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Purpose – Many service providers feel confident about their service quality and thus offer service guarantees to their customers. Yet service failures are inevitable. As guarantees can only be invoked when customers report service failures, firms are given the opportunity to redress the original failure potentially influencing customer outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to provide the first empirical investigation of whether excellence in service recovery affects customers’ intentions to invoke a service guarantee, thereby discriminating between conditional and unconditional guarantees and testing for the impact of customers’ individualistic vs collectivistic cultural orientation. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 171 respondents from four continents (spanning 23 countries) were recruited to participate in a quasi-experimental study in a hotel setting. A three-way analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – All customers are very likely to invoke the service guarantee after an unsatisfactory service recovery. When customers are satisfied with the service recovery, they report lower invoke intentions, except for collectivistic individuals who are still inclined to invoke an unconditional service guarantee after a satisfactory service recovery. The finding supports an in-group/out-group rationale, whereby collectivists tend to behave more opportunistically toward out-groups than individualistic customers. Originality/value – The study highlights the importance of excellence in service recovery, cultural differences and different types of service guarantees with respect to customers’ intentions to invoke the guarantee. The paper demonstrates how service guarantees should be designed in conjunction with service recovery strategies. Also, the paper shows that an unconditional service guarantee creates the condition in which collectivists might engage in opportunistic behavior; global service providers concerned about opportunistic customer claiming behavior thus might benefit from using conditional service guarantees.

PurposeThe aim of the present study is to theoretically elaborate the Service Blueprinting (SB) effectiveness concept and integrate it within a conceptual framework, with specific antecedents and the moderating role of two major service characteristics: complexity and divergence.Design/methodology/approachIn order to validate the theoretical framework, a field study in 102 hotels was conducted, with the use of a structured questionnaire.FindingsThe results validate the research instrument used to capture SB effectiveness and indicate market orientation, service climate and service design formality as its three major antecedents. Moreover the degree of complexity and divergence of the service process were found to positively moderate the aforementioned relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's limitations rely on the business and national context as long as the lack of distinction between newly developed services and service modifications. Also, further research should also integrate the influence that SB effectiveness has on a service provider's organizational function and customers’ perceptions on service quality.Practical implicationsThe study provides a useful guide on how a service blueprint should be designed and also the different approaches that should be taken into consideration according to the type of service that is mapped.Originality/valueThe effectiveness of the SB process is conceptualized for the first time and explored in a quantitative research. Also, for the first time, specific organizational factors are indicated as major antecedents of SB effectiveness and two service characteristics are found to moderate these influences.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to describe how parted or divided service development is carried out, where interactions and cooperation need to take place with other actors in order to create the foundations for the service, in the form of a coherent specification of the extended service concept.Design/methodology/approachThis study builds empirically on an in‐depth longitudinal case‐study approach using data from a development project within the public transport sector. By the time this study is published, the phase that deals with the development of the system requirements and specifications will be in its final stages, while the next phase – the actual creation of the technology‐based systems and the test launch – will have been initiated.FindingsIn this study, three important groups of actors were identified. The first group, the information carriers, are the actors from the different organisations participating in the project who possess the important knowledge that should be tapped out and translated. The second group is the translators who are the ones that gather the knowledge from the other actors and interpret and translate this knowledge. In order to make this possible and to facilitate the process, the third group, the supporting actors or facilitators, plays an important role.Originality/valueThis study provides an alternative view of new service development from a knowledge transfer perspective, which is in contrast to the highly structured and sequenced models that have characterised most of the existing research on service development.

PurposeThis paper aims to demonstrate how psychological safety influences individual contributions in customer groups where multiple customers co‐create a service experience. It also shows the influence of other customers' contributions on an individual customer's own contribution to the service experience as well as the individual customer's perception of his/her own and of other customers' contributions toward service satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis empirical research paper is based on structural equation modelling to examine customer group experiences of two different service providers, a white water rafting company and an indoor soccer company. Data from a survey of a combined total of 273 consumers were utilised to test the research model.FindingsThe results demonstrate that, on an aggregate level, psychological safety affects an individual customer's perception of his/her own and others' contributions to a service experience. The findings show that the contributions of others have a significant influence on one's own contribution. No influence or relationship could be found regarding one's own contribution and service satisfaction; however, other customers' contributions have a negative effect on an individual's service satisfaction. The results vary on a subsample level.Research limitations/implicationsThe generalisability of the findings is limited to two customer group services, one group sport experience and one group leisure experience.Practical implicationsThis research provides insights for service firms with respect to managing the provider‐to‐multi‐customer co‐creation interface.Originality/valueThis article contributes to the analysis of co‐creation efforts of individuals in groups with respect to a specific environment (psychological safety). It adds value to the discussion of factors that influence the partial creation of a service by individuals while interacting with one another and the impact on the perceived outcome. The paper provides a platform for further research on aspects of co‐creation in customer groups.

PurposeDespite widespread acknowledgement of the importance of employees to the success of service firms, research into how well frontline service staff understand service remains scarce. This study aims to investigate what constitutes good customer service from the viewpoint of frontline service employees and to explore gender differences in particular.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from 876 frontline employees across a wide range of service industries. An automated text analysis using Leximancer explored general and gender‐specific patterns in employees' customer service understanding.FindingsIrrespective of gender, frontline service staff share the perception that the pillars of good customer service are listening skills, making the customer happy, and offering service. Males have a more functional, outcome‐oriented interpretation of customer service; females focus more on the actual service interaction and emotional outcomes.Practical implicationsBy acknowledging gender‐based dissimilarities in the customer service understanding of frontline service employees, the efficiency of recruitment and training processes will be enhanced.Originality/valueThis study contributes to limited work on service models of frontline staff and shows that gender can explain some differences. This study also adds another dimension to the understanding of gender effects in services, beyond its influence on customers' quality perceptions and behaviours. The results are important for services marketing research and for managers in charge of recruiting and training frontline service staff.

