Search results

The research concerns the effect of frontline employees’ averted or direct gaze on consumers’ evaluation of the encounter. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that in normal interactions, a direct or averted gaze affects people’s evaluation of others. The question was whether this finding would hold true in commercial interactions.

The authors conducted three experiments using a written scenario with a photograph among a total sample of 612 participants.

This research showed that consumers’ social impression of the frontline employees mediated the effect of the employees’ gazing behaviour on consumers’ emotions and satisfaction with the encounters. The findings also showed that averting gaze had a negative effect on consumers’ first impression of the frontline employee, which affected consumers’ satisfaction with the encounter. The findings also showed that a direct gaze had a negative effect on encounter satisfaction when consumers sought to purchase embarrassing products.

The research demonstrated that the effect of gaze on encounter satisfaction was mediated by the social impression and moderated by consumers’ approach/avoidance motivation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The results are informative for managers when planning and implementing new online services in the financial industry.

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.

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.

This paper aims to determine the importance of the human touch in customer service interactions.

The paper is based on two original studies using tech‐savvy respondents, utilizing a survey and scenario‐based research.

The paper finds that, even for tech‐savvy customers, human touch is an important factor in both customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions.

The study is limited to US respondents and telephone‐based service encounters.

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.

This paper fulfills a gap in the existing services literature, with a specific focus on valuing human interaction in technology‐enabled service encounters.

Volunteers at child helplines play an important role in providing support for children, so keeping them satisfied during encounters is crucial to continue helping children. The purpose of this study is to understand how children’s perceptions of instrumental and emotional support (partner effects) influence volunteer encounter satisfaction, and whether this effect is moderated by a volunteer’s previous encounter experience and levels of interpersonal and service-offering adaptiveness.

The sample consisted of 377 dyads of 116 volunteers and 377 children from online service encounters at a child helpline. Questionnaires were used to measure satisfaction, support and volunteer adaptiveness. A multilevel model was estimated to test the hypothesized moderation effects.

This study revealed that the instrumental support partner effect positively influenced volunteer encounter satisfaction. This relationship was stronger when the previous encounter was less satisfying or for volunteers with higher interpersonal, but not higher service-offering, adaptiveness. Negative effects on the relationship between the emotional support partner effect and volunteer encounter satisfaction were found after a less satisfying previous encounter or for volunteers with higher interpersonal adaptiveness.

This study contributes to the services and volunteerism literature by providing a unique perspective on the interpersonal influence between volunteers and children during service encounters. In the context of child helplines, this paper illustrates how volunteer encounter satisfaction is a function of the intricate interplay between children’s perceptions of the service encounter and volunteers’ perceptions of previous experiences and their adaptiveness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Examines behaviors of doctors that influence patient evaluation of medical encounters. It examines these behaviors in both the USA and Japan and compares the findings. A list of behaviors relevant to patient evaluation of a medical encounter is developed. Performance of these behaviors in specific medical transactions is then examined and the relationship between performance of each behavior and encounter satisfaction is analyzed. Behaviors are grouped, using factor analysis from consumer surveys, into four dimensions in the USA (concern, civility, congeniality and attention) and five dimensions in Japan (concern, civility, congeniality, communication, and courtesy). Each is defined using multiple behavioral measures. Despite many differences in the cultures of these two countries and their medical delivery systems, many similarities are found in how consumers evaluate medical services in the two countries. Measures include some concepts not widely addressed in current services literature, including conversation, genuineness, attitude, and demeanor. These dimensions and constituent behaviors provide a framework for future research and medical training and management.

Customer satisfaction formation represents a dynamic phenomenon, especially in extended service encounters. A single service encounter may have an extended duration and feature several service interactions, which the customer can evaluate independently. This paper aims to offer a dynamic perspective on satisfaction formation, which indicates that what matters is not only the interactions a customer confronts but also when these interactions occur.

Research from social psychology provides a foundation for hypothesizing different effects of positive and negative critical incidents. Negative critical incidents likely are more important for overall satisfaction if they occur at the end of a service encounter. Positive critical incidents should have stronger effects at the beginning. In a 2×2 experimental design, participants considered a five‐day holiday hotel experience.

The data support the predicted dominance of a recency effect for negative critical incidents, such that a negative critical incident has a greater negative impact on customers' overall satisfaction when it occurs at the end of a service encounter instead of at the beginning. For positive critical incidents, no significant differences arose between primacy and recency effects.

The results highlight the importance of process designs of service experiences. Managers should pay particular attention to avoiding service failures at the end of a service encounter.

Unlike research that only assesses satisfaction formation for service encounters from a non‐dynamic perspective, this study posits the importance of the order of interactions within a service encounter.

This study aims to develop a model based on attribution theory and intercultural literature to explain the underlying customer satisfaction process in intercultural service encounters.

In-depth interviews were used to develop an understanding of customer experience and evaluations in intercultural service encounters. A quasi-experiment with 236 customers was used to empirically examine the relationships between perceived culture distance, cultural attribution, intercultural competence and customer satisfaction.

Perceived culture distance is positively related to customer satisfaction, with cultural attribution mediating the relationship between perceived cultural distance and customer satisfaction, and partially mediating the moderating effect of intercultural competence on the relationship between perceived culture distance and customer satisfaction.

This study focuses on cultural attribution in intercultural service encounters. It is acknowledged that there are other attribution dimensions such as stability and controllability which may interact with perceived culture distance and influence subsequent customer satisfaction evaluation. Future research should consider these various dimensions and examine their mediating role in customer satisfaction.

It is recommended that service firms educate their customers of diverse cultures about local norms and practices, and proactively manage their expectations throughout the service experience.

Despite the growing importance of intercultural service encounters, the findings of the relationship between perceived cultural distance and customer satisfaction are mixed. This study contributes to the literature by advancing our theoretical knowledge and empirical evidence of the role of cultural attribution and intercultural competence in intercultural service encounters.