010 Academic Journals

Study 2

MAJOR FINDINGS:

Level of customer orientation is a key driver for customers’ satisfaction with the
service firm, the level of emotional commitment of these customers to the firm, and,
most importantly, their degree of retention.
Building on the distinction of four dimensions of service employees’ customer
orientation namely technical skills, social skills, motivation, and decision-making
authority, the findings illustrate that especially the employees’ social skills and their
motivation to fulfill customer needs shows a strong influence on satisfaction and
commitment and therefore the development of stable relationships with customers.
Service employees should be equipped with sufficient skills that match customers’
expectations through regular training events. Customer orientation on customer
satisfaction is clearly stronger than on commitment and on retention.

Link: www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-4233.htm
International Journal of Service
Industry Management
Vol. 15 No. 5, 2004
pp. 460-478
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0956-4233
DOI 10.1108/09564230410564939