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to identify and describe the themes underlying four concepts: client orientation, client involvement, provider empowerment, and client empowerment, which have been reported in the literature as influencing service participant interaction in the formation of a service. The meaning that service participants assign to each of those themes is also to be examined.Design/methodology/approachTriadic studies were undertaken in two separate locations with three discrete community‐based service networks, purposively recruited from the same aged healthcare organisation. Using a phenomological approach, 29 individual semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with managers, providers, and clients were conducted. Inductive and deductive analysis was used to identify the emerging themes and their meaning for each participant category.FindingsKey themes were identified for each concept, but the meaning ascribed to each theme was found to differ between the participant categories. It is suggested that these results reflect participant role differences in the service co‐creation process.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited by the small sample and its relative homogeneity.Practical implicationsThe findings offer service managers insights into how to engage clients in the service creation process, which in turn will affect the ultimate quality of the service that is created. They also provide information that will assist with service design, staff selection, training, and assessment.Originality/valueThis is the first study that investigates the four concepts, client orientation, client involvement, provider empowerment, and client empowerment, in the context of service co‐creation. It identifies associated abstract themes and the applied meaning differences of the service participants.

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the dimensions of service quality in the case of hybrid services.Design/methodology/approachThe service quality dimensions are identified using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Next the reliability and validity of the factors are established through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS.FindingsThe paper identifies nine service quality dimensions in the hybrid services – customer service, staff competence, reputation, price, tangibles, ease of subscription, technology security and information quality, technology convenience, and technology usage easiness and reliability.Practical implicationsThe various dimensions of service quality should be viewed as the levers of improving perceived service quality in the minds of its current customers. Identifying the service quality dimensions in hybrid contexts can offer service providers valuable insights regarding on which aspects of the service to focus in order to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty, and commitment to the firm.Originality/valueThis paper introduces the concept of hybrid services, wherein a mix of technology and human interaction is used to produce and deliver services. Furthermore, since hybrid services have received little attention in the literature, the study addresses this gap by identifying a set of dimensions that are relevant for measuring service quality in hybrid contexts.

Purpose – This study seeks to adopt the perspective of service (dominant) logic to investigate the impact of three resource inputs (service content, service process, and service configurations) on the perceptions of value of e‐service customers.Design/methodology/approach – An online study is conducted among 667 customers of a Finnish health‐care web site.Findings – The study finds that content of various services have differential impacts on customers' perceptions of value. The study also finds that some service configurations (combinations of services) are more value‐enhancing than others.Research limitations/implications – The empirical study was limited to a Finnish health‐care site. Future studies could use this research model to investigate different services and cultures to improve the generalisability of the findings.Practical implications – Service providers should note that peer services (such as discussion groups) were more value‐enhancing than professional services (such as an advice database)...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to develop a customer‐oriented systems approach to updating a service operation. The approach will allow managers to gather information, make changes in service delivery and then assess the effects of these changes.Design/methodology/approachA survey was developed and administered at intervals in the same service setting; data from these survey results were used to illustrate the proposed systems‐based approach. Data from the open‐ended survey question were analyzed using content analysis. Based on that analysis, changes were made in service delivery. The impact of these changes was assessed as part of the second survey.FindingsInitial data analysis showed that customer perceptions of the quality of the core service offering, the physical setting and service intangibles differed. Content analysis identified areas for improvement and changes were made in the three areas. Analysis of the second survey showed improvements in customer satisfaction with the service setting and the service intangibles.Research limitations/implicationsThe research approach utilizes immediate feedback from customers who experience an actual – rather than hypothesized – service. Measurement of customer satisfaction with service delivery occurs longitudinally – rather than at a single point in time.Practical implicationsThe methodology could be used by service managers in an ongoing effort to identify service attributes that may warrant improvement.Originality/valueThis paper provides a structured approach to updating service delivery and illustrates its use in an actual service setting.

