A Study of the Influence of Expected Service and Service Performance on Service Quality Evaluation

Abstract

The research of PZB (1985,1988), Olshavsky & Miller (1972), Anderson (1973) and Cronin & Tylor (1992) has shown that considerable controversy exists regarding the relationship between expected service, service performance and service quality. In this study, a review of the literature is used to produce a list of the characteristics of a positive consistency of performance and service quality. The most obvious contradiction and conflict is between consumer expectations and service quality. However, the literature also shows that a disconfirmation of an expectancy produces an unfavorable service evaluation. A disconfirmation of an expectancy may be due to a lack of consistency between a company's promotional strategy and its performance. Advertising strategy has a major impact on consumer expectations. It is therefore very important from the point of view of formulating advertising strategy that the relationship between expected service performance be clarified. In this study an attempt has been made to classify expected service and service performance into three levels --- high, medium and low, and to consider what the effects are on evaluation of service quality by consumers with differing expected service levels, on the basis of different levels of service performance. The following conclusions have been drawn:
1. When the service performance level of a company or organization us rather poor, those consumers with relatively low expected service levels will have a relatively high evaluation of that company or organization's service quality. Therefore, when a company or organization's service performance level is average or slightly low, that company or organization should employ a more conservative promotional strategy, so as to obtain a higher service quality evaluation from consumers.
2. When the service performance level of a company or organization is good, those consumers with relatively high expected service levels with have a relatively high evaluation of that company or organization's service quality. Therefore when a company or organization's service performance level is higher than that of most other companies or organizations in the same sector, that company or organization should employee a more exaggerated promotional strategy, so as to obtain an even higher service quality evaluation from consumers.