What is the level of service that customers believe they are likely to get during an impending transaction or exchange?

3performance is above the zone of tolerance at the top end—where performance exceeds desiredservice—customers will be very pleased and probably quite surprised as well.• This tolerance zone, representing the difference between desired service and the level of serviceconsidered adequate, can expand and contract for a given customer.Different Customers Possess Different Zones of Tolerance• A customer’s zone of tolerance increases or decreases depending on a number of factors,including company-controlled factors such as price. When prices increase, customers tend to beless tolerant of poor service. In this case, the zone of tolerance decreases because the adequateservice level shifts upward.• The fluctuation in a customer’s zone of tolerance is more a function of changes in the adequateservice level, which moves readily up and down because of situational circumstances, than in thedesired service level, which tends to move upward incrementally because of accumulatedexperiences. Desired service is relatively stable compared with adequate service, which movesup and down and in response to competition and other factors.Zones of Tolerance vary for Service Dimensions• Customers’ tolerance zones also vary with different service attributes or dimensions. In general,customers are likely to be less tolerant about unreliable service (broken promises or serviceerrors) than other service deficiencies, which means that they have higher expectations for this

Customer ExpectationsBy: Prof. Shilpa chadichal

How are Expectations FormedThey vary from one business to anotherDepends on customer requirement. Exampleshortduration flight v/s long durationCustomers past experienceCustomers internal standardsExpectations change over time

Customer ExpectationsCustomer expectations are beliefs about service deliverythat serve as standards or reference points against whichperformance is judged.Because customers compare their perceptions ofperformance with these reference points whenevaluating service quality.

Types orLevels of Customer Expectations

Types orLevels of Customer ExpectationsDesired Service Level:Wished-for level of service quality that customer believescan and should be deliveredAdequate Service Level:Minimum acceptable level of service

Adequate ServiceDesired ServiceDual Customer Expectation Levels

Types orLevels of Customer ExpectationsPredicted Service Level:Service level that customer believes firm will actuallydeliverZone of Tolerance:Range within which customers are willing to acceptvariations in service deliveryDifferent customers Possess Different Zones of ToleranceZones of Tolerance Vary for service Dimensions

Adequate ServiceDesired ServiceZone ofToleranceThe Zone of Tolerance

Most Important FactorsLeast Important FactorsLevelofExpectationSource:Berry, Parasuraman, and Zeithaml (1993)Adequate ServiceDesired ServiceZone ofToleranceZoneofToleranceDesired ServiceAdequate ServiceZones of Tolerance forDifferent Service Dimensions

Factors Influencing Customer Expectations ofServicePredicted ServiceExplicit & ImplicitService PromisesWord-of-MouthPast ExperienceDesired ServiceZONEOFTOLERANCEAdequate ServicePersonal NeedsBeliefs aboutWhat Is PossiblePerceived ServiceAlterationsSituational FactorsSource:Adapted from Valarie A. Zeithaml, Leonard A. Berry, and A. Parasuraman,The Nature and Determinants of CustomerExpectations of Service,Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science21, no. 1 (1993): pp 112.

Enduring ServiceIntensifiersPersonal NeedsZoneofToleranceDesired ServiceAdequate ServiceFactors That Influence desired Service

Factors That Influence customer expectations ofserviceSources of Desired Service Expectations :Personal needs: Those states or conditions essential to the physicalor psychological well-being of the customer, are pivotal factors thatshape what customer desire in service.Lasting service intensifiers(Personal Service Philosophy):Thecustomer’s underlying generic attitude about the meaning ofservice and the proper conduct of service providers.Derived Service Expectation: This occur when customerexpectations are driven by another person or group ofpeople.

Personal Service Philosophy

Self-PerceivedService RoleSituationalFactorsPerceived ServiceAlternativesTransitory ServiceIntensifiersZoneofToleranceDesired ServiceAdequate ServiceFactors That Influence Adequate Service

What is the level of service that customer believe they are likely to get during an impending transaction or exchange?

The final factor that influences adequate service is predicted service (Figure 3.7), the level of service that customers believe they are likely to get. This type of service expectation can be viewed as predictions made by customers about what is likely to happen during an impending transaction or exchange.

Is the level of service that customers believe they are likely to get during?

Situational factors: Service performance conditions usually are temporarily lowering the level of adequate service by widening the zone of tolerance. Predicted service: The level of service that customers believe they are likely to get.

What is adequate service level of customers?

It is a blend of what the customer believes “can be” and “should be.” The adequate service level is that which the customer finds acceptable. It is in part based on the customer's assessment of what the service “will be,” that is, the customers “predicted service.”

What is the one factor that influences adequate service the level of service that customers believe they are likely to get?

The customer's level of adequate service is influenced by five factors: (1) transitory service intensifiers, (2) perceived service alternatives, (3) customer self-perceived service roles, (3) situational factors, and (4) predicted service.