Chapter

3 Customer Expectations
of Service
• Meaning and Types of Services
Expectations
• Factors that Influence Customer
Expectations of Service
• A Model of Customer Service
Expectations
• Issues Involving Customer Service
Expectations
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 Objectives :
Customer Expectations of Service
• Recognize that customers hold different types of
expectations for service performance.
• Discuss controllable and uncontrollable sources of
customer expectations.
• Distinguish between customers’ global expectations of
their relationships and their expectations of the service
encounter.
• Acknowledge that expectations are similar for many
different types of customers.
• Delineate the most important current issues surrounding
customer expectations.
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 Possible Levels of Customer Expectations

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 Dual Customer Expectation Levels

Desired Service

Adequate Service

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 The Zone of Tolerance

Desired Service

Zone of
Tolerance

Adequate Service

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 Zones of Tolerance for
Different Service Dimensions
Desired Service

Level
of
Zone of
Expectation Tolerance
Desired Service

Adequate Service
Zone
of
Tolerance

Adequate Service

Most Important Factors Least Important Factors

Source: Berry, Parasuraman, and Zeithaml (1993)

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 Zones of Tolerance for
First-Time and Recovery Service

First-Time Service

Outcome

Process

Recovery Service

Outcome

Process

LOW HIGH
Expectations
Source: Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml (1991)

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 Factors That Influence
Desired Service

Enduring Service
Intensifiers

Desired Service

Personal Needs
Zone
of
Tolerance

Adequate Service

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 Factors That Influence
Adequate Service
Transitory Service
Intensifiers

Desired Service

Perceived Service
Alternatives Zone
of
Tolerance
Self-Perceived
Service Role
Adequate Service

Situational
Factors

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 Factors That Influence
Desired and Predicted Service
Explicit Service
Promises

Implicit Service
Promises

Desired Service Word-of-Mouth

Zone Past Experience

of
Tolerance

Predicted
Adequate Service Service
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