PurposeThis study seeks to shed light on service providers' experiences and challenges during intercultural service encounters.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory approach was used to explore a broad range of management issues regarding intercultural service encounters. A conceptual model was developed through interviews with current service providers.FindingsThe findings indicate that intercultural service encounters can serve as potential stressors for service providers and consequently induce negative emotions. While some service providers employ various coping techniques to address this situation, others tend to avoid international customers.Originality/valueThe intercultural service encounter has received little research attention despite its prevalence in daily life. The value of this paper contributes to the understanding of intercultural service encounters, particularly the challenges and stress employees could face.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on how small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) from the capital goods manufacturing sector develop the service business. Assuming the service business development depends on contingency factors, the paper aims to explore how SMEs align external environment, strategy and organizational design.Design/methodology/approachA multi‐case study design on capital goods manufacturers from Italy, Sweden and Switzerland was employed.FindingsService strategy formation and implementation in SMEs depend on their value chain position and the business environment. Suppliers with few customers selling directly to customers increasingly offer logistic and repair services as well as R&D‐oriented services. In contrast, OEMs selling through distributors do not primarily extend the services offered, but rather reconsider service process configuration together with distributors. Altogether, the paper describes four different service responses to specific combinations of value chain position and business environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited to the capital goods manufacturing industry.Originality/valueWhereas previous research neglects how SMEs develop the service business, this article offers key insights in the interrelationship among the value chain position and the business environment as well as the service strategy formation and implementation.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of service quality for settings where several customers are involved in the joint creation and consumption of a service. The approach is to provide first insights into the implications of a simultaneous multi‐customer integration on service quality.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper undertakes a thorough review of the relevant literature before developing a conceptual model regarding service co‐creation and service quality in customer groups.FindingsGroup service encounters must be set up carefully to account for the dynamics (social activity) in a customer group and skill set and capabilities (task activity) of each of the individual participants involved in a group service experience.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should undertake empirical studies to validate and/or modify the suggested model presented in this contribution.Practical implicationsManagers of service firms should be made aware of the implications and the underlying factors of group services in order to create and manage a group experience successfully. Particular attention should be given to those factors that can be influenced by service providers in managing encounters with multiple customers.Originality/valueThis article introduces a new conceptual approach for service encounters with groups of customers in a proposed service quality model. In particular, the paper focuses on integrating the impact of customers' co‐creation activities on service quality in a multiple‐actor model.

PurposeThe paper investigates the impacts of customer‐service interactions on relationship quality in retailing services in China.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a conceptual model of the relationship between the construct of “customer service” (conceptualised in terms of customers' interactions with service personnel and customers' interactions with the service environment) and the construct of relationship quality (conceptualised in terms of satisfaction, trust, and commitment). The hypothesised relationships are then tested in an empirical study with a sample of 295 retailing customers in China.FindingsBoth kinds of interactions (with service personnel and with the service environment) are shown to have a direct positive impact on relationship quality. However, the customers' interactions with the environment are found to have a greater impact than their interactions with service personnel on customers' perceptions of relationship quality. Moreover, “environment rules” (such as pricing policy and warranty) are found to be more important than “environment facilities” (ambience) in enhancing the quality of interaction between the customer and the service environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe model is tested only in the Chinese retailing sector. Nevertheless, the findings provide valuable managerial implications for retail service in the Chinese market.Practical implicationsThe study identifies several practical issues of interest to managers and contact personnel in the retailing industry.Originality/valueThe study incorporates the important notion of “environment rules” (such as pricing policy and warranty) to the construct of “interaction quality between customers and the service environment”. The results clearly show that such “environment rules” represent an indispensable aspect of the service environment to be taken into account when measuring the customer's interaction with the service environment.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the pertinent issues in the relationship between service experience and service design among small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism industry.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual paper undertakes a thorough review of the relevant literature before developing propositions regarding service experience and service design for SMEs in the tourism industry.FindingsService experience must be appropriately managed by SME operators by collecting and evaluating relevant data on customer experience. Service design must be undertaken in a holistic manner that is embedded in the organisational culture of the service provider using tools such as “blueprinting”. Synergistic cooperation and learning regions among traditionally fragmented tourism providers are essential for achieving long‐term competitiveness.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should undertake empirical studies to validate and/or modify the propositions presented in this conceptual paper.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to have addressed the relationship between experience management and service design for SMEs in the highly competitive tourism industry.

PurposeThis paper sets out to consider the role that can be played by independent professional accreditation systems and processes in influencing and grounding the intrinsic quality of what is offered by a service provider who has secured this certification.Design/methodology/approachThe approach takes the form of personal interviews conducted with senior management personnel within a range of accommodation providers who were responsible for preparing their accreditation submission.FindingsMore than 80 percent of respondents agreed that the process of applying for accreditation forced a critical review of all aspects of their operations, and heightened their awareness of things that could prove problematic and ways by which these problems could be effectively countered. Respondents also agreed that the process served to motivate the development and detailed documentation of policies, systems and procedures, which enabled greater consistency in the standard of what is provided.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that rigorous accreditation processes help service providers to review and confirm the appropriateness of what may already be in place, to ground the quality of what might need to be put in place, and to improve the standard of what is currently in place.Originality/valueThe paper augments what is posited by the service‐profit chain framework, shows how a focus on intrinsic quality can help to close the service design and standards gap, and also shows how extrinsic and independent professional accreditation processes can ground and enable the intrinsic quality and standard of what is offered.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the effects of e‐government on service design as perceived by employees.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses semi‐structured interviews with middle managers and front‐line employees, complemented by documentary analysis, to investigate how the introduction of e‐government has affected service design in two Swedish public‐sector organisations.FindingsThe analysis reveals five dimensions of change in the design of services as a result of the introduction of e‐government: service encounter and service process; customers as co‐creators and sole producers of services; efficiency; increased complexity; and integration. The study discusses the significance of these findings with particular examples from transcriptions of the interviews.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is rather limited and exploratory in nature; however, it does provide useful information on the categories of change in the redesign of services for e‐government and it does point the way to important avenues of future research in this field.Practical implicationsFour practical implications flow from the present research: managers should involve both employees and customers in projects and processes during the introduction of e‐government services; the services must be redesigned to ensure that the benefits of the information and communication technologies systems are fully realised; the introduction of e‐government might require more time being made available to assist certain customers who are in need of extra time and support from employees; and the time that is saved as a result of the introduction of e‐government must be profitably utilized by careful advance planning.Originality/valueThe study makes an original contribution by identifying five categories of change in the design of services in the context of the introduction of e‐government.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the concept of “potential quality” – that is, a company's tangible search qualities (such as the physical servicescape and virtual servicescape) – within the context of the real‐estate industry in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study collects data by conducting personal in‐depth interviews with 34 respondents who had been recent buyers or renters of property. The data are then coded and themed to identify quality dimensions relevant to this industry.FindingsThe results indicate that a buyer's perception of the overall service quality of real‐estate service consists of two components: the interaction with a realtor (process quality); and the virtual servicescape, especially the firm's website design and content (potential quality). The study concludes that existing scales (such as SERVQUAL and RESERV) fail to capture the tangible component of service quality sufficiently in the real‐estate industry.Research limitations/implicationsThe study uses data from only one industry (real estate) and from only one demographic segment (professionals in higher education).Practical implicationsService providers of intangible, high‐contact services must appreciate the importance of the virtual servicescape as a surrogate quality indicator that can help to reduce information asymmetries and consumers' uncertainty with regard to initiating a business relationship. Real estate firms need to pay attention to the training of agents and the design and content of their e‐service systems.Originality/valueThis study integrates potential quality, process quality, and outcome quality in a comprehensive proposed model. In particular, the study identifies “potential quality” as a combination of the attributes of the virtual service environment and the physical service environment.

