Foreign or domestic: who provides better customer service?

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Poddar ◽  
Timucin Ozcan ◽  
Ramana Kumar Madupalli
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Service Excellence ◽  
Customer Evaluations ◽  
Interaction Factors ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Service Representative

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of customer service employees’ (CSEs) competence and service recovery outcomes on service evaluations of foreign and domestic CSEs. Design/methodology/approach – Three experiments were conducted to test and validate the proposed hypotheses. The participants were told a cover story that they were either listening to (Study 2) or reading (Studies 1 and 3) a real conversation between a customer service representative of a bank and a customer and the authors wanted their views about the service encounter. While country of origin (COO) and competency were common independent variables across three studies, Study 2 included service recovery with a full refund and Study 3 had both full and partial refund and apology offered or not. Findings – Results from three experiments show that while competent CSEs are evaluated the same, regardless of their COO, the domestic CSE is evaluated more negatively than the foreign CSE when both are incompetent. The authors also find that when competent CSEs deliver no service recovery, the foreign CSE evaluations are significantly lower than the domestic one. Study 3 results show that this effect is mediated by participants’ ethnocentric beliefs. Research limitations/implications – For implications, this study provides a deeper understanding of the role of COO in services contexts. Future researchers can utilize the findings to investigate the important role that expectations play in determining service excellence and how it affects the COO effect. Practical implications – The paper provides managers in both offshoring client and provider firms with an understanding of the effects of offshoring on employee evaluations. It discusses the relevance/irrelevance of COO on the customer evaluations of service employees. Originality/value – The study investigates an under researched phenomenon – offshoring of services. This paper is one of the few looking at the role of different interaction factors, such as competence, recovery on service evaluations.

Does transformational leadership always matter in frontline service roles?

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keo Mony Sok ◽  
Phyra Sok ◽  
Lan Snell ◽  
Pingping Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
High Level ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of frontline service employees (FSEs) motivation (enjoyment of work and driven to work) and ability (customer service ability) in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance. Design/methodology/approach This is a survey-based study which involves 534 FSEs and 135 supervisors in a hair salon setting. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Results show that TFL is significantly related to employee service performance; this relationship is enhanced with the presence of driven to work; yet, it is neutralized with the presence of enjoyment of work. Further, the three-way interaction of TFL, enjoyment of work and customer service ability as well as TFL driven to work, and customer service ability are negatively associated with employee service performance. Practical implications The results advance service managers’ understanding of the importance of FSEs motivation and ability if they are to fully reap the benefits from their FSEs. The role of leader is not always effective in all situations. FSEs with high level of enjoyment of work and customer service ability would least rely on the guidance and support from the supervisors. Originality/value This research is one of the first to examine the role of subordinate’s characteristics (motivation – enjoyment of work and driven to work and ability – customer service ability) as the key moderators in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance.

Role of brand attachment in customers’ evaluation of service failure

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Luis Saavedra Torres ◽  
Monika Rawal ◽  
Ramin Bagherzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coping Tactics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of brand attachment as a relevant construct in customers’ evaluation after they face a service failure which impacts future consumer behaviors. It mainly answers the research question: does brand attachment cushion or amplify the effect of service failure on customers’ negative emotions? Design/methodology/approach A 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design was conducted. Data analysis was performed with ANOVA and moderated mediation. Findings Customer’s feelings toward a brand (brand attachment) that existed before a service failure occurred can regulate customer’s negative emotions especially when consumer attribute service failure to a controllable cause. This process minimizes the effect of service failure in customer’s satisfaction and consequently increase customer behaviors like word of mouth and loyalty intentions. Research limitations/implications Adding perceived intentionality as a service failure’s attribution could provide another layer of explanation of customer behavior. Also, an expanded study using a sector characterized by higher cost of change and permanent consumption could provide result’s generalizability. Practical implications Brand attachment should be included in the customer service strategy. In a service failure situation, brand attachment becomes part of the “service customer policy” helping customers to regulate their negative emotions. Originality/value This study fills the knowledge gap regarding the role of customers’ positive emotions toward brands when a service failure occurs. The current study extends branding literature by differentiating brand attachment role from coping tactics.

