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The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential differences between types of self-service technology. Specifically, the paper explores how the dynamics of public and private self-service technology influence customers' decision to use the technology.

Existing customers of private and public self-service technology were surveyed from the same industry. Using structural equation modeling, the authors examine how relevant self-service constructs influence evaluations and attitudes of customers across both settings.

The analysis reveals that customers' control and convenience perceptions differ across public and private self-service technology. Additionally, customers placed a heavier emphasis on the hedonic or utilitarian evaluation of a service experience based on the type of self-service technology.

For managers of self-service applications, understanding the unique differences of public and private self-service technology can aid in the implementation and adoption of the technology. By properly understanding the differences of the self-service types, managers can provide a beneficial experience to the customer.

By identifying and describing two distinct categories of SSTs, this study allows managers and researchers to better understand how and why individuals choose to utilize individual self-service technologies. Through understanding the unique dynamics of a public and a private SST experience, retailers can determine the appropriate strategy for customer adoption based on the utilitarian or hedonic functions of the technology.

The purpose of this study is to present a model for influential factors on customer loyalty in public libraries and its evaluation in public libraries of western Iran.

This research is a correlation study and uses a questionnaire as a data gathering tool. The statistical population consists of all members of public libraries in western Iran. The final data analysis was carried out using 467 completed questionnaires and data were analysed using SPSS19 and AMOS19 software.

The findings of this study showed that perceived value has the largest influence on customer loyalty with a factor of 0.451. The second most influential factor is customer satisfaction with a factor of 0.214. Three predictor variables are the effect of the services, controlling the provided information and library as a location, which had the highest influence on perceived value of libraries’ customers. The findings also showed that perceived value with meaningfulness level of p < 0.001 and a value of 0.316 has the most influence on libraries’ customer satisfaction.

Identifying and improving the influential factors on customer loyalty in public libraries can increase the customer return rate of these libraries. Public library managers of Iran, especially in western Iran, can use the findings of this study to improve the influential factors on customer loyalty in libraries under their care.

This study aims to explore the role of knowledge management practices in supporting current and emerging passengers’ and customer needs, aiming to create value. Specifically, the research examines the importance of customer-centred knowledge management in the delivery of innovative services and practices in the public transport sector, promoting the role of interactions between mobility stakeholders and travellers.

A theoretical framework is developed and supported by the background literature on customer-centric knowledge management approaches, business model innovation, as well as on inter-organisational and network co-operations.

Results show that the development of sustainable innovation and technologies in the transport sector requires knowledge management practices, which enable the access to knowledge about users’ needs, the mapping and evaluation of innovative knowledge, the promotion of knowledge-based innovation through collective approaches, as well as the acquisition and integration of new knowledge.

The conceptual framework developed in the paper remains limited to a theoretical understanding. Further research should empirically examine knowledge issues related to the intangible character and intellectual capital intensiveness of innovation in the transport sector.

Researchers, public transport companies and public transport authorities are expected to benefit from this research, by developing mechanisms for customer-centred knowledge management, which is found to lead to innovative services and practices in the public transport sector. Another practical implication regards the adoption of knowledge management practices, leading to technological innovations in public transport, and advancing the level of sustainability in transport systems.

The originality of this study lies in the development of a customer-focussed knowledge management framework, which provides a novel perspective of value creation in an attempt to engage researchers and practitioners from the transport industry in the conceptualisation and development of innovative solutions.

The Indian banking industry has undergone many changes with the advent of changing economic environment in the country. Many changes have taken place in terms of customer services, work culture, infrastructure, approach to sales and customer relationship management amongst others. This paper aims to attempt to evaluate the adherence of BCSBI code by the banks. Customer perception has been evaluated to analyse the adherence of the code. Also, the authors have tried to evaluate the impact of customer type (mass and class customers) and bank type (based on bank ownership- private and public banks) on the compliance of the code by the bankers or minimum regulatory requirements with respect to customer services. Questionnaire has been developed as per the Banking Code and Standard Board of India (a customer services cell of Reserve Bank of India), and BCSBI has been used as a regulatory standard to compare the level of compliance by the banks.

Primary data have been collected from private and public sector banks. In the first step, instrument validity and reliability has been checked by using structural equation modelling; in the second step, descriptive statistics has been used to know the extent of fulfillment of standard by banks; and in the third step, a two-way multivariate analysis of variances has been used to do the comparative analyses of the respondents data.

The overall finding of the research shows that overall adherence of the dimension of code are not in sync with the objective of the code. Study also has shown the mindset of the Indian bankers that how they predominantly serve the class customers and push those products to the customers which are target based or earn profitability for the banks and incentives for the banker. Private banks are ahead in compliance with respect to the customer services, but they are also ahead in sales malpractices.

This study is an eye opener for the regulators, as per BCSBI regulations, surprise supervision take place every year, but this study shows the ineffectiveness of that supervision. Following the BCSBI norms by the banks is just eyewash of regulators, but all the norms are fulfilled only in papers but not in actual practice.

The research paper is original piece of work; the researcher did not find any study related to BCSBI code in Indian as well as in international literature.

With public services operating as monopolies, dissatisfied users cannot exit from the relation without changing patronage. Apart from exit from the region, voicing their dissatisfaction in order to influence the service offer becomes the only alternative. Industries and companies may be classified as customer oriented if they market differentiated products and services reflecting heterogeneous customer preferences. Customer satisfaction is influenced by expectations and perceived service quality. Degree of customer satisfaction and loyalty consequently becomes an indication of customer orientation. Reports on an empirical study of 100 business executives′ degree of satisfaction with local governments′ services in the capital of Norway. Loyalty, defined as willingness to maintain present location of business, is believed to be influenced by satisfaction. The results from the study confirm low satisfaction scores. However, support for positive correlation between satisfaction and loyalty was not found. Reputation correlated with loyalty and satisfaction. Improvements in customers′ perception of service quality, government′s reputation and professional handling of customer voice, will influence customer satisfaction and loyalty. Improving service quality as perceived by the users through the differentiating of the offer, and improving reputation, are the managerial implications of this study in order for government to improve its performance, i.e. increased user satisfaction and loyalty.

This article aims to address the paucity of research in relation to eating establishments and food marketing by focussing on the public house sector in the UK.

This research uses secondary data and a qualitative case study approach to investigate pub food marketing in independent public houses based in North Wales, UK.

The public house sector is a market in decline. Challenges in the market are identified, however, provision of food as part of the market offering provides vital opportunities for additional profit and sustainability. Successful pub food marketing includes: understanding customers; targeting and controlling future markets; e‐marketing; promoting the pub theme/environment; promotion of food “value”; community involvement; and employee training.

Although this is only one small sample of independent public houses, this research provides indications of the marketing issues related to food and dining out, for managers of pubs and other restaurant establishments generally.

The article provides a comprehensive list of marketing issues and solutions that will be useful to publicans and restaurateurs.

This research furthers knowledge and understanding in relation to the marketing of pub food and the marketing of eating establishments in general. Marketing of food is complex; it requires an understanding of the dynamism between the eating establishment, the tourist destination and community base together with an understanding of the combined food product and service offering, and the overall dining experience.

Aims to analyse the reactions of front‐line staff to the use of the “customer” label in Jobcentre Plus, the new agency charged with structural and cultural reform of benefit administration in the UK and to highlight some key challenges and possibilities faced by “new public management” reformers in attempts to re‐present recipients of public services as customers.

Data are drawn from semi‐structured interviews with 39 front‐line workers in 14 public offices, conducted as part of the second phase of a study on staff perceptions of the Jobcentre Plus reform.

The majority of those interviewed reported awareness of and agreement with the customer label. More substantive views point to the ambiguous and shifting meanings applied by public sector workers to the customer role per se, and to its complex and multifaceted application to the Jobcentre Plus context.

Provides a systematic account of front‐line workers' attitudinal reactions to the incursion of the customer concept. However, the impact on users of the system is a question for further research.

Identifies a set of possibilities and challenges inherent in attempts to manage relevant cultural change amongst the front‐line of public service provision.

Provides a systematic account of the views of front‐line workers to the customerisation of public service provision, an issue of interest both to researchers and to practitioners.

The purpose of this paper is to enlighten the position of the customer as a driver to achieve the public–private partnership’s performance. It demonstrates that the customer exceeds being a target.

The paper is a literature review on the value for money, the performance prism in the PPP context, the service quality, the customer experience as well as the co-creation.

The PPP success goes through the end-users’ satisfaction regarding their experience quality. The improvement of the customer experience goes through the co-creation, conceding so to the customer, already a target and the mission of a co-creator. In this manner the performance of the PPP project is strengthened, the customer’s satisfaction increases to attain the PPP success. The co-creation through the customer experience succeeds in fulfilling the performance prism and hence constitutes a key success factor of the PPP.

The relationships identified from the literature review which build up our conceptual model need to be empirically tested.

It is important that customers, as key stakeholders, appear in the performance measures of the PPP project. This paper can be used as a theoretical base and conceptual framework explaining their integration in such business.

Although the performance measures in the PPP consider the customer satisfaction a priority, its achievement remains a hard task and not as conspicuous for the PPP managers. The paper attempts through the co-creation based on the customer experience to conciliate between the PPP’s performance and the customers’ empowerment. Furthermore, the paper defines a new form of PPP: the public–private customer partnership.

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain how perceived service quality mediates employees’ customer orientation and customer satisfaction in the public utility sector.

The study focused on the commercial customers (small and medium-scale enterprises– (SMEs)) of Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. There were 350 SMEs sampled for the study, and each had no more than 99 employees. Respondents were either owner-managers or employee-managers. Structural equation model (SEM) was used in estimating the effects among the variables studied.

Most public institutions have a built-in customer base, and therefore places less emphasis on employees’ customer orientation. This notwithstanding, findings revealed that employees’ customer orientation behaviors significantly impacted customers’ perceived service quality and satisfaction toward public institutions. Similarly, customers’ perceived service quality influenced their satisfaction toward public institutions. SMEs serve as an engine for economic growth in an economy, and therefore public institutions must consider their peculiar needs in the delivery of service to them.

This study pointed out that, employees’ customer orientation behaviors of public institutions have an influence on customers’ perceived service quality and satisfaction. Previous studies on these concepts have largely focused on the private sector, where there are lots of competition. This study also specifically studied commercial customers (SMEs) of public institution, which is quite novel, especially in relation to the concepts studied. And the contribution of SMEs to economic growth makes their study even much more important.

This paper extends the discussion on stability and change through focus on specific relationship characteristics. Quality management systems prescribe established routines for supplier selection and monitoring, and may thereby designate the nature and longevity of customer–supplier relationships. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the effects of quality management systems on stability and change in different forms of customer–supplier relationships.

A number of illustrative examples based on participatory data and interviews help to capture different types of customer–supplier relationships (private/public; certified/non-certified) related to quality management systems.

While certified customers in most sectors only need to prove that their suppliers have procedures in place, many customers equate this with requiring that their suppliers should be certified. The paper further shows that customers replace deeper understandings for their suppliers’ procedures with the requirement that they be certified.

The paper contributes to the existing literature through integrating quality management systems literature with the business network approach. For business network studies, the discussion on quality management systems as constricting regimes is interesting and provides practical insights to the business network studies as such quality management systems increase in importance and spread.