The Impact of Variability of Front-Line Service Employees on the Customer Perceptions of Service Quality

2014 ◽  
pp. 424-424
Author(s):  
Emre Ulusoy
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Building Customer Loyalty in Intercultural Service Encounters: The Role of Service Employees’ Cultural Intelligence

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas G. Paparoidamis ◽  
Huong Thi Thanh Tran ◽  
Constantinos N. Leonidou
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Cultural Intelligence ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
The Impact

Intercultural service encounters, in which customers and service employees from different cultures interact, are becoming more common in the market. Despite the importance of such encounters for international marketers, limited research attention has been directed to this area. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study examines how frontline employees’ cultural intelligence (CQ) influences customer loyalty outcomes of service quality perceptions. Specifically, the authors propose that the three components of CQ—cognitive, emotional/motivational, and physical—have differential moderating effects on the perceived service quality (PSQ)–customer loyalty link and that these effects vary across two national markets. Data collected with a multirespondent (i.e., frontline service employees and customers) cross-cultural research design indicate that cognitive CQ negatively mitigates the impact of PSQ on customer loyalty in an emerging-market context while emotional/motivational CQ has a positive moderating effect in a mature-market setting. When service employees have high physical CQ, the positive role of PSQ in creating and maintaining customer loyalty is strengthened in both markets. The authors discuss these implications for theory and practice.

scholarly journals Consumer ethnocentrism vs. intercultural competence as moderators in intercultural service encounters

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piyush Sharma ◽  
Zhan Wu
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Distance ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Perceived Cultural Distance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism and intercultural competence on the impact of service outcome and perceived cultural distance, respectively, on interaction comfort and perceived service quality in intercultural service encounters. Design/methodology/approach – A 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design with university students was used, using service encounter scenarios to manipulate service outcome (failure or success) and photos of service employees to manipulate perceived cultural distance (low vs high). Findings – As hypothesized, the impact of service outcome on interaction comfort and perceived service quality is moderated negatively by consumer ethnocentrism, whereas the impact of perceived cultural distance is moderated positively by intercultural competence. Research limitations/implications – An experimental design using imaginary service scenarios was used in a single service context (i.e. restaurant) with university students as participants, which may restrict the generalizability of our findings. Practical implications – Managers in service firms with multicultural customers should try to recruit service employees with high intercultural competence and low consumer ethnocentrism. They should also develop employee training programs that help minimize the adverse impact of these variables on interaction comfort and service quality in intercultural service encounters. Originality/value – This paper extends prior research by exploring the moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism and intercultural competence on the direct and indirect effects of service outcome and perceived cultural distance on interaction comfort, service quality and satisfaction.

scholarly journals THE INFLUENCE OF PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION ON CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS OF ACCOUNTING SERVICES QUALITY AND RETENTION DECISIONS

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 753-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Zaman Groff ◽  
Sergeja Slapničar ◽  
Neža Štumberger
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Services Quality ◽  
Professional Qualification ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Quality Dimensions ◽  
Service Quality Dimensions ◽  
Retention Decisions ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether professional qualification in- creases the quality of accounting services as perceived by the customers. We advance the measurement of service quality by industry-specific indicators and establish four dimen- sions of accounting service quality. We analyse the impact of professional qualification on these dimensions of quality and the impact of these dimensions on customers’ retention decisions. The analysis is based on survey data of 237 Slovenian small and micro firms that outsource accounting. We find that professional qualification is positively associated with only one of the perceived service quality dimensions – accounting competences – and only assurance, responsiveness and reliability and empathy are positively associated with customers’ retention decisions. Limitations of the study are attributed to the measure- ment of service quality as perceived by the customers. However, this is the only factor of choice that ultimately counts in the competitive market for accounting services.

scholarly journals An empirical investigation of customer intentions influenced by service quality using the mediation of emotional and cognitive responses

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Ahmad Alsaggaf ◽  
Abraham Althonayan
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Behavioural Intentions ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of customer perceptions of service quality on electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and switching intentions through cognitive and emotional responses. Design/methodology/approach The authors have developed a theoretical framework based on behavioural theories to analyse the environmental aspects of relationships that affect customer behavioural intentions. The authors adapted a quantitative methodology along with the positivist philosophical approach to investigate the hypotheses within the theoretical framework. The authors applied a protracted stimuli-organism-response model to highlight the peripheral reliability, responsiveness, tangibility, empathy, assurance, and the impact of the customer’s feelings while simultaneously linking the elements to each other. In addition, the authors applied the theory of reasoned action to reflect the marginal elements of subjective norms, attitude, and customers’ behavioural intentions. A survey with 601 responses has been used in this study. Findings In the setting of KSA’s mobile telecom industry, the authors confirm that there is a positive effect of customer perceptions of service quality on their eWOM and switching intentions through their cognitive and emotional responses. Originality/value The framework of this study enhances our understanding of the role of service quality as an environmental influence on an individual’s intentions to switch and eWOM. This conceptual framework is essential in evaluating the mediating roles of attitude and emotions in relation to eWOM and intention to switch.

