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Spoken service language is critical for service experiences and human welfare in many service settings. However, little is known about how spoken service language can enhance customer well-being in transformative service contexts. This paper explores spoken service language and well-being for customers experiencing vulnerability in a transformative service context, informed by an empirical account of the human welfare service of residential aged care.

Situated within transformative service research (TSR), this study was guided by a theoretical framework of service language and adopts a strengths-based approach to customer experiences of vulnerability. A qualitative multiple case study methodology was applied to explore carers’ perspectives on spoken service language and well-being from three residential aged care homes in Australia.

The findings demonstrate five spoken service language practices and four principles of spoken service language for well-being that co-create customer well-being and support the alleviation of customer experiences of vulnerability. Conceptualised as transformative spoken service language, the spoken service language practices and principles collectively recognise, support and leverage residents’ capabilities and uplift customer well-being, by enacting a process of mattering highly salient to transformative service contexts.

This study is the first to conceptualise how employee spoken service language can be used to support customer well-being and enhance transformative value for customers experiencing vulnerability to align with the goals of TSR. Practically, the study advocates for a greater awareness and more considered use of transformative spoken service language in human welfare and other transformative service contexts.

Tourism is a service-intensive industry where tourists’ experiences are framed by the quality of service provided. The main aim of this chapter is to offer conceptual guidelines on the service quality expectations and experiences of tourists and how this can be maintained through customer care.

A literature review was conducted where theories relevant to service quality and customer care were explored to design conceptual frameworks and guidelines for small business entrepreneurs/managers.

Psychological aspects related to the delivery of quality service are influenced by an array of characteristics, variables and managerial perspectives. Furthermore, tourists value the same service quality variables in the service quality assessment of their expectations and experiences.

Due to the exploratory nature of this chapter, interpretation of the findings must be done in the context of the discussed literature review with practical examples.

Service quality and customer care are essential elements in meeting tourists’ expectations. The five-step approach to address the service quality gaps in a tourism business provides valuable guidelines in the inter-relationships between the various aspects related to service delivery. The delivery of quality service is maintained by the creation of good relationships through customer care.

The illustration of the inter-relationships between analytical frameworks and models provides a unique opportunity for small business entrepreneurs to create an awareness of the delivery of quality service and customer care.

Applying social capital and the social exchange theories to customer-to-customer (C2C) interactions, this study aims to propose that interaction quality perceptions affect the customer-to-service provider’s interaction quality perceptions in a prolonged, close-proximity service setting. Examining this exogenous dimension, the study also tests socio-emotional support perception’s mediating effect and customer proactiveness’ moderating effect.

This study adopts and modifies existing general services of C2C interaction dimensions to fit the health-care context. An in-person survey of 192 neurosurgery inpatients and their care-giving companions (both considered health-care customers) provides data to validate the dimensions and test the model. Structural equation modeling and moderated regression test the hypotheses.

Results show that affirmative C2C interactions positively affect the customer’s perceived socio-emotional support, whereas negative C2C interactions show no significant impact. Greater socio-emotional support acuity improves customers’ assurance and empathy quality perceptions about the provider’s service. Customer proactiveness moderates C2C interaction dimensions.

This study extends the research of the C2C interaction to include their effect on service quality perceptions in a prolonged close-proximity service setting. Study results validate C2C interaction’s dimensions specific to an inpatient setting. Finally, this study extends the application of social capital theory and social exchange theory to C2C settings.

Findings emphasize the importance of managing C2C interactions during prolonged, close-proximity service delivery processes to improve customer perceptions of service quality. Results suggest that managers should monitor customer proactiveness to maximize positive C2C interactions’ positive effects while minimizing negative C2C interactions.

Prior service quality studies tend to focus on managing internal resources (staff, processes or physical environment); however, this study examines how the interactions among external resources create a halo effect and impact customers’ service quality perceptions. Results inform methods to improve their quality perceptions by better managing exogenous factors. The study also responds to calls for research on how C2C interactions affect functional service contexts (vs hedonic service contexts).

The study aims to examine the underexplored agenda in organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) through the collectivistic 50-and-older customers' lens when encountering medical-care services by applying stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory.

The authors propose an integrative causal model derived from employees OCBs perceived by the collectivistic 50-and-older outpatients in Korean medical-care organizations and test the causal relationships using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The three dimensions of OCBs are external stimuli to the synergistic relationship of both cognitive and affective organisms for enhancing the organization's external outcomes. The customers' organismic processes mediate the relationships between OCBs and the resultant outcomes. Customer satisfaction plays a pivotal role in determining customers' future behavior when converting the business relationship to friendship.

The proposed integrated model provides an overall mechanism of the collectivistic customer decision process in the medical-care service setting. The integrated model helps to understand better how customers proceed mental and emotional states with the encountered services and how frontline employees offer extra-roles beyond in-roles to their customers in touching points to maintain superior organizational performance.

The authors respond to the underexplored agenda in the OCB research discipline. The study is one of the few studies to examine the effect of OCBs from collectivistic customers' perspectives and apply a consumer behavior theory to explain a service organizational performance in an integrative causal model.

Considers the implementation of the customer care campaign within Asda, as a response to the results of a MORI survey of Asda staff and customers. The staff training programme took place between 1985 and 1987 with the stated aim of providing enjoyable and convenient shopping for customers. The campaign covered four phases: awareness; education; training; and follow‐up. Its success was measured in terms of increased customer loyalty; a reduction in the number of complaints against staff; and a lower rate of staff turnover.

This paper explores and elaborates on emotions and capability in organizations through the phenomenon of care. Drawing upon multi-disciplinary theory, as well as empirical material from a case study in the hotel industry (involving four organizations), a theoretical framework is offered for understanding the multidimensional, dynamic, social relational nature and role of care in organizations. This is shown through the suggestion of a conceptual framework of four ideal types of practices in frontline work. In the practice of care, emotions are one of the vital parts in a larger whole. Regarding the role of care in organizations, it is suggested that what, and how, one cares for, are continually created, tested, negotiated and/or re-constructed. This paper suggests that the claims regarding care also provide implications for the study and understanding of emotions and capability in organizations.

One of the most challenging aspects in the health care industry is to understand the nuances and strategies of those companies that provide both B2B and B2C services, apart from being supported by their management team, quality officers, the HR Manager, the clinicians, the doctors, and the holistic support of all staff. This case study focusses on analyzing the various indicators of success of The Health Medical Services (THMS), a major service provider in the health care sector, serving both B2B and B2C markets in the UAE and the organizational factors that drove the service provider to success, creating an exceptional experience for both their internal and external customers. The unique success drivers of THMS, as brought out by the current study include Customer Relationship Management, unique leadership style, employee engagement, market orientation, Quality Circles, patient-centric care, and service innovation in health care that supports their sustainability and scalability. Moreover, a literature review on the success drivers brings out the academic implications of the study.

Describes the customer care movement as a movement parallel to that of quality management. Shows that the best customer‐related programmes go further than a simple concentration on ′the customer′. Looks at the differing perceptions of receivers and providers of services. Claims that the successful organization can identify changes in customers′ perceptions.

Examines the new concept of total care management (TCM). Argues that customers are choosing companies not simply on the quality of their products but on the integrity of their behaviour, and that this fusion of quality and ethics is transforming total quality management (TQM) into TCM. Defines total care management and the various meanings of care in the service industries. Offers some examples of TCM companies and their management values. Recommends ways in which organizations can facilitate TCM, notably by following principles of tough care and shared care.