Amity Business School: Customer Expectations of Service

Amity Business School

Customer Expectations of Service
Customer Expectations:
Beliefs about service delivery
that function as standards or
reference points against which
performance is judged.
Customer Expectations
Desired service: the

level of service the Desired Service
customer hopes to
receive. Zone of
Tolerance
Adequate Service:
the level of service
Adequate Service
customer will accept.
Zone of Tolerance
Services are heterogeneous. In that,

performance may vary across providers,
across employees from the same provider
and even with the same service employee.
The extent to which customers recognize
and are willing to accept this variation, is
called the Zone of Tolerance.
Zone of Tolerance for
Different Service Amity Business School
Dimensions
Desired Service
Level
of
Zone of
Expectation Tolerance
Desired Service
Adequate Service
Zone
of
Tolerance
Adequate Service
Most Important Factors (reliability) Least Important Factors

(tangibles)
As a service dimension increases in importance, zone of tolerance narrows and adequate
service levels increase
Antecedents of
Desired Service Amity Business School
Lasting
Lasting Service
Service
Intensifiers
Intensifiers
Desired Service
Personal
Personal Needs
Needs Zone
of
Tolerance
Adequate Service
Factors that Influence
Desired Service Amity Business School
Personal Needs: physical, social,

psychological, and functional
Lasting Service Intensifiers: individual,

stable factors that lead to heightened
sensitivity to service.
Derived service expectations: expectations
driven by another person or group of
people.
Personal service philosophy: customer’s
underlying generic attitude about the
meaning of service and the proper conduct
of service providers
Antecedents of
Adequate Service Amity Business School
Temporary
Temporary Service
Service
Intensifiers
Intensifiers
Desired Service
Perceived
Perceived Service
Service
Alternatives
Alternatives Zone
of
Tolerance
Self-Perceived
Self-Perceived
Service
Service Role
Role Predicted
Predicted
Adequate Service
Service
Service
Situational
Situational
Factors
Factors
Factors that influence Adequate Service

expectations are temporary in nature and
fluctuate with time, than factors that
influence desired service expectations.
Antecedents of
Adequate Service Amity Business School
Transitory service intensifiers: temporary,

short-term, individual factors that make a
customer more aware of the need for
service.
Ex: Personal emergency situations raise the
level of adequate service expectations
Perceived service alternatives: other providers

from whom the customer can obtain the
same service.
Ex: more perceived alternatives available,
higher the levels of adequate service
Customer’s self-perceived service role: degree to

which customers exert an influence on the level of
service they receive.
Ex: If we believe we are doing our part in the
delivery, our expectations of adequate service is
heightened
Situational Factors: service performance conditions
that are viewed as beyond control of service
provider.
Ex: Expectations of adequate service is lowered
because of situational factors
Predicted service: level of service we believe we are
likely to get.
Ex: If we predict good service, our expectations of
adequate service is likely to be increased.
Antecedents of Desired
and Predicted Service Amity Business School
Explicit Service
Promises
Implicit Service
Promises
Desired Service Word-of-Mouth
Zone Past Experience

of
Tolerance
Predicted
Adequate Service Service
Explicit service promises: personal and

non-personal statements about the service
made by the organization to customers.
“Everything we sell is our own design and
our own make and we guarantee it without
reservation” (J Crew)
Implicit service promises: service related

promises that lead to inferences about
what the service should and will be like.
Word of mouth communication: perceived

as unbiased.
Past experience: customer’s previous

exposure to service that is relevant to the
focal service
Issues Involving Customer
Service Expectations Amity Business School
• Let customers know the reasons desired service is not
being provided at the present time and describe efforts
planned to address them.
• Delighting customers may raise expectations and

make it more difficult to satisfy customers in the future.
• Developing a customer relationship is one approach

for exceeding customer expectations.
• Adequate service expectations rise as quickly as

service delivery or promises rise.

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Amity Business School

Amity Business School

Desired service: the

Services are heterogeneous. In that,

Most Important Factors (reliability) Least Important Factors

Personal Needs: physical, social,

Lasting Service Intensifiers: individual,

Factors that influence Adequate Service

Transitory service intensifiers: temporary,

Perceived service alternatives: other providers

Customer’s self-perceived service role: degree to

Desired Service Word-of-Mouth

Zone Past Experience

Explicit service promises: personal and

Implicit service promises: service related

Word of mouth communication: perceived

Past experience: customer’s previous

• Delighting customers may raise expectations and

• Developing a customer relationship is one approach

• Adequate service expectations rise as quickly as

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