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1 – 10 of over 22000Diana L. Haytko and Christina S. Simmers
The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of human interaction versus interactions with technology in overall customer satisfaction with banking services, specifically…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of human interaction versus interactions with technology in overall customer satisfaction with banking services, specifically, tellers versus Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) vs online transactions. All types of interactions are important in services, yet their level of importance is changing as the environment change.
Design/methodology/approach
Two studies were conducted through surveys with students who had a bank checking account; six item measures were used to examine human interaction, interaction with an ATM, interaction with an online banking service and overall satisfaction with the specific bank. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the effects of the interactions on overall satisfaction.
Findings
The findings from the two studies show that while the human encounter was more important before online banking became so prevalent, the convenience of online banking has displaced the importance of human interaction. However, there were gender differences in that males, more than females, remain influenced by teller transactions.
Research limitations/implications
The study utilizes student samples, which could be biased. However, students are also users of banking services so they represent a traditional target market for financial service firms.
Practical implications
The results are informative for managers when planning and implementing new online services in the financial industry.
Originality/value
This paper draws together research on interpersonal interactions and technological interactions to examine the effects on overall satisfaction. Given the proliferation of technological advances, understanding how these technologies impact customer satisfaction is vital.
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Shiu Fai Chan, Bradley R. Barnes and Kyoko Fukukawa
The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a new conceptual model in an online service context. The model focuses on an important, yet often neglected customer-oriented…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a new conceptual model in an online service context. The model focuses on an important, yet often neglected customer-oriented construct, i.e., user “control”, which is embedded in consumer behaviour when accessing the internet. The study examines the relationship between control, online dependency, online encounter satisfaction and overall satisfaction. It explains the strategic implications surrounding customer control and online dependency as means for enhancing customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was developed drawing on a combination of existing and new measurement items for the constructs in question. The instrument was later pilot tested on two consecutive occasions ahead of the main survey. A random sample of Hong Kong banking consumers was approached and interviews were undertaken via telephone. The data were analysed via confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses relating to the model.
Findings
The findings reveal positive relationships between control and online dependency, and control and online encounter satisfaction. Meanwhile control, online dependency and online encounter satisfaction lead to overall satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study proposes a counterintuitive argument that while online service customers gain control of the online service process, they become more dependent on it, and their control and dependency also lead to their satisfaction, at both the online service encounter level and corporate level. Drawing on the pertinent literature, this is the first study to examine the importance of two information system constructs, i.e., control and online dependency, as predictors of consumer psychological fulfilment, i.e., satisfaction. The findings confirm that control as an initiator and driver of customer satisfaction in an online context, and online encounter satisfaction, further contributes to overall satisfaction at the corporate level.
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Peter J. Danaher and Jan Mattsson
Prior studies of how service quality evolves during the service deliveryprocess either have used aggregate case data or have not obtainedobjective measurements of the actual…
Abstract
Prior studies of how service quality evolves during the service delivery process either have used aggregate case data or have not obtained objective measurements of the actual dimensions of the service encounter on an individual basis. Reports on a study of a service delivery process in a hotel. Its conference day guests rated the delivery process based on four distinct service encounters: arrival, coffee break, lunch and conference room. The aim was to investigate how quality factors were related to their respective encounters and how cumulative satisfaction levels impact on each other and over time. Average satisfaction levels for each of the four encounters were found to be significantly different. Moreover, there was a clear trend in the cumulative satisfaction results. Arrival resulted in high satisfaction, the coffee break was not as satisfying and lunch rated the worst. Satisfaction rose again after the conference room experience. A factor analysis of all the questions, for a hypothesized four‐factor solution, explained 72 per cent of the variation. All four encounters loaded highly and collectively on four distinct factors. Finally, a logistic regression model was used to rank the importance of the quality factors on their respective encounters. This information can be used to assist with the quality improvement of each encounter.
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Breffni M. Noone, Sheryl E. Kimes, Anna S. Mattila and Jochen Wirtz
Restaurant operators can process a greater number of customers and increase revenues by reducing service encounter duration during high demand periods. Actions taken to reduce…
Abstract
Purpose
Restaurant operators can process a greater number of customers and increase revenues by reducing service encounter duration during high demand periods. Actions taken to reduce duration may be experienced by customers as an increase in the pace of the service encounter. While achieving a reduction in duration may be appealing from a revenue perspective, will customers' perceptions of the resulting pace of the service encounter negatively impact their satisfaction? The aim of this paper is to propose that, in the context of restaurant experiences that are hedonic and extended in nature, the overall relationship between perceived service encounter pace and satisfaction follows an inverted U‐shape.