PurposeThe aim of this article is to propose a framework for a new perspective on the total service experience, which dimensions influence it, and how a service experience is linked to value in use.Design/methodology/approachThe article is conceptual and suggests a new theoretical frame of reference describing value in use through service experience in technology‐based services.FindingsAccording to this article, a service experience is the total functional and emotional value of a consumed service. The service experience is unique to every individual customer and the service consumption situation. Value in use is the cognitive evaluation of the service experience.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework is discussed in the context of technology‐based services and will provide a basis for future research. Empirical studies are called for concerning service experiences in different kinds of service contexts.Originality/valueThis article contributes a new framework, illustrating the service experience, which dimensions influence the service experience, and how it is linked to value. The framework is placed in a context of technology‐based services. Unique to these kinds of services is a lack of personal interaction between the service producer and the customer.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the role of emotions in consumers' evaluations of service quality.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses empirical qualitative data from in‐depth interviews with 26 senior citizens who are consumers of long‐term residential care services in a Swedish rural community. The empirical findings are analysed inductively in terms of dimensions derived from the literature on the role of emotions in consumers' evaluations of service quality.FindingsWhen explaining their overall evaluations of service quality, the respondents referred exclusively to service dimensions that had evoked emotional reactions. However, although these service dimensions were the only ones to influence the consumers' perceptions of service quality, respondents tended to reflect about these dimensions in a cognitive manner. The remaining service dimensions, which did not evoke any emotional memories, did not influence the respondents' perceptions of the overall quality of services rendered.Research limitations/implicationsEmotional reactions can direct the attention of consumers to certain service dimensions, and subsequently trigger cognitive evaluations of these dimensions. The emotional and cognitive responses of consumers to services are thus interrelated. More research is needed into the mechanism of this interaction.Practical implicationsService providers should recognise that consumers' emotional and cognitive reactions are intertwined. For providers of aged‐care services, this study suggests certain service dimensions that are worthy of further attention in seeking positive evaluations of services from users.Originality/valuePrevious research has tended to distinguish between emotional and cognitive evaluations of services. This study challenges this distinction by demonstrating that dimensions that have traditionally been viewed as “non‐emotional” can be influenced by “emotional” reactions. Thus, the study shows that “emotional bias” can lead to some dimensions having a disproportionate influence on overall evaluations of service.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe customers' perception of customer support service related to the core service in telecomminucations customer relationships. The customers' perceptions of the support‐service stem from their contacts with the support service and are related to the importance for the relationship with the telecommunications provider.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a modified version of Switching Path Analysis Technique (SPAT) in its analysis to create the necessary data for carrying out a dynamic analysis – in other words customers' experiences of the customer‐support service over time in their relationship with the service provider. The modification, called the SPAT mechanism, only focused on the difference between driving and non‐driving factors related to the relationship strength.FindingsFrom the service perspective it was found that some of the customers in the present study were particularly focused on the customer‐support, which made it dominate the relationships. At that special time, their telecommunications service predominantly comprised customer support, which was more important than the core service. At other times, when the support‐service focus was not as strong, the priority was likely to be different. Consequently, the composition of the telecommunications service and the core service is according to customers' expressions dynamic and only the customer perspective has the authority to define it.Research limitations/implicationsResearch on service has been going on for several decades, and thus offers a great variety of findings from cross‐sectional studies. Therefore, the present study's presentation of only one kind of service could be considered limited.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information on customers' perception of customer support service related to the core service in telecommunications customer relationships.

PurposeThe study was undertaken with a purpose to investigate if any generalization in importance of service quality dimensions is possible. Service providers are often not sure of the amount of tangibilisation necessary and the right mix of other service quality dimensions – reliability, assurance, empathy, responsiveness, and the role of price‐added by researcher.Design/methodology/approachA two stage analysis was deployed. First free listing of important service quality concerns for 16 services across the four service types (as suggested by Lovelock) was done to see if any rank correlation was possible. This was followed by two‐step cluster analysis to reveal natural grouping (or clusters) within a data set for each service quality dimension that would otherwise not be apparent.FindingsGeneralization of quality dimensions was not possible among all types of services taken together, however important insights were available pertaining to each service type.Practical implicationsSome generalizations within the service types were possible for different services. Thus, service providers can consider these finding when designing service delivery.Originality/valueConsidering the two important dimensions – tangibility of service act and whether such an action is targeted at the customer or their possessions, the paper details what service quality issues are important for which service type.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to present a model for values‐based sustainable service business grounded in the concept of values‐based service quality.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review and interpretations of five narratives from a values‐driven company, IKEA, the paper proposes a model of values‐based service quality for sustainable service business.FindingsThe study distinguishes four dimensions of values‐based service quality and five dimensions of sustainability. These are all incorporated in the proposed model.Originality/valueThis is a fundamental study of the role of values‐based service quality in creating sustainable service business based on value‐in‐use for customers and the desirable values of corporate culture with which products and services are associated.

