MKT 6104

Service Marketing

Professor Dr. Afjal Hossain

Department of Marketing, PSTU
 Chapter 03
Customer Behavior in Services
The Customer Gap

Customer Gap
 Consumer Evaluation
Processes for Services
• Search Qualities
– attributes a consumer can determine prior to
purchase of a product

• Experience Qualities
– attributes a consumer can determine after purchase
(or during consumption) of a product

• Credence Qualities
– characteristics that may be impossible to evaluate
even after purchase and consumption
 Continuum of Evaluation for Different
Types of Products

Most Most
Goods Services

Easy to evaluate Difficult to evaluate

Clothing

Jewelry

Furniture

Houses

Automobiles

Restaurant meals

Vacations

Haircuts

Child care

Television repair

Legal services

Root canals

Auto repair

Medical diagnosis
High in search High in experience High in credence
qualities qualities qualities

Figure 3.2
 Stages in Consumer Decision Making and Evaluation
of Services

Figure 3.3
 Issues to Consider in Examining the
Consumer’s Service Choice

• Need recognition

• Information search

• Evaluation of service alternatives

• Service purchase
 Issues to Consider in Examining the
Consumer’s Service Experience

• Services as processes

• Service provision as drama

• Service roles and scripts

• The compatibility of service customers

• Customer coproduction

• Emotion and mood

 Issues to Consider in Examining the Consumer’s Service
Postexperience evaluation

• Word-of-mouth communication

• Attribution of dissatisfaction

• Positive or negative biases

• Brand loyalty
 Understanding differences among consumers

• Global difference: The role of culture

» Values and attributes differ across culture
» Manners and customs
» Material culture
» Aesthetics
» Educational and Social institutions

• Group decision making

» Households
» organizations
Thank You