The added value of web innovation for customer satisfaction: Experiences with a barbeque catering service

Abstract

Purpose

Recent studies have explored the effects of e‐service quality on satisfaction and loyalty of online customers by extending and supplementing traditional service quality frameworks. This research proposes a combination of traditional service quality and e‐service quality frameworks. The central question focuses on how to assess the added value of the web as a service innovation for a traditional service. The setting of the study is a traditional‐style barbeque delivery service with a recently installed advanced web‐initiated order entry facility now used by a majority of the customers.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical, survey‐based cross‐sectional study on web‐initiated customer experiences of an in‐home catering service, involving barbeque food items and cooking equipment.

Findings

Findings indicate that adding an innovative e‐channel to a traditional business process does not automatically translate to a higher customer satisfaction. Only limited significant effects were found from online ordering on overall satisfaction in contrast to the effect of traditional service dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed on the joint analysis of e‐services and traditional services.

Practical implications

E‐service dimensions appear to have a limited impact on overall satisfaction in a traditional business context.

Originality/value

This is one of the first empirical studies combining both traditional and e‐service dimensions and relating them to customer satisfaction.

Citation

van Birgelen, M., Ghijsen, P. and Semeijn, J. (2005), "The added value of web innovation for customer satisfaction: Experiences with a barbeque catering service", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 539-554. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520510634014