A Tale of Two Countries’ Conservatism, Service Quality, and Feedback on Customer Satisfaction

Abstract

This article compares the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in the United Kingdom and the United States and considers the moderating effect of systematic customer feedback and complaint processes. Propositions are developed concerning country differences based on British conservatism. Hypotheses were tested using data from the International Service Study. The results support the conservatism hypothesis, empirically demonstrating that customer reaction to good service is similar, but U.K. and U.S. customers tend to respond differently to poor service encounters based on cultural norms. The authors propose that customer feedback is an often-overlooked factor in explaining the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Much valuable customer feedback may be unrealized in Britain, thus losing the opportunity to improve service design and delivery and creating a vicious cycle. Without intervention, British service firms will continue to deliver levels of service lower than would be acceptable in the United States.