CUSTOMER

EXPECTATIONS
OF SERVICES

 Customer Expectations are beliefs about

service delivery that function as standards or
reference points against which performance
is judged.

Customer Expectations of Service

Customers hold different types of expectations for
service performance

There are controllable and uncontrollable sources of

customer expectations
A distinction can be made between customers
global expectations of their relationships with
service providers and their expectations of the
service encounter

Types and sources of expectations are similar for

many different types of customers

Dual Customer
Expectation Levels
Desired Service

Zone of
Tolerance
Adequate Service

The Zone of Tolerance

Desired Service

Zone of
Tolerance

Adequate Service

 Customers hold different expectation levels for

service firms in the same industry.
Eg.: Expensive restaurant, fast-food restaurant,
airport restaurant.
Different customers possess different zones of
tolerance.
Zones of tolerance vary for different service
attributes or dimensions.

Zones of Tolerance for

Different Service Dimensions
Desired Service
Level
of
Expectation

Zone of
Tolerance

Adequate Service

Desired
Desired Service
Service
Zone
of
Tolerance
Adequate
Adequate
Service
Service

Most Important Factors

Least Important Factors

Factors that Influence Service

Expectations :
Controllable Factors
Uncontrollable Factors

Factors that Influence

Desired Service
Enduring Service
Intensifiers

Desired
Service
Personal Needs
Zone
of
Tolerance
Adequate
Service

 Enduring Service Intensifiers:

- Derived Service Expectations
- Personal Service Philosophy

Factors that Influence

Adequate Service
Transitory Service
Intensifiers

Perceived Service
Alternatives

Self-Perceived
Service Role

Situational
Factors

Desired
Service
Zone
of
Tolerance
Adequate
Service

Factors that Influence

Desired and Predicted Service
Explicit Service
Promises
Implicit Service
Promises
Word-of-Mouth

Desired
Service
Zone
of
Tolerance
Adequate
Service

Past Experience

Predicted
Service

WAYS SERVICES MARKETERS CAN INFLUENCE FACTORS

Controllable
factors

Possible influence strategies

Make realistic and accurate promises that reflect the

service actually delivered rather than an idealized
version of the service.
Ask contact people for feedback on the accuracy of
promises made in advertising and personal selling.
Explicit
Avoid engaging in price or advertising wars with
Service competitors because they take the focus off customers
Promises and escalate promises beyond the level at which they
can be met.
Formalize service promises through a service
guarantee that focuses company employees on the
promise and that provides feedback on the number of
times promises are not fulfilled.

WAYS SERVICES MARKETERS CAN INFLUENCE

FACTORS (contd)
Controllable
factors
Implicit
Service
Promises

Possible influence strategies

Ensure that service tangibles accurately
reflect the type and level of service provided.
Ensure that price tangibles can be justified
by higher levels of performance by the
company on important customer attributes

WAYS SERVICES MARKETERS CAN INFLUENCE FACTORS

(contd.)
Less
Controllable
Possible influence strategies
factors
Enduring
Use market research to determine sources of
Service
derived
service
expectations
and
their
Intensifiers

requirements. Focus advertising and marketing

strategy on ways the service allows the focal
customer to satisfy the requirements of he
influencing customer.

Use market research to profile personal service

philosophies of customers and use this
information is designing and delivering services.

WAYS SERVICES MARKETING CAN INFLUENCE FACTORS

(contd)
Less
Controllable
Possible influence strategies
factors
Personal
Educate customers on ways the service
needs
addresses their needs.
Transitory
service
intensifiers
Perceived
services
alternatives

Increase service delivery during peak

periods or in emergencies.

Be fully aware of competitive offerings

and, where possible and appropriate,
match them.
Self-perceived Educate customers to understand their
service role
roles and perform them better.

WAYS SERVICES MARKETING CAN INFLUENCE

FACTORS (contd)
Less
Controllable
factors
World-of-mouth
communications

Possible influence strategies

Stimulate the world of mouth in advertising by

using testimonials and opinion leaders.

identify influences and opinion leaders for he
service and concentrate marketing efforts on them.
use incentives with existing customers to
encourage them to say positive things about the

service

WAYS SERVICES MARKETING CAN INFLUENCE FACTORS

(contd)
Less
Controllable
factors

Possible influence strategies

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.

Managing Consumer Expectations During

Prepurchase Phase
Learn what customers expect.
Tell customers what to expect.

Managing Consumer Expectations

During Service Encounter
Try to consistently provide the service
customers expect.
Communicate with customers during the
service.
If possible, modify the service to meet
customer expectations.
Explain why service cannot be modified.

Managing Consumer Expectations

During Post purchase Phase
Communicate to see if expectations were
met.
Develop a follow-up program.
Develop a procedure for dealing with
dissatisfied customers.