Customers Expectation of a Service

Customers Expectation of a Service

1. A Presentation on Customer Expectations of Service By: Saugata Palit

2. Meaning and Types of Expected Service

3. Customer Expectations of Service Customer Expectations Beliefs about service delivery S erve as standards or reference points against which performance is judged. Customers compare their perceptions of performance with these reference points when evaluating service quality. Thorough knowledge about customer expectations is critical to services marketers.

4. Expected Service: Levels of Expectations

5. Dual Customer Expectation Levels Desired Service: Level of service that customer hopes to receive Adequate service: Level of service the customer will accept

6. The Zone of Tolerance Range or window in which customers do not notice service performance When service falls outside this range(either very high or very low), the service gets the customer’s attention in either a positive or negative way

7. Zones of Tolerance for Different Service Dimensions Most Important Factors Adequate Service Desired Service Zone of Tolerance Zone of Tolerance Desired Service Adequate Service Least Important factors

8. Factors That Influence Customer Expectations of Service

9. Factors That Influence Desired Service

10. Factors That Influence Adequate Service

11. Table 4.1: ( Continued) H ow Services Marketers Can Influence Factors Factor Possible Influence Strategies Perceived service alternatives Be fully aware of competitive offerings, and where possible and appropriate, match them. Self-perceived service role Educate customers to understand their roles and perform them better. Word-of-mouth communications Simulate word of mouth in advertising by using testimonials and opinion leaders. Identify influencers and opinion leaders for the service and concentrate marketing efforts on them. Use incentives with existing customers to encourage them to say positive things about the service. Past experience Use marketing research to profile customers’ previous experience with similar services. Situational factors Use service guarantees to assure customers about service recovery regardless of the situational factors that occur. Predicted service Tell customers when service provision is higher than what can normally be expected so that predictions of future service encounters will not be inflated.

12. Frequently Asked Questions About Customer Expectations What does a service marketer do if customer expectations are “unrealistic ”? How does a company exceed customer service expectations? Do customer service expectations continually escalate?

13. What does a service marketer do if customer expectations are “unrealistic”? Under promise Reality check after purchase

14. How does a company exceed customer service expectations? Honor promises don’t work on exceeding expectations

15. How does a service company stay ahead of competition in meeting customer expectations? Meet customer’s expectations better than the competition

16. Do customer service expectations continually escalate? Desired service expectations are relatively stable Adequate service expectations rise as quickly as service delivery or promise rise