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In the 1990s many companies have acknowledged the critical importance of being customer‐oriented. However, as retailers contemplate the higher costs and higher revenues of increased customer service levels, they need to understand the relative importance to consumers of various aspects of customer service, particularly those delivered by salespeople. This research investigates the impact of selected salesperson service attributes and levels on consumer patronage intentions in a consumer electronics store setting. The study uses conjoint analysis to measure consumer priorities. The results indicate that salesperson’s respect for the customer, knowledge, and responsiveness are the most important attributes. Where three service levels are presented, there is a greater difference in impact between the lowest and middle levels than between the middle and highest levels. This suggests that retailers do not necessarily have to offer the best service levels to satisfy customers, but must avoid poor service levels.

Examines the Accounting Standards Committee′s proposal that all advertising costs other than direct response be incurred or expensed the first time the advertising takes place. Suggests that managers who have been deferring the write‐off of advertising costs, the proposed rule change provides incentives to reduce the level of advertising and/or postpone these expenditures.

Builds on the efforts of an earlier study to enhance marketers′ ability to evaluate earnings performance accurately by first presenting hands‐on illustrative examples of two approaches to adjusting the income statement for earnings shocks and estimating the earnings of core operations. Examines the impact on marketing managers of the “fallout” that may result from changes in management policies which are prompted by the perceptions of poor earnings performance. This fallout includes: challenges by upper management regarding the wisdom and effectiveness of the marketing strategy; marketers′ reduced ability to execute the marketing plan owing to cost‐cutting campaigns that result in reduced marketing expenditures (e.g. advertising and sales promotion expenditures); and higher projected rates of return (i.e. higher “hurdle rates”) required for investment proposals before they are considered acceptable. Concludes with the presentation of strategies which may be employed by marketers to respond to and negotiate with upper management when policy changes designed to cut operating and investment expenditures constrain marketers′ ability to execute marketing strategy aggressively and effectively.

The purpose of the paper is to present and test a particular theory of pricing of police services.

A theory of police pricing was developed, then tested using data collected from a mail survey of Chiefs of Police in Pennsylvania.

Pricing practices vary considerably among police departments. There appears to be no underlying theory in the practice of pricing of police services.

Research was limited to one state in the USA and for a limited number of police services.

In setting prices, police departments ought to consider how the price charged is consistent or inconsistent with achieving their overall departmental goals.

No previous empirical studies on how police departments charge for their services have been found. This research may lead to a more complete understanding of policing operations.

Investigates consumer perceptions of the utility of service guarantees in a table service restaurant setting. Uses conjoint analysis to determine the utility consumers assign to restaurants that varied along different levels of price, speed of service, quality of food, courtesy of server and service guarantee. The presence of an explicit service guarantee is not uniformly desirable in the selection of a table service restaurant.

Provides marketers with both a broad‐based and an industry‐specific understanding of the marketing implications of GATT. First presents background information regarding GATT, followed by an overview of the key provisions of the agreement. Provides an analysis of a number of consumer product industries to help assess the potential industry‐specific impact of GATT on the “offensive” and “defensive” marketing strategies which are described in the study.

As a result of intense competition, many companies have changed their fundamental marketing strategy from one of diversification of products and services to a well‐focussed, concentrated effort on “core” products, services and markets. Examines the reasons why it has become increasingly difficult to identify and evaluate core earnings performance. Also examines the ominous implications of this problem for strategic marketing decisions which require an accurate assessment of core earnings performance. Describes a number of situations in which the use of unchallenged or unadjusted earnings figures could result in flawed or failed marketing strategies. Finally, provides insight regarding a number of issues related to earnings and cash flow to increase marketers′ ability to evaluate core earnings performance and thus avoid the marketing problems described.

New forms of retailing present different pricing challenges. The selling of college textbooks over the Internet represents an ideal case study of the different elements that enter into consumer’s price equation. College students were asked to rate the likelihood of purchase of a text given different profiles of sellers and their offerings. Using conjoint analysis, estimates of consumer tradeoffs were calculated. In‐stock status at the college bookstore was the most important variable, followed by buy‐back policies/guarantees. Price of the text was the third most important variable. Implications for both bookstores and on‐line retailers are presented.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether reported nutritional knowledge and the acceptance of benefit claims for a fresh produce item is related to changes in preference in order to provide food marketers insight and guidance into giving consumers more information to change beliefs and preferences, using health‐benefit claims to position their brands as offering ingredients, e.g. Lycopene which may prevent serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

The sample was drawn from an internet panel maintained by Markettools, Inc, a respected market research company in the USA. A total of 594 respondents were surveyed. Besides demographic questions, respondents were asked about their knowledge of nine nutrients. Basic nutrient knowledge was estimated through a one‐sample t‐test tested against a value of two on a 1‐4 scale. Respondents evaluated eight benefit statements regarding the health benefits of mushrooms. After reading each statement, respondents indicated their likelihood of purchasing fresh mushrooms and were asked about the believability, favorability, and uniqueness of each statement.

The results indicate that health‐related food benefit claims are better accepted by female respondents who claim to be nutritionally knowledgeable and who are older. Three hypotheses related to nutritional knowledge and beliefs showed that knowledge and beliefs have an effect but the effect varied by nutrient and nutrient cluster. In particular, knowledge of esoteric nutrients such as Pantothenic Acid was associated with acceptance of health‐related claims.

Food marketers are spending millions of dollars/pounds/euros on informing people of the nutrient content and health benefits of their foods. However, this money can be better spent if one first understands the existing levels of nutritional knowledge and the specific nutrients that motivate change in preference or buying intention.

This paper builds on the existing body of knowledge using additional statistical techniques to cluster nutrients and to provide a demonstration on a fresh produce food group not currently investigated in the literature. It suggests that food marketers need to gather more information on their consumers to target their health and nutrition message to the proper (more receptive) audience.

This study forces respondents to tradeoff between invasive human resource practices and salary.

Respondents evaluated 16 calibration profiles to estimate a conjoint model among four categories: pre-employment, employment at the office, employment outside the office, and salary. Each profile included one level from the four categories.

In a study of mostly full-time employees, conditions at work were paramount. Salary was second followed closely by pre-employment monitoring. Monitoring outside of the office was a distance last.

In a tight employment market, salary may not be the deciding selection factor for employment.

Employee monitoring is advancing dramatically and making human resource activities commonplace and invasive. This study forces respondents to confront these practices and determine whether salary can compensate for their acceptance.