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the relationship between service quality and behavioural purchase intentions in the public‐sector transport industry in Spain.Design/methodology/approachThe study first identifies five distinctive research streams in service quality. An empirical analysis is then carried out in which the SERVPERF scale is adapted to the study of service quality in the public‐sector transport industry. The study then examines the relationship between service quality and purchase intention using an aggregated ordered logit model.FindingsThe findings confirm a relationship between the five dimensions of service quality and purchase intentions.Originality/valueThe study provides a useful guide to research into service quality by identifying five distinctive streams of research on the field. The study also contributes from a methodological perspective by offering a measurement scale for service quality in the public‐sector transport industry. Finally, the study contributes to studies of perceived service quality by providing an aggregated ordered logit model, and by confirming the link between service quality and behavioural intention in a public‐sector context.

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to discuss approaches to decision making used in the emergency services and to relate these to decision making in service encounters in the tourism and leisure sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a conceptual discussion paper that canvasses a range of issues in service encounters, especially the problems of empowerment and service recovery. Although a structured approach to service recovery (often involving 100 per cent guarantees) is popular in the tourism and leisure industry, this precludes spontaneity in solving customers' problems and returning them to a satisfied state. The paper notes that managers have little guidance on how such spontaneity can be effectively accomplished.FindingsThe paper argues that much can be learned from the “naturalistic decision making” (NDM) of emergency decision‐makers. The paper therefore provides an assessment of how NDM could be utilised in the services sector.Practical implicationsTraining frontline staff in NDM is a means of improving service recovery, and this has implications for recruitment, retention, and staff training. It also provides a justification for trusting experienced frontline staff members.Originality/valueThe study offers a different perspective on decision making in service situations.

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the possibility that the typology of a service as well as the operationalization of the service measurement scale may determine the nature of the service quality (SQ) construct and its relationship with those of customer satisfaction (SAT) and behavioral intentions (BI).Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized the service classification scheme developed by Schmenner and concentrated on the mass service category as an example to illustrate the concept with data from retail banking.FindingsConfirmatory factor analysis indicated that “Responsiveness,” “Tangibility,” “Reliability,” “Knowledge,” and “Accessibility” dimensions contribute significantly to service quality. It was further observed that SAT fully mediates the impact of SQ on BI.Research limitations/implicationsA notable limitation is that the present study focuses only on mass service and uses only one industry (retail banking) to illustrate the findings. Future research should examine other service categories.Practical implicationsService managers in the mass service category are recommended to devise operations and marketing strategies that focus on the SQ dimensions which can enhance customer satisfaction and, in turn, foster positive behavioral intentions.Originality/valueThis study presents a methodology for developing an operationizable service quality construct. It demonstrates that SQ, SAT and BI and their interrelationships may be typology‐specific. Thus, two or more industries may exhibit similar relationship characteristics with regard to these constructs, if they belong to the same service category. This knowledge can lead to inter‐industry benchmarking of best practices that can lead to better customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions.

Purpose – This paper aims first, to identify online service attributes that facilitate efficient and effective shopping, purchasing, and delivery based on the modified E‐S‐QUAL scale and, second, to evaluate the extent to which current online retailers provide such service attributes as an objective measure of service performance. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of 111 women's apparel retail web sites was conducted to assess online retailers' performance in providing online service attributes. Findings – The overall extent to which current online retailers provide online service attributes appears to be low. Managerial implications are provided to help online retailers improve their service performance. Originality/value – This study provides an objective way to evaluate online retailers' service performance and thus complement existing online service quality research based on consumer perceptions and evaluation of online service quality. In addition, the coding guide developed in this study provides an easy and practical tool that can be used by online retailers for the self‐assessment of online service performance.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the impact service innovation has on customers' choices within the hotel and leisure industry. The paper also discusses the influence of the creation of new services on both service development and operational strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on a national survey of approximately 1,000 travelers in the United States, using a web‐based data acquisition approach. The travelers are segmented by reason of travel (business or leisure), and discrete choice analysis is applied to model customer preferences for various hotel service innovations.FindingsOverall, the study finds that service innovation does matter when guests are selecting a hotel, with type of lodging having the largest impact on a customer's hotel choice. In addition, service innovation is found to have a larger influence on choices when guests are staying at economy hotels rather than mid‐range to up‐scale hotels. Also, leisure travelers were found to be more influenced by innovative amenities such as childcare programs and in‐room kitchenettes than business travelers.Practical implicationsThe understanding of customers' choices allows managers to better design their service offerings and formulate corresponding operational strategies around customer needs.Originality/valueThis paper examines the addition of innovation to the hotel service concept and is an excellent tool for managers deciding on which innovations to implement.

