Identifying Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers in the Service Encounter

  • Published : 2005.04.01

Abstract

Service attributes are important for customer perceptions of service quality. However, in spite of huge amount of research, the role of service attributes as satisfiers and dissatisfiers in service encounters is not understood well enough. An empirical investigation is conducted concerning a problem resolution service in the telecommunication industry. We use both qualitative and quantitative service performance data to describe and analyze how critical incidents can be used to identify and understand which service attributes are perceived as satisfiers and dissatisfiers. Our study reveals that there is a subset of critical incidents, so called critically critical incidents, which are perceived differently and are different in content compared to critical incidents. These incidents are extremely rich of information and have the possibility to reveal the real satisfiers and dissatisfiers in a service encounter.

Keywords

References

  1. Bejou, D., Edvardsson, B. and Rakowski J. P. 1996, 'A Critical Incident Approach to Examining the Effects of Service Failures on Customer Relationships: the Case of Swedish and U.S Airlines,' Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 1, pp. 35-40
  2. Bitner, M. J., Booms, B. H. and Tetreault M. S. 1990, 'The Service Encounter: Diagnosing Favorable and Unfavorable Incidents,' Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54, January, pp. 71-84 https://doi.org/10.2307/1252174
  3. Bitner, M. J., and Hubbert, A. R. 1994. 'Encounter Satisfaction versus Overall Satisfaction versus Quality'. In. Service Quality New Directions in Theory and Practice, R. T. Rust and R. L. Oliver, eds., SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks
  4. Cadotte, E. R. and Turgeon N. 1988, 'Dissatisfiers and Satisfiers: Suggestions for Consumer Complaints and Compliments', Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Vol. 1, pp. 74-79
  5. Carlzon, J., 1986, Riv pyramiderna, Bonniers, Stockholm (In Swedish)
  6. Edvardsson, B, Strandvik, T, 2000, 'Is a Critical Incident Critical for a Customer Relationship?' Managing Service Quality, Vol. 10. No. 2, pp. 82-91 https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520010318272
  7. Edvardsson, B & Roos, I, 2001, 'Critical incident techniques - towards a framework for analysing the criticality of critical incidents', International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 12, No 3, pp. 251-268 https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000005520
  8. Edvardsson, B, Strandvik, T, 2004, Critical Phases in Customer Relationships, Paper presented at the 3rd Nordic workshop on relationship Dissolution, Kokkulaforsen September 17-19
  9. Flanagan, J. C, 1954, 'The Critical Incident Technique', Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 327-358 https://doi.org/10.1037/h0061470
  10. Friman, M & Edvardsson, B., 2003, 'A Content Analysis of Complaints and Compliments', Managing Service Quality. Vol. 13, No. 1
  11. Gremler, D. D., 2004, 'The Critical Incident Technique in Service Research', Journal of Service Research, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 65-89 https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670504266138
  12. Herzberg, F., Bernard M. and Snyderman B. B. 1959, The Motivation to Work, Wiley, New York
  13. Johnson, M. D. and Fornell, C. 1991. 'A Framework for Comparing Customer Satisfaction across Individuals and Product Categories' Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 12, June, pp. 267-286 https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-4870(91)90016-M
  14. Johnson, M.D. 2001, 'Customer Satisfaction', In. International Encyclopaedia of the Social and Behavioural Sciences, N.J. Smelser and P.B. Baltes (eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam
  15. Johnston, R., 1995, 'The Determinants of Service Quality: Satisfiers and Dissatisfiers,' International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 6, 53-71 https://doi.org/10.1108/09564239510101536
  16. Kano, N., Seraku, N., Takahashi, F. and Tsuji, S. 1984, 'Attractive Quality and Must-Be Quality', The Journal of the Japanese Society for Quality Control, Vol. 14, No. 2, 1984, pp. 39-48
  17. Maddox, N. R 1981, 'Two-factor Theory and Consumer Satisfaction: Replication and Extension,' Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 8, pp. 97-102 https://doi.org/10.1086/208845
  18. Mittal, V., Ross Jr. W.T. and Baldasare, P.M. 1998, 'The asymmetric impact of negative and positive attribute level performance on overall satisfaction and repurchase intentions', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 62, Jan 1998, pp. 33-47 https://doi.org/10.2307/1251801
  19. Normann, R., 1984, Service Management Strategy and leadership in Service Businesses, Wiley, New York
  20. Oliver, R. L. 1993, 'Cognitive, Affective, and Attribute Bases of the Satisfaction Response', Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 20, 1993, pp. 418-430 https://doi.org/10.1086/209358
  21. Oliver, R. L 1997, Satisfaction. A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer, McGraw-Hill, New York
  22. Olsen, L. L. and Johnson, M.D. (2003) 'Service Equity, Satisfaction, and Loyalty: From Transaction-Specific to Cumulative Evaluations', Journal of Service Research, Volume 5, No. 3, pp. 184-195 https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670502238914
  23. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. and Berry, L., 1985, 'A Conceptual Model of service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, pp 41-50
  24. Roos, I., 2002, 'Methods of Investigating Critical Incidents', Journal of Service Research, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp 193-204 https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670502004003003
  25. Swan, J. E. and Combs L. J.,1976, 'Product Performance and Consumer Satisfaction: a New Concept,' Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40, pp. 25-33
  26. Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J. 2000, Services Marketing, McGraw Hill, New York
  27. Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A. and Berry L. L. 1990, Delivering Quality Service-Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations, The Free Press, New York