Service Quality Grounded in Customer Experiences, Affect and Relationships

So far the focus in research on service quality has been mainly on the cognitive dimensions and on quality factors linked to service episodes and critical incidents. However, there is a need to go beyond cognitive assessment (Edvardsson 2005). Quality of service has been defined and measured as the outcome of expected service compared to perceived service as delivered (Brady/Cronin 2001; Parasuraman et al. 1991). “According to the customer-oriented point of view, high service quality is given and received if the expectations of the customers, with respect to the relevant quality attributes, are fulfilled or more than fulfilled. In the supplier-oriented point of view, quality is given if the expectations of the supplier, regarding the fulfillment of defined performance standards, are met” (Stauss/Mang 1999, p. 331). This approach emphasizes cognitive assessment but does not explicitly pay attention to emotions. Furthermore, it is not clear what is meant by service, nor is the relationship context emphasized.