PurposeThis paper focuses on six change management issues that address quality management practices in the service sector, difficulty in taking a holistic approach to total quality management (TQM) implementation in the service environment, and the challenges of delivering organizational reform through TQM.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a quasi‐qualitative case study methodology. Twenty service companies from health care, insurance, consulting, and banking and financial services were studied over a period of two years to assess their change management practices for implementing TQM.FindingsThe findings point to a less than total implementation of TQM in the studied companies. Among other issues, unrealistic expectations of employee commitment, absence of process focus, lack of organization around information flow, holes in education and training, and failure to create a continuous improvement culture contributed significantly towards failure. More successful companies focused on avoiding these potholes with strong leadership that emphasized strategic and tactical planning.Research limitations/implicationsBased on one successful company, the study provides a guideline for successful TQM implementation in a service setting. However, with only one successful company, it would be difficult to generalize to other companies unless future research investigates other successful companies in similar industries, similar economic environment, and market conditions.Originality/valueThe value of the paper lies in the lessons learned that when real and actual approaches to change management follow academic models and techniques of change management, the ability to develop and implement organization‐wide change progresses more smoothly.

PurposeProposes to provide practicing managers and academic researchers with a framework that will help them to understand better the nature of domestic inter‐cultural service encounters.Design/methodology/approachSocial identity theory is used to demonstrate how salient identity cues such as physiognomy, linguistic, and behavioral differences are likely to influence customer expectations during initial and subsequent encounters between domestic customers and culturally distant service providers.FindingsThe framework developed, and the associated propositions, provide practicing managers with insights into how domestic service customers are likely to respond to domestic inter‐cultural service encounters.Practical implicationsDomestic intercultural service encounters have special practical implications for staffing policy and training requirements in service organizations (e.g. there may be ethical and legal challenges for service organizations that refuse to hire service providers unless they can demonstrate competence in the domestic language, customs, etc., or because of visible salient cultural identity cues).Originality/valueExisting service encounter frameworks do not address the role that cultural identity plays in service exchange relationships. The value of this paper is that it uses cultural identity theory to extend an existing model that examines the nature and determinants of customer expectations of service. This extension enhances managers' understanding of service exchange relationships.

PurposeProposes developing a conceptual model that can be used in understanding the relationships between sustaining structures that support the total quality service (TQS) philosophy and customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachIntegrating the SERVQUAL instrument and other work in the service quality literature, especially the Deming management model, this paper develops a model for understanding the interactions between customer satisfaction and sustaining structures.FindingsThis conceptual paper develops three constructs: leadership, organizational culture and employee commitment, which are very important in achieving total quality service objectives. The proposed model links these three constructs with business processes and total quality service.Research limitations/ implicationsIt is not an empirical investigation of customer satisfaction and sustaining structures. The paper does not review in detail the impact of the three constructs on business processes. A researcher who plans to do a customer satisfaction study could benefit from the proposed model as it will provide valuable insights about the interactions between customer satisfaction and sustaining structures.Originality/valueThis paper provides an important conceptual framework for evaluating the relationships between customer satisfaction and sustaining structures.

PurposeThe paper aims to develop a technique that considers competition using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) framework to measure service quality.Design/methodology/approachThe present study adapted the AHP methodology to the measurement of service quality, involving five steps – referred to as “analytical hierarchy process for service quality” (“AHP‐SQ”). Subsequently, the authors demonstrate how the technique can be applied to the fast‐food restaurants.FindingsThe AHP‐SQ approach described in this study thus assists management to devise and maintain a relevant, competitive plan for ongoing improvements in service quality. Specifically, such analysis enables the following questions to be addressed: “How does the firm perform in terms of service quality in relation to its competitors?”; “Given the firm's resources, which service initiatives will enhance its service competitiveness?”; “Which service areas require immediate improvement?”; “How should the firm's service improvement be prioritized?”, and “What opportunities exist for service improvement in relation to the competition?”Research limitations/implicationsIt would be important to consider the “right” dimensions of service quality that are relevant to the respective industry. It would also be essential to collect responses from customers who have utilized the services of the focal firm as well as its competitors in order to have an accurate opinion.Practical implicationsThe framework proposed here allows management to address two main issues pertaining to its competitive advantage: establishing its performance ranking in the marketplace; and identifying the service elements that most require improvement.Originality/valueThe paper develops a cohesive approach to help managers identify which reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, responsiveness (RATER) service dimensions require attention to create a sustainable competitive advantage. It offers a “bigger picture” in service‐quality management.

PurposeA fundamental aim of the service management discourse is the transformation of the culture of organisations to a culture of consistent and coherent service excellence. The aim of this paper is to analyse the possibility and plausibility of such changes.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on data from a two‐and‐a‐half‐year study of the introduction of service management initiatives at the public hospital in the county of Värmland in Sweden. Interviews and participant observation are used to gather data. Sensemaking theory is adopted to evaluate the change of service culture.FindingsIt is concluded that the programme of service management reform studied here creates heterogeneous and conflicting cultures, rather than the culture of coherent and consistent service excellence that it was supposed to produce.Research limitations/implicationsThe study suggests that a shift in focus from “prescription” to “description” is required in research into service culture.Practical implicationsService organisations are multi‐faceted – thus rendering cultural engineering ineffective. The creation of shared meaning in a common, consistent, and coherent service culture is therefore not usually possible. Managers should concentrate on understanding the culture of their organisations, rather than attempting to change that culture.Originality/valueThe paper investigates an attempt to create service culture. Such a study has not been undertaken in previous research.