Employee revenge against uncivil customers

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 636-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akanksha Bedi ◽  
Aaron C.H. Schat
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Service Employee ◽  
Blame Attribution ◽  
Blame Attributions ◽  
Attributions Of Blame ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to examine the relations between service employee blame attributions in response to customer incivility and revenge desires and revenge behavior toward customers, and whether employee empathy moderated these relations. Design/methodology/approach The authors used survey data based on the critical incident method provided by a sample of 431 customer service employees. Findings The results suggested that blaming a customer was positively associated with desire for revenge and revenge behaviors against the uncivil customer. In addition, the authors found that blame was less strongly associated with desire for revenge when employees empathized with customers. Finally, the results show that an employee who desired revenge against the uncivil customer and who empathized with the customer was more – not less – likely to engage in revenge. Practical implications The authors found that when employees experience mistreatment from customers, it increases the likelihood that they will blame the offending customer and behave in ways that are contrary to their organization’s interests. The results suggest several points of intervention for organizations to more effectively respond to customer mistreatment. Originality/value In this study, the authors make one of the first attempts to investigate the relationships between service employee attributions of blame when they experience customer incivility, desire for revenge and customer-directed revenge behaviors. The authors also examined whether empathy moderates the relations between blame attribution, desires for revenge and revenge behavior.

scholarly journals Cybersecurity advocates: discovering the characteristics and skills of an emergent role

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M. Haney ◽  
Wayne G. Lutters
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Interpersonal Skills ◽  
Career Progression ◽  
Service Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Cybersecurity advocates safeguard their organizations by promoting security best practices. This paper aims to describe the skills and characteristics of successful advocates. Design/methodology/approach This study involved 28 in-depth interviews of cybersecurity advocates. Findings Effective advocates possess not only technical acumen but also interpersonal skills, communication skills context awareness and a customer service orientation. Practical implications Non-technical skills are deemphasized in cybersecurity training, limiting career progression into the cybersecurity advocate role for existing security professionals and those from other disciplines. This paper suggests improvements for professional development that encourage greater security workforce diversity. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to define and enumerate competencies for the role of cybersecurity advocate.

The determinants of service recovery in the retail industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Crabbe ◽  
Moses Acquaah
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Service Orientation ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Behavioral Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Excellence ◽  
And Training

Purpose – Service recovery strategies are efforts used by organizations to bring back dissatisfied customers to a state of satisfaction with the organization. It has been argued that successful service recovery by organizations is dependent on the effectiveness of front line employees. The purpose of this paper is to examine a model of service recovery performance (SRP) of front line employees in the retail industry in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses personally administered survey data collected from 136 employees in 20 micro and small retail enterprises in Ghana. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis is used to test the direct and interactive effects of organizational variables such as perceived managerial attitudes and work environment factors on the SRP of front line employees. Findings – The findings indicate that the SRP is influenced by employee empowerment, interaction between customer service orientation and empowerment, interaction between customer service orientation and training for customer service excellence, and the interaction between empowerment and training for customer service excellence. Research limitations/implications – Focussing only on the antecedents of SRP, and using cross-sectional data based on the self-assessments of the front line employees from one country. Practical implications – Empowering front line employees to deal with service failures should be combined with training them in job related and behavioral skills to attend to the needs of customers. Moreover, it is critical to combine perceived customer service orientation with training front line employees in job related and behavioral skills. Originality/value – First study to examine the antecedents of SRP of front line employees in a sub-Saharan African environment. Moreover, study examines the interactive effects of organizational and work environment variables on SRP.

“It’s not worth the effort”! Examining service recovery in Airbnb and other homesharing platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 2991-3014
Author(s):  
Makarand Amrish Mody ◽  
Lu Lu ◽  
Lydia Hanks
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Equity Theory ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Recovery Effort

Purpose This paper aims to use equity theory to develop and test a model of the dynamics of service recovery in the homesharing context. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of those who have experienced a service failure with a homesharing company and have voiced complaints to the company directly, the study adopted alternative model comparison procedures to test three competing models of service recovery and examined the effects of five moderating variables. Findings The results indicated that the model based on equity theory provides a theoretically and empirically superior explanation of the dynamics of service recovery in the homesharing context than the alternative explanation based on the tenets of justice theory. The two key inputs into the service recovery interaction – consumer complaining and recovery effort and trust in brand – have significant direct effects on post-failure loyalty outcomes, and also significant indirect effects via the mediating mechanism of perceived justice. All five moderators have significant effects for at least one of the post-failure loyalty outcomes. Research limitations/implications The findings emphasize the company’s role in service recovery in the homesharing context. Managers of homesharing platforms need to establish customer service infrastructure that minimizes the amount of time-related, procedural and cognitive effort that customers need to expend in the recovery process, and effect communication that enhances trust in the homesharing brand. Future research is needed on the dynamics of service recovery in alternative hotel-homesharing business models, and on the role of value co-creation in the homesharing context. Originality/value This study is the first to create a holistic theory-based model of the dynamics of service recovery in the homesharing context, using the novel construct of customer complaining and recovery effort. Also, and contrary to typical conceptualization, it demonstrates the role of trust in brand as an antecedent input into the recovery interaction that can generate loyalty outcomes.

