Marketing Management, 16th Edition

Managing Service Quality

The service quality of a firm is tested at each service encounter. If employees are bored, cannot answer simple questions, or are visiting with each other while customers are waiting, customers will think twice about doing business there again. Flawless service delivery is the ideal output for any service organization. Two important activities are managing customer expectations and incorporating self-service technologies.

Managing Customer Expectations

Customers form service expectations from many sources, including past experiences, word of mouth, and advertising. In general, they compare perceived and expected service. If the perceived service falls below the expected service, customers are disappointed. Successful ...