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of internal processes of service quality recovery for an international airline.Design/methodology/approachAn action research methodology was adopted. The research involved: a review of available service quality literature; the identification of causes of failure/errors within the host company; the development of key lessons and management guidelines.FindingsIt is argued that, for service recovery to be effective, it must be external (to the customer) as well as internal (to the organisation). The need to incorporate employees and not overlook their significance, power and influence on the delivery of quality service is highlighted. Through comparison with another airline the findings re‐assert that service quality excellence can only be achieved through employee satisfaction, commitment and loyalty as a result of senior management commitment, focus and drive.Research limitations/implicationsThe methodology applied was appropriate, generating data to facilitate discussion and from which to draw specific conclusions. A perceived limitation is the single case approach; however, Remenyi argues that this can be enough to add to the body of knowledge. For further investigation, there is an ongoing opportunity for future research in the area of service quality, failure and recovery, as well as the service quality gaps within the airline.Practical implicationsKey lessons and management guidelines for improving service quality are presented.Originality/valueThe paper describes how an international airline has tangible service quality failure and recovery systems in place, but fails to capitalise on the data and information generated.

PurposeThe aim of this article is to contribute to widening the scope of service quality by focusing on dimensions beyond cognitive assessment. The focus is on the role of customers’ emotions in service experiences.Design/methodology/approachThe article first discusses the service concept and implications for service quality. It then focuses on the role of customer experiences, and then discusses the role of emotions in service quality.FindingsThe paper presents six propositions related to service experiences when consuming services and the role of emotions in customer‐perceived service quality.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to widening the scope of service quality by focusing on dimensions beyond cognitive assessment.

PurposeTo provide a perspective on the nature of service infusion in manufacturing companies based on a case analysis in the context of a maintenance management solution for industrial production equipment.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first discusses how manufacturers becoming service providers is treated in the literature. Next, a qualitative single‐case study is reported, in which a troublesome business concept was surveyed through 35 thematic focus group interviews. The analysis revealed a set of challenges that were compared to arrive at a conclusion, the paradox.FindingsThe findings suggest that many challenges stemmed from the manufacturing‐oriented way of doing business. This further indicates that the common implicit view, that manufacturers can shift to service provision steadily, by adding service offerings to their total offering one by one, may actually be hazardous.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations are based on the methodology. First, the case study focuses on only one manufacturing company, and therefore the aim of the paper is not to generalize the findings. On the other hand, the data collected for the case are rich and in‐depth in nature, and the brief reporting can only cover the tip of the iceberg. Yet, even one divergent case yields for questioning the existing beliefs, which is the aim of this study.Originality/valueThe paper provides an original perspective to this topical, but under‐studied, phenomenon of manufacturers increasingly providing service offerings, and brings into daylight the implicit tone of the existing research.

This research documents the requisite skills for business‐to‐business service representatives. Using job observation and group interviews, a list of 28 potential service skills was developed and placed into a questionnaire format. Experienced service representatives rated the importance of these skills for job success, yielding a complex ability profile. These abilities dovetail with previous work discussing service provider characteristics, yet offer a more detailed and behaviorally oriented view of the worker skills that ensure effective service encounters. Implications for understanding service demands and staffing a workforce with the skills needed to deliver quality service are discussed.

Studies of the construct of service quality have traditionally been undertaken from the perspective of the service receiver. More recently, research has focused on both the service provider's perspective and the service receiver's perspective. In addition, there have also been some triadic network approaches to the study of service quality. However, there has been very little research into sequential service quality in service‐encounter chains (that is, consecutive service performances in a series of service encounters). The incorporation of connected service encounters in services management can improve understanding of sequential service quality in service‐encounter chains. This paper provides a customized construct of sequential service quality and highlights the importance of time, context, and performance threshold in service‐encounter chains. Furthermore, the paper presents a generic five‐phase performance process, and a customized six‐dimensional construct of sequential service quality.

Service organisations still struggle with the adoption of a road to excellence. Evidence exists that processes and systems in service organisations are not always as advanced as in manufacturing organisations. Adding a quality smile to the face of the service provider will not solve the problems that are caused by defects in the underlying work processes and systems. Attention to the hardware in service organisations, i.e. to the service design, should instead create a more reliable process flow and time for service staff to develop improvement activities and spend more time with customers. The way service organisations began to take excellence seriously was by making their processes transparent, eliminating undesired steps and deleting loops. In this paper the focus is on expanding this approach by adding information systems and information sources into a process map. This seems to be a promising approach for small and medium‐sized service organisations, without having to invest in expensive and rigid business process automation.

This paper develops a customer‐oriented service model for the public sector. Although customer‐oriented service models have become popular since 1980, most studies have been restricted to the private sector. In addition, they have emphasised the management of service operations rather than system design. This paper proposes a customer‐oriented service‐enhancement system (COSES) for the public sector. The model employs two dimensions: design and management of a customer‐oriented service system; and the fostering of organizational service culture. In this COSES model, the best practices of public agencies are empirically examined with respect to: the types of customer‐oriented service activities that can be developed; and how they can be developed.

While recovering from service failures is often viewed as an operational concern, service providers can also adopt a strategic and conceptual service vision for managing their service recovery. This paper discusses how the management of service failures can be utilised as a catalyst to effectively initiate organization‐wide learning and can serve as a reflection of the firm's market orientation to enhance value. Failure‐recovery, at its inception, acts as an external‐to‐internal trigger that initiates numerous changes (innovations) – operational changes, strategic changes and conceptual changes. These changes guide the implementation of various value enhancing innovations throughout the entire organization and positively affect the firm's service vision and mission.