The impact of disability on guests’ perceptions of service quality delivery in the hospitality industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 3632-3655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentini Kalargyrou ◽  
Nelson A. Barber ◽  
Pei-Jou Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Family Member ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Close Friend ◽  
Controlled Experiment ◽  
Employment Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of employees’ different disability types on lodging guests’ perceptions of service quality delivery and stereotyping. The study also explores the influence of consumer characteristics (i.e. gender, education, religiosity, generational identity and relationship to a person with a disability) on service delivery quality perceptions and stereotyping. Design/methodology/approach Using different types of disabilities, the study uses a controlled experiment, followed by a survey, to evaluate consumers’ perception of service quality delivery of a hotel front office staff member. Findings The results suggest that there are no significant differences in the perceptions of service quality delivery and stereotyping for service employees with disabilities with the exception of employees with a visual impairment. The study found that participants, who had a close friend or family member with a disability, expressed less stereotyping than those who did not have a close friend or family member with a disability. Research limitations/implications Real service encounters can be used where participants might be more involved in the service process than in a controlled experiment setting. Practical implications The findings provide support to human resource management in strategically placing people with disabilities into front-line positions because they satisfactorily represent the image of the company and guests consider their service professional and reliable. Social implications The study’s findings support that employers should tap into the under-utilized workforce of people with disabilities and avoid pre-existing stereotyping. Originality/value A major concern of hospitality companies making employment decisions about hiring people with disabilities is guests’ attitude. This is the first study in hospitality that examines service quality delivery of employees with different types of disability serve guests.

scholarly journals Using SERVQUAL to Assess the Customer Satisfaction Level: A Study of an Urban Cooperative Bank

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Seema Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Satisfaction Level ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Excellent Service ◽  
The Impact

<p><em>The SERVQUAL instrument was developed in 1988 by Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry as a multi-item scale developed to assess customer perceptions of service quality in service industry. Customers judge service quality as low or high depending upon whether the service performance meets their expectation or not. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of service quality of an urban cooperative bank on its customers and to throw light on the satisfaction level of the customers, so that the managers in the organization can improve the quality of the services rendered. Using SERVQUAL tool, five service quality dimensions using two segments in the form of a questionnaire consisting of 22 questions each have been used for the customers. The result shows that the overall perception of the quality of service provided by the bank under study is within the acceptable limit for the five aspects of service quality measured. Nevertheless, difference between the expectation of excellent service quality and perceived service quality throws light on the need for improvement by bridging the customer service gaps in certain areas of service delivery by the bank. Thus the research intends to add to the limited body of knowledge pertaining to the service quality of the bank under study.</em></p>

Face Forward: How Employees’ Digital Presence on Service Websites Affects Customer Perceptions of Website and Employee Service Quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 917-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Herhausen ◽  
Oliver Emrich ◽  
Dhruv Grewal ◽  
Petra Kipfelsberger ◽  
Marcus Schoegel
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Quality Perceptions

Confronted with increasing digitalization, service firms are challenged to sustain customer loyalty. A promising means to do so is to leverage the digital presence of service employees on their website. A large-scale field study and several experimental studies show that the digital presence of service employees on the firm website increases current website service quality perceptions and positively shapes memories related to employee service quality perceptions from past service encounters. Both effects indirectly increase customer loyalty and, in turn, financial performance, and are amplified by employee accessibility and a service firm’s customer orientation. The authors examine further boundary conditions for the memory process: only service employees evoke the beneficial spillover effect to employee service quality perceptions, and the spillover effect does not generalize to evaluations of product quality. Remarkably, an employee’s digital presence, although factually unrelated, augments customer perceptions of service employees’ competence and commitment and thus strengthens rather than erodes service employees’ role in customer–firm relationships. Theoretical and managerial implications deepen the understanding of how to add a human touch to digital channels.

scholarly journals Replaced by a Robot: Service Implications in the Age of the Machine

2020 ◽  
pp. 109467052093335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fraser McLeay ◽  
Victoria Sophie Osburg ◽  
Vignesh Yoganathan ◽  
Anthony Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Service Provider ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Service Robots ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Self Service ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Frontline Service

Service organizations, emboldened by the imperative to innovate, are increasingly introducing robots to frontline service encounters. However, as they augment or substitute human employees with robots, they may struggle to convince a distrusting public of their brand’s ethical credentials. Consequently, this article develops and tests a holistic framework to ascertain a deeper understanding of customer perceptions of frontline service robots (FLSRs) than has previously been attempted. Our experimental studies investigate the effects of the (1) role (augmentation or substitution of human employees or no involvement) and (2) type (humanoid FLSR vs. self-service machine) of FLSRs under the following service contexts: (a) value creation model (asset-builder, service provider) and (b) service type (experience, credence). By empirically establishing our framework, we highlight how customers’ personal characteristics ( openness-to-change and preference for ethical/responsible service provider) and cognitive evaluations ( perceived innovativeness, perceived ethical/societal reputation, and perceived innovativeness-responsibility fit) influence the impact that FLSRs have on service experience and brand usage intent. Our findings operationalize and empirically support seminal frameworks from extant literature, as well as elaborate on the positive and negative implications of using robots to complement or replace service employees. Further, we consider managerial and policy implications for service in the age of machines.

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