Exploring the promise of e-tablet restaurant menus

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanth Beldona ◽  
Nadria Buchanan ◽  
Brian L. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Order Information ◽  
Relative Efficacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to determine the relative efficacy of an e-tablet menu over the traditional paper-based menu across the parameters of order information quality, menu usability, and ordering satisfaction using customer perceptions. Design/methodology/approach – Two types of data were collected: customer perceptions using an instrument comprising academically underpinned constructs and observational data that involved ordering times, logs of any customization requests, and notes gathered from interactions with restaurant staff. Findings – Findings indicate that e-tablet menus are significantly superior to the traditional paper-based menu across all parameters. Restaurateurs should be cognizant of customization options to significantly enhance order information quality, improve customer service and boost sales. Research limitations/implications – The findings support the idea that the use of technology does help to enhance the service experience, specifically the ordering experience for the customer. Practical implications – Electronic tablets have the ability to transfer greater levels of information in an interactive manner thereby enhancing the role of the menu in the merchandising of a restaurant's offerings. Originality/value – Although there is evidence of the importance of restaurant menus to the success of restaurants, little is known about the influence of the use of electronic menus on the ordering experience. This study provides findings that focus on the usability of menus and their impact on the ordering experience.

Factors affecting service recovery performance and customer service employees

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 898-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shishi Kumar Piaralal ◽  
Muhammad Awais Bhatti ◽  
Niriender Kumar Piaralal ◽  
Ariff Syah Juhari
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Life Insurance ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Affective Organizational Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Service Recovery Performance

Purpose Service recovery is very important to the insurance industry; it helps to maintain clients, it is a crucial competitive advantage for business survival and it adds value for the organization’s continued future. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing service recovery performance (SRP) of customer service employees in the life insurance industry from three dimensions; organizational (customer service orientation and top management commitment), human resource management (rewards, training, teamwork and empowerment) and personal (affective organizational commitment, role ambiguity, role conflict and emotional exhaustion). This study also investigated job satisfaction and the intent to resign. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires from 350 customer service staff employed by life insurance companies in the Northern region of Peninsular Malaysia by using a convenience sampling technique. Data were analyzed using multiple regressions. Findings The findings indicated that customer service orientation, training, empowerment, affective organizational commitment, role stressors and emotional exhaustion influenced staff’s SRP. The findings also showed that SRP influenced job satisfaction and intention to resign. Practical implications The research advances understanding of the influence of organizational, personal and human resource management factors on SRP and result constructs, namely, turnover intentions and job satisfaction. The researchers in Malaysia can use this model for future research in a service sector fields such as banking, retailing and hospitality to replicate and compare this finding. For practitioners especially the managers in insurance services providers can take actions and formulate proper strategies for customer service employees to deliver high level of performance in order to satisfied customer and continue stay in the organizations. Originality/value Very little attention has been given to examine the impact of human resource, personal and organizational factors on SRP and the influence of SRP on result constructs, namely, job satisfaction and intention to resign in the life insurances area. Furthermore applying equity theory especially in the SRP area was not given fully attention.

Secure or fearful, who will be more resentful? Investigating the interaction between regulatory focus and attachment style

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melika Kordrostami ◽  
Elika Kordrostami
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Prevention Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of consumers’ individual differences on their reactions to brand failure. Design/methodology/approach Three studies (one qualitative, one survey and one experiment) were conducted. Study 1 aimed to understand consumers’ thoughts at the time of brand failure. Studies 2 and 3 investigated the impact of regulatory focus and its interaction with consumers’ attachment style on their reactions to brand failure. Findings This research establishes that consumers demonstrate different types of behaviors at the time of brand failure. Specifically, those with a promotion focus display less negative (revenge and brand avoidance) and more positive (trust and loyalty) behavior than those with a prevention focus. Furthermore, this research shows an interaction between consumers’ attachment style and regulatory focus. The impact of regulatory focus holds only for secure consumers; for fearful consumers, regulatory focus does not change their behavior. Research limitations/implications The study reveals the impact of regulatory focus and attachment styles on consumer behavior at the time of brand failure. Future research might examine the impact of these factors over time, rather than only at the time of the incident. Practical implications Marketers should be aware of the impact of attachment style and regulatory focus after a brand failure. This knowledge will enable them to customize their communication tools to trigger their desired condition. This research also emphasizes the role of customer service at the time of crisis. Originality/value This research is the first to investigate the impact of regulatory focus and attachment style on consumers’ reactions to brand failure.

Old wine in a new bottle: customer orientation in librarianship

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Matteson ◽  
Cynthia Boyden
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Original Contribution ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to explore the research on the personality trait of customer orientation (CO) and consider how it may be applicable to customer service work in libraries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews business research literature on CO and relates it to library science literature on customer service. Findings – CO is a measurable personality trait that is shown to predict customer service behaviors in service employees. Research also shows that CO is associated with customers’ perceptions of service quality. Practical implications – Libraries should prioritize CO in their hiring, training and recognition processes. Originality/value – CO is a well-researched personality trait in the business literature. The original contribution of this paper is to report the research on customer orientation, relate it to similar concepts in librarianship and suggest ways libraries can integrate an awareness of CO in their human resources processes.

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