This paper sheds some light on the debate about the extent of use of IT in services, in this case in banking. In such a competitive sector where quality of service can be a differentiator in the marketplace, the balance between personal interaction and technologically delivered services must be right if customers are to be retained over time. Research was carried out in Scotland to elicit the views of personal bank customers, business customers and bank staff with respect to the use of different banking technologies. Findings point towards the need for a balanced approach that avoids over use of technology at the expense of the personal approach to service delivery and towards the need to provide customers with some technological training rather than assuming they will automatically accept technology and make use of it.

Although the performance of services is done at an operative level, service is an important issue for the strategic, tactical, and operative business activities of companies. This paper examines the construct of interactive service quality in service encounters. This is a complex approach that goes beyond the current exploration of the service‐quality construct. Interactive service quality requires the simultaneous consideration of the service provider's perspective and the service receiver's perspective. The study was conducted in the Swedish automotive industry and focused on the issues of interactive service quality between a vehicle manufacturer and a selection of its most important suppliers. The major contributions of the research provide an on‐the‐spot account of interactive service quality. The paper provides theoretical and managerial implications of the construct of interactive service quality in service encounters.

Some organisations are becoming more concerned with delighting their customers than simply satisfying them. Yet despite an extensive literature on service quality and satisfaction little has been written about service excellence and how organisations can achieve delighted customers. The purpose of this exploratory but empirically based paper is to provide a definition of service excellence to help marketers and managers, where appropriate, design and deliver it. This paper is based on over 400 statements of excellent and poor service gathered from around 150 respondents. After categorising them, using a grounded theory approach, it is suggested that service excellence is about being “easy to do business with”. This has four key elements: delivering the promise, providing a personal touch, going the extra mile and resolving problems well. Further analysis of the frequencies of mention revealed the overarching importance of dealing well with problems and queries.

Service quality is argued to be a crucial success factor for application service providers (ASPs), but yet an empirically validated instrument for measuring the service quality of ASP vendors needs to be developed. This paper aimed to fill in this gap. After synthesising previous literature on the service quality construct within the context of IS, e‐commerce, ICT outsourcing and ASP effectiveness, the paper proposes a set of dimensions and model for measuring ASP service quality. The model is tested by surveying and analysing data from Greek companies using ASP for developing and maintaining their Web stores. Directions for future research, as well as suggestions for improving the practices of ASP suppliers and users’ are also provided.

While market theorists have devoted a great deal of effort to the conceptualization of service quality, the practical guidance available to service providers continues to be very limited. Utilizing the emerging role of a new marketing entity, the retail electric service provider, as an illustration, the article discusses how data envelopment analysis might be used to analyze service quality at the retail service level. Specific dimensions thought to influence consumers’ perceptions of the quality of retail electric energy services are identified, and the potential use of data envelopment analysis as a diagnostic tool for effective management of service quality by retail electric service providers is demonstrated. Generalization to different types of service providers is suggested. Empirical studies to develop practical guidance along this line of analysis are encouraged.

Service quality is widely accepted as one of the key determinants of online retailers' success. This exploratory study identified four key dimensions of online service quality as perceived by two groups of Internet users, online buyers and information searchers. The derived dimensions were: Web site design/content, trustworthiness, prompt/reliable service, and communication. This study also revealed that there were significant differences between these two Internet user groups regarding their perceptions on the identified dimensions. Furthermore, this research found that all of the four dimensions significantly influenced online buyers' evaluation of overall online service quality, while only three dimensions, Web site design/content, trustworthiness, and communication, had a significant impact on information searchers' assessment of overall online service quality. Managerial implications and recommendations are also presented.

The article considers the applicability of traditional attitude and other constructs in service quality research. It is suggested that the effects of perceived service quality may be masked by non‐linear relationships and under‐identified explanatory models. Constructs that might assist researchers and practitioners improve their service quality research and strategies are identified.

Focuses on customer expectations on service guarantees. Theoretically, the basis consists of previous guidelines for service guarantee design. The empirical context is public transport, where customers that have invoked a service guarantee participate in focus groups. The results expand on prior research, which has argued that negative industry reputation is a hotbed for service guarantees and that the most preferred guarantee is unconditional; the paper’s results imply that customers prefer detailed regulations for when the guarantee is applicable, and that their general disbelief in a company with negative reputation makes the unconditional guarantee seem like a rip off. The results also indicate that the customers of a public service want the guarantee to be fair, that is, fairness in the possibility for all customers to invoke the guarantee, that all customers are familiar with the guarantee and that it cannot be misused by cheating customers. One of the contributions of the article is therefore to add “fairness” as a dimension to the previous guidelines suggested by Hart.

Generally, the article provides a fundament beyond the state‐of‐the‐art construct of service quality. In particular, the content is dedicated to the construct of interactive service quality in service encounters. Interactive service quality in a service encounter requires the simultaneous consideration of the service provider’s and service receiver’s perspectives. Furthermore, it also demands the consideration of both the service provider’s and the service receiver’s expectations and perceptions in a service encounter. The theoretical contribution is a generic conceptual framework of interactive service quality in service encounters consisting of the service continuum, the service cycle, and an interactivity model. The managerial contribution is a model of the invisibility dilemma of a service offer, the features of interactive service quality and an application model of interactive service quality in service encounters. Suggestions for further research are also proposed.