Customer Expectations of Service

Nov 4, 2011

Gaps Model of Service Quality

CUSTOMER
Customer Gap

Expected Service

Perceived Service
Service Delivery External Communications to Customers

COMPANY
Gap 3 Gap 1 Gap 2

Gap 4

Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards Company Perceptions of Consumer Expectations

Customer Expectations

Customer expectations are beliefs about service delivery that serve as standards or reference points against which performance is judged.

Expectations?
1. What types of expectation standards do customers hold about services? 2. What factors influence the formation of these expectations? 3. What role do these factors play in changing expectations? 4. How can a service firm meet or exceed customer expectations?

Possible Levels of Customer Expectations

Dual Customer Expectation Levels

Desired Service

Adequate Service

Desired Service
It is the level of service customers hope to receive wished for Can be and should be

Adequate service
The level of service customers will accept threshold level of acceptable service deemed acceptable

The Zone of Tolerance

Desired Service

Zone of Tolerance

Adequate Service

Zone of tolerance

The extent to which customers recognize and are willing to accept variations in services

Zones of Tolerance for Different Service Dimensions

Desired Service

Level of Expectation

Zone of Tolerance
Adequate Service

Desired Service Zone of Tolerance Adequate Service

Reliability

Tangibles

Source: L. L. Berry, A. Parasuraman, and V. A. Zeithaml, Ten Lessons for Improving Service Quality, Marketing Science Institute, Report No. 93-104 (May 1993).

Factors That Influence Desired Service

Lasting Service Intensifiers

Desired Service
Personal Needs

Zone of Tolerance Adequate Service

Factors That Influence Adequate Service

Temporary Service Intensifiers

Desired Service
Perceived Service Alternatives

Zone of Tolerance Adequate Service

Predicted Service

Self-Perceived Service Role

Situational Factors

Factors That Influence Desired and Predicted Service

Explicit Service Promises

Implicit Service Promises

Desired Service Zone of Tolerance Adequate Service

Word-of-Mouth

Past Experience

Predicted Service

Frequently Asked Questions About Customer Expectations

 What does a service marketer do if customer expectations are unrealistic?  Should a company try to delight the customer?  How does a company exceed customer service expectations?  Do customer service expectations continually escalate?  How does a service company stay ahead of competition in meeting customer expectations?