by : Andreas B. Eisingerich & Simon J. Bell.
Working Paper Series, 06/2006
ABSTRACTThe effectiveness of increased customer involvement in services selling is to a large extent dependent on the knowledge, expertise, and trust of customers. Successful consultants, therefore, need to be aware of the dynamic relationships between customer education, expertise, and service quality in driving customer trust.
To test this notion, we use data collected from 1268 clients of a global financial services firm. Overall, the present study successfully models the multi- faceted impact of customer education on the service quality trust relationship. Resultant implications point to new business opportunities in an increasingly competitive economic environment and, consequently, are of interest to consultants and researchers alike.
Keywords: Customer Education, Management Consulting, Consumer Trust, Professional
Services, Services Marketing
Service Quality and Consumer Trust
In this study consumer trust is defined as existing when one party has confidence in the exchange partner’s reliability and integrity (Morgan & Hunt, 1994), and as the expectations held by the consumer that the service provider can be relied on to deliver on its promises (Sirdeshmukh, Singh, & Sabol, 2002). This definition spans the two general approaches in the literature viewing trust as a belief or expectation about an exchange partner’s trustworthiness that results from the partner’s expertise or reliability and the conceptualization of trust as a reliance on a partner involving vulnerability and uncertainty on the part of the trustor (Anderson & Weitz, 1990; Moorman, Deshpandé, & Zaltman, 1993).
Trust can be the ‘oxygen’ of intimate, highly successful advisory relationships and, thus, has been of special interest to management consulting (Joni, 2005; May, 2004; Pagano, & Pagano, 2004). Service quality, on the other hand, is frequently defined by its two sub-dimensions (Grönroos, 1983). First, technical quality refers to advisors’ competency in achieving the best return on investment for their clients, at acceptable levels of risk, thus, assisting the clients to achieve their financial goals (Sharma & Patterson, 1999). The technical dimension, however, may not account for clients’ total evaluation of the service interaction. Perceived functional service quality, conceptualized as the courteous, caring and responsive behavior displayed by an adviser, may take on added significance as customers form service judgements based on the evaluation of peripheral rather than core service benefits (Taylor & Miyazaki, 1995).
Accordingly, service providers need to focus customers’ feelings and not just on service outcomes. Glen (2002), for example, argues that most clients complain about the way in which consultants deliver their services, not about technical outcomes. Customers seek effective relationships with professionals who care, listen, and relate to their ideas, feelings, and concerns (Pagano & Pagano, 2004; Sheth & Sobel, 2002; Weisinger, 1998).
Trust can be the ‘oxygen’ of intimate, highly successful advisory relationships and, thus, has been of special interest to management consulting (Joni, 2005; May, 2004; Pagano, & Pagano, 2004). Service quality, on the other hand, is frequently defined by its two sub-dimensions (Grönroos, 1983). First, technical quality refers to advisors’ competency in achieving the best return on investment for their clients, at acceptable levels of risk, thus, assisting the clients to achieve their financial goals (Sharma & Patterson, 1999). The technical dimension, however, may not account for clients’ total evaluation of the service interaction. Perceived functional service quality, conceptualized as the courteous, caring and responsive behavior displayed by an adviser, may take on added significance as customers form service judgements based on the evaluation of peripheral rather than core service benefits (Taylor & Miyazaki, 1995).
Accordingly, service providers need to focus customers’ feelings and not just on service outcomes. Glen (2002), for example, argues that most clients complain about the way in which consultants deliver their services, not about technical outcomes. Customers seek effective relationships with professionals who care, listen, and relate to their ideas, feelings, and concerns (Pagano & Pagano, 2004; Sheth & Sobel, 2002; Weisinger, 1998).
Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Peneliti, PeBisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management). Begitu juga bagi teman-teman yang Artikelnya akan dimuat pada Jurnal tersebut, e-mail ke : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id
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