Design/methodology/approach
Respondents were asked to recall a recent (i.e. within the last three weeks) restaurant experience, write a description of that experience, and then complete scales that measured their perceptions of pace and satisfaction with the experience.
Findings
The relationship between perceived pace and satisfaction has an inverted U‐shape. This holds both at the level of the overall service encounter and by service stage within the encounter. The effect of perceived pace on satisfaction is moderated by service stage, with a greater tolerance of a faster pace during the post‐process stage than during the pre‐process or in‐process stages.
Practical implications
The results of this study have implications for the application of revenue management strategies for duration control. Management need to consider the negative effect that service encounter pace can have on consumer satisfaction. Service stage should also be factored into strategy development for duration control.
Originality/value
This paper extends the wait time literature, demonstrating that as the perceived pace of the service encounter increases, satisfaction increases, but only up to a point, beyond which it decreases as perceived pace continues to increase.
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Peter J. Danaher and Jan Mattsson
Prior studies of how service quality evolves during the service deliveryprocess have used aggregate case data in retrospect or have not obtainedobjective measures of the actual…
Abstract
Prior studies of how service quality evolves during the service delivery process have used aggregate case data in retrospect or have not obtained objective measures of the actual dimensions of the service encounter on an individual basis. Reports on a study of an actual hotel service delivery process partitioned into five distinct service encounters; check‐in, the room, the restaurant, the breakfast and check‐out. The aim was to investigate how quality factors were related to their respective encounters and how cumulative satisfaction levels impact on each other and over time. Average satisfaction levels for each of the five encounters were found to be significantly different. Moreover, there was a clear trend in the cumulative satisfaction results. Check‐in resulted in high satisfaction, the room was not so satisfying and the restaurant rated the worst. Satisfaction scores rose after the breakfast experience and rose again after check‐out. A factor analysis of all the questions, for a hypothesized five‐factor solution, explained 78 per cent of the variation. All the first four encounters loaded highly and collectively on four distinct factors. The fifth factor largely comprised correct check‐in booking and a correct bill on check‐out. Finally, a logistic regression model was used to rank the importance of the quality factors on their respective encounters. This information can be used to assist with the quality improvement of each encounter.
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Suzanne C. Makarem, Susan M. Mudambi and Jeffrey S. Podoshen
This paper aims to determine the importance of the human touch in customer service interactions.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the importance of the human touch in customer service interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on two original studies using tech‐savvy respondents, utilizing a survey and scenario‐based research.
Findings
The paper finds that, even for tech‐savvy customers, human touch is an important factor in both customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to US respondents and telephone‐based service encounters.
Practical implications
This paper shows the importance of keeping some aspects of the human touch in customer encounters with the firm. Firms cannot rely on self‐service technology for all services.
Originality/value
This paper fulfills a gap in the existing services literature, with a specific focus on valuing human interaction in technology‐enabled service encounters.
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Michael A. Jones and Jaebeom Suh
The distinction between transaction‐specific satisfaction and overall satisfaction has received little empirical attention in the satisfaction and services literature…
Abstract
The distinction between transaction‐specific satisfaction and overall satisfaction has received little empirical attention in the satisfaction and services literature. Furthermore, a review of the extant literature provides mixed conceptual evidence concerning the relationships among transaction‐specific satisfaction, overall satisfaction, and repurchase intentions. This study empirically investigates transaction‐specific satisfaction, overall satisfaction and repurchase intentions, and finds that the two types of satisfaction can be distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the findings from this study suggest that overall satisfaction has a direct influence on repurchase intentions as well as a moderating influence on the transaction‐specific satisfaction/repurchase intentions relationship. When overall satisfaction is high, transaction‐specific satisfaction has little impact on repurchase intentions, but when overall satisfaction is low, transaction‐specific satisfaction has a positive influence on repurchase intentions.
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Yury Ustrov, Mireia Valverde and Gerard Ryan
This paper aims to draw attention to the need for a nuanced view of the emotional contagion framework. It proposes and empirically tests a refined model of emotional contagion and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to draw attention to the need for a nuanced view of the emotional contagion framework. It proposes and empirically tests a refined model of emotional contagion and its effects in the hotel sector by focusing on the front-desk service encounter interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from three separate groups of paired informants: receptionists, hotel customers and interaction observers. The sample included 573 full customer service interactions in 47 hotels in Catalonia. The model was tested with structural equation modelling.
Findings
Emotional contagion has specific mechanisms at the hotel front-desk. No relationship was found between receptionists’ inner mood and their outwardly displayed emotions. Yet, receptionists’ displayed emotions enhance customer mood, and, largely, customer satisfaction. Ultimately, this affects customer behavioural intentions. It was also discovered that guests are able to clearly distinguish between their satisfaction with the specific service encounter at the front desk and the overall satisfaction with the hotel stay. The positive effects of employees’ displayed emotions are of particular importance in lower-star hotels and are less important at the high end. Perceived training opportunities have a positive effect on customer satisfaction and improve the employee-displayed emotion.
Research limitations/implications
Researchers should examine employee outcomes that are more stable than mood, but may enhance or be related to the effective display of emotions at the front desk, such as employee satisfaction and commitment. In general, emotions and behaviours of employees and consumers should be further examined in other services across the hospitality industry, in different cultural contexts and in terms of their impact on company performance. Researchers should heed the precise type of mechanism that takes place in each service context.
Practical implications
The hotel management should focus their efforts on ensuring positive emotional performance, regardless of employees’ inner mood. Managers should carefully interpret differentiated results according to whether they have been drawn from overall satisfaction or customer service interaction surveys. The training provision is of particular importance in lower-star hotels, where customer outcomes depend more on employee-displayed emotion.
Originality/value
This study empirically corroborates that customer outcomes of front-desk services are linked to receptionists’ displayed emotions, and not to employees’ feelings. Onsite data collection, multiple-informant approach, paired dyads and structural equation modelling hold a great potential for study designs that seek insights into interpersonal phenomena in hospitality services research.
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Yuksel Ekinci, Philip L. Dawes and Graham R. Massey
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of self‐congruence on consumer satisfaction with services and to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of self‐congruence on consumer satisfaction with services and to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction in the hospitality industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual framework consists of the following constructs: actual self‐congruence, ideal self‐congruence, desires congruence, service quality, consumers' overall attitude to a service firm, and intention to return. Moreover, 12 hypotheses were developed and tested. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the validity of the measures, while PLS was used in hypotheses testing. Data were collected from 185 consumers who had recently visited a restaurant or hotel.
Findings
Strong support was found for 11 of the 12 hypotheses. Findings reveal that ideal self‐congruence and desires congruence have positive effects on consumer satisfaction. In contrast, it is shown that actual self‐congruence is not related to consumer satisfaction. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the two dimensions of service quality – physical quality and staff behaviour – have a positive impact on both desires congruence and consumer satisfaction. Importantly, consumer satisfaction is found to be a better indicator of the consumers' overall attitude to the service firm than service quality. The study confirms that consumer satisfaction mediates the relationship between the two service quality dimensions, ideal self‐congruence, and intention to return.
Originality/value
This study makes four important contributions. First, satisfaction research is advanced by integrating self‐concept theory into the postpurchase evaluation of services. Second, the relationship between the multidimensional nature of service quality and consumer satisfaction is examined by testing paths from two posited dimensions of service quality – physical quality and staff behaviour – to satisfaction. Third, the consumers' overall attitude to a service firm is integrated into existing models of satisfaction and its impact on behavioural loyalty (intention to return) is tested. Finally, a contribution is made to the satisfaction research literature by testing the effect of service quality on desires congruence, and the effect of desires congruence on consumer satisfaction.
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Gayani Karunasena, Dimuthu Vijerathne and Harsha Muthmala
Homogeneity in the main business of renting office spaces among commercial facilities has led to fierce competition. To retain tenant attractiveness, many are now concerned about…
Abstract
Purpose
Homogeneity in the main business of renting office spaces among commercial facilities has led to fierce competition. To retain tenant attractiveness, many are now concerned about the quality of facilities management (FM) services in addition to the rent, office space and location. The quality of FM service can be attained with successful service encounters. Thus, this paper aims to establish an initial platform on which tenant satisfaction in FM service encounters can be achieved.
Design/methodology/approach
The preliminary survey focused on gaining insights into FM encounters in commercial sector and applicability of service attributes under SERVQUAL model. The detailed survey concentrated on determining tenant perceptions on satisfactory levels of service attributes developed in the preliminary study and relationships between FM encounters and different service attributes. The collection of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the results.
Findings
This study’s findings reveal assurance and empathy to be highly correlated to tenant satisfaction, while other attributes are less correlated. However, perceptions of satisfaction levels of tenants on tangibility and reliability provides contradictory results to its correlation values. Satisfaction level in remote service encounters is lower compared to phone and face-to-face encounters. Complexity and management concerns toward physical facilities are imperative to uplift satisfaction in remote encounters.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of study was limited to FM encounters in Sri Lankan Grade “A” commercial office properties with high quality standard finishes, state-of-the-art systems, exceptional accessibility and a definite market presence in Colombo.
Originality/value
The study developed a preliminary framework that guides users to identify the best combinations of service attributes with respective FM encounters, where tenant satisfaction needs to be achieved.
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