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Unit 4: Customer Expectations and Perceptions of Services through Marketing Research
Derived service expectations of a customer are in turn influenced by the expectations of those Notes
who are dependent on the customer to provide them with a good service experience.
Example: Consider a situation in which an office outing has been arranged with the
administrative officer being responsible for making the travel and food arrangements. The
administrative officers expectations of desired service from the travel and the catering company
will be based on the expectations of desired service of every member going on the outing.
Customers Philosophy regarding a service has to do with the customers attitude, and the
service providers conduct. A customers philosophy regarding the service tends to be stronger
if he is in some way associated with the service industry. This association of the customer may
be in the form of either being employed in the service industry or having worked in the service
industry in the past.
Example: A retired banker knows more about the service standards in a bank and his
service philosophy is stronger compared to other customers who do not have such a strong
association with the banking industry.
The desired level of service expectations of customers increases when their personal service
philosophies are high. A lot also depends on the internal customers or the people within the
service organisation. The output of the internal customer is directly linked to the level of service
provided by the organisation. Depending on these, the customers form attitudes towards the
service providers.
Factors Influencing Adequate Service Expectations
Customer expectations of adequate service are influenced by various factors such as transitory
service intensifiers, perceived service alternatives, customer self-perceived service role,
situational factors, and predicted service.
Transitory Service Intensifiers are the factors, which intensify or heighten the level of adequate
service expectations of customers. These factors include personal emergencies, failure of a service
provider to offer quality service the first time, or factors that push customers to take the help of
a service.
Example: Suppose a customer who is very hungry decides to try the service of a home-
delivery provider of pizza who claims to deliver a pizza anywhere in the city limits within 20
minutes. However, the pizza is delivered at the customers doorstep an hour after he has ordered
for it and that too, with a topping different from the one he had ordered. The first-time service
failure by the pizza home delivery service will increase the service recovery expectations of the
customer the next time he orders a pizza from the same service provider. This time, the customer
will expect the service provider to deliver the pizza of his choice within the promised time.
Consider a situation where a customer wants to purchase medicines urgently on his credit card
and the credit card company refuses to give acceptance though there is credit amount available
on the card. This will raise the adequate service level expectations of the customer.
Presence of transitory service intensifiers reduces the zone of tolerance and increases the adequate
service expectations of a customer.
Perceived Service Alternatives include customer perceptions of available alternatives that offer
similar service. The adequate service expectations of customers increase when they think that
there are alternatives available to fulfil the need.
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