Consumer

Expectations of
Services
Akm Kamrul Haque
MKT. 410
Fall 2017-18
 Consumer Expectations
 Pre-trial beliefs about a service that
function as standards against which
performance is judged.
 Figure 3.2
Possible Levels of Customer
Expectations
 Types of Expectations
 Desired service -- the level of service the
customer hopes to receive
 Adequate service -- the level of service the
customer will accept
 Figure 3-1
Dual Customer
Expectation Levels

Desired Service

Zone of
Tolerance

Adequate Service
The Zone of Tolerance---
Tolerance
The extent to which customers
recognize and are willing to accept
variation in service performance

Desired Service

Zone of
Tolerance

Adequate Service
 Figure 3-3
Zones of Tolerance for
Different Service Dimensions
Desired Service
Level
of
Expectation Zone of Desired
Tolerance Desired Service
Service
Adequate Service
Zone
of
Tolerance

Adequate
Adequate Service
Service

Most Important Factors Least Important Factors

Source: Berry, Parasuraman, and Zeithaml (1993)
 Zone of Tolerance and
Importance of Service
Dimensions
 as a service dimension becomes more
important zone of tolerance will narrow and
desired and adequate levels will increase
 Figure 3-4
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)
 Zones of Tolerance for
First-Time and Recovery Service
 Consumers have a narrower zone of
tolerance and a higher set of expectations
for a service recovery than for the first time
service expereince.
 Figure 3-5
Factors that Influence
Desired Service

Enduring Service
Intensifiers

Desired
Service
Personal Needs
Zone
of
Tolerance

Adequate
Service
 Factors that Influence
Desired Service
 Personal Needs ---
states or conditions
essential to the
physical or
psychological well
being --- physical,
social, psychological,
and funtional
 Factors that Influence
Desired Service
 Enduring Service
intensifiers ---
individual stable factors
that lead the customer
to a heightened
sensitivity
– derived service
expectations
– personal service
philosophy
 Figure 3-6
Factors that Influence
Adequate Service
Transitory Service
Intensifiers

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

Situational
Factors
 Factors That Influence Adequate
Service Expectations
 Are short-term in nature and fluctuate
more than the factors that influence desired
expectations
 Factors That Influence Adequate
Service Expectations
 Transitory service
intensifers --- short-
term, individual
factors that make a
consumer more aware
of the need ofr service
 Factors That Influence Adequate
Service Expectations
 Perceived Service
Alternatives----
 As the number of
alternatives increases,
the level of adequate
service increases and
the zone of tolerance
narrows
Factors That Influence Adequate
Service Expectations
 Situational
Factors
– Temporary changes in
the normal state of
things ---- tends to
lower the level of
adequate service
expected and widen the
zone of tolerance
Situational Factors

 Reason for purchase

 Consumer mood
 Weather
 Time constraints
 Emergency
Factors That Influence Adequate
Service Expectations
 Self Perceived Service
Role --- how well the
customer perceives
they are performing
their own role in
service delivery
 Figure 3-7
Factors that Influence
Desired and Predicted Service
Explicit Service
Promises

Implicit Service
Promises

Desired Word-of-Mouth
Service

Zone
Past Experience
of
Tolerance

Adequate Predicted
Service Service
 Factors that Influence
Desired and Predicted Service
 Explicit Service Promises
 Implicit Service Promises
 Word of Mouth
 Past Experience
– particular service
– within the same industry
– related services
• More experience the narrower the Zone of Tolerance
 Objectives for Chapter 3:
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
 Factors that Influence
Desired and Predicted Service
 Explicit --- personal and nonpersonal
statements from the organization---Advertising,
personal selling, contracts, other communications ---
usually increases desired level and narrows zone

Implicit--- ---service related cues
-Tangibles --
– Price -- price directly related to predicted service
and inversely related to width of zone.
– Distribution - multiple outlets
Service Related Cues
Other Tangibles --

 Service personnel
 Tangible cues
 Other customers
 Firm image - if high
than zone widens
 Pre-service waiting
 Consumer Expectations
 Ideal --- wished for level.
 Desired --- wants or hopes to receive.
 Adequate --- minimum level of service
consumers will tolerate.
 Zone of tolerance --- area between adequate and
ideal.
 Predicted --- believe will receive; takes in all
the circumstances and modifies expectations.
Model of Consumer Expectations
Ideal Service

Desired Service
Zone
Predicted
of Service
Tolerance

Adequate Service

Source: Adapted from Valarie A. Zeithaml, Leonard L. Berry, and

A. Parasuraman, “The Nature and Determinants of Customer
Expectations of Services” Journal of Academy of Marketing Science,
Vol.. 21 (Winter 1993), pp.. 1-12
 What Are We Really
Concerned About?
 How expectations are formed.
 Process through which expectations are
raised or lowered.
 Impact on the width of the zone of
tolerance.
 Conclusion ---- Must manage expectations.
Internal Antecedents of
Consumer Expectations
 Past experience --- has
greatest impact.
– particular service
– within the same
industry
– related services
 More experience the
narrower the Zone of
Tolerance
External Antecedents of
Consumer Expectations
 Competitive options-”We try
harder”
 Social context-often increase
 Word-of-mouth communication
--- strongest source of
information
Firm-Produced Antecedents of
Consumer Expectations
 Promotions -- usually
increases desired level
and narrows zone
 Price -- price directly
related to predicted
service and inversely
related to width of zone.
 Distribution - multiple
outlets
 Role of Consumer
Expectations
 During Prepurchase Phase --- higher
expectations more likely to purchase.
 During Service Encounter --- expectations
modified (however usually not desired or ideal)
 During Postpurchase Phase --- altered and
impact over time
 Managing Customer
Expectations
 Customer
expectations
must be
managed.
Managing Consumer Expectations
During Prepurchase Phase
 Learn what customers expect.
Ask employees and customers.
 Tell customers what to expect.
All factors above “line of visibility”
 Consistently provide the service customers expect.
Forms concrete expectations
Managing Consumer Expectations
During Service Encounter
 Communicate with customers during the
service.
 If possible, modify the service to meet
customer expectations.
 Explain why service cannot be modified.
Managing Consumer Expectations
During Postpurchase Phase
 Communicate - expectations were met?
 Develop a follow-up program.
 Develop a procedure for dealing with
dissatisfied customers.
 Objectives for Chapter 3:
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