Customer Service Value Research Articles

Genuine small talk in hospitality services encounter

PurposeThis study proposes “genuine small talk” in hospitality settings, particularly in coffee shops and its impact on enhancing guest experiences. This study aims to delineate how genuine small talk, characterized by sincerity, mutual respect, truthfulness and empathy, differs from traditional conversational engagements and influences service outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a case research approach, focusing on the global coffee shop industry, particularly in high-context cultural settings. Using an abductive research paradigm, it intertwines theoretical concepts with empirical data gathered from face-to-face interviews with coffee shop visitors and managers. Data analysis involved qualitative coding techniques to synthesize and interpret findings related to genuine small talk.FindingsGenuine small talk in hospitality, marked by sincerity, mutual respect, truthfulness and empathy, significantly enhances customer experiences. It transforms service encounters, turning negative experiences into positive ones and fostering customer loyalty. The study finds that genuine small talk is a strategic tool for emotional resonance and repeat patronage, yet its effectiveness depends on the staff’s ability to discern and adapt to customer moods and preferences.Social implicationsThis study highlights that genuine interpersonal interactions are key to enhancing customer experiences in hospitality. These genuine exchanges, characterized by sincerity, mutual respect, truthfulness and empathy, not only improve the immediate service encounter but also foster long-term customer loyalty. By transforming transactional interactions into meaningful connections, genuine small talk serves as a strategic tool in the hospitality industry, potentially reshaping service dynamics and elevating the perceived value of customer service. This research underscores the importance of staff training in emotional intelligence and adaptability to customer preferences, crucial for implementing genuine small talk effectively.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the hospitality literature by elucidating the nuanced role of genuine small talk in service encounters. It extends existing discourses of service interactions by highlighting the potential of genuine small talk in fostering connections and enhancing guest experiences.

Analysis of the Effect of Customer Perceived Value, Service Quality, Patient Experience and Patient Trust on Patient Satisfaction as an Intervening Media and Its Impact on Outpatient Loyalty at Hospitals in Depok

This Study aims to find out and analyze the effect of customer perceived value, service quality, patient experience, and patient trust on patient satisfaction and patient loyalty on public hospital in Depok, Indonesia. This Research is quantitative study where the data from 105 patients who had visited the hospital in Depok using an online questionnaire during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
 Factor analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were analyzed using PLS-SEM of how customer service value, Service Quality, patient experience and patient trust impact to Patient satisfaction and patient loyalty. The result show that Service quality positively and significantly affect patient satisfaction (0.261) with t-statistics (2.431 > 1.96) or P value (0.015 < 0.05). Patient trust has a significant influence on patient satisfaction of (0.278) with t-statistics (2.287 > 1.96) or P value (0.022< 0.05). Patient trust has the highest influence on patient satisfaction of 0.278 compared to patient experience, service quality, and perceived value. The Patient satisfaction has a significant influence on patient loyalty (0.572) with t-statistics (7.780 > 1.96) or P value (0.000 < 0.05). The Implication of this study is that management of a public hospital needs to improve patient trust and Service Quality so that patient satisfaction can be improved which in turn can gain patient loyalty.

디지털전환 기반의 헬스케어 서비스 경쟁우위전략: 사례연구

This case study explores the effect of digital transformation (DT) strategies on creating a competitive advantage in healthcare organizations based on Porter’s (2008) five competitive forces. We develop a customer service value proposition model by analyzing individual customers' digital healthcare information in order to ascertain the effect of DT at hospitals. We focus on a healthcare provider for which DT motivated customers to participate in operational processes, thus positively influencing organizational competitiveness. The results indicate that DT-enabled competitive factors do contribute to the organization’s competitive advantage, and healthcare app service, data combination, algorithm differentiation, InsurTech product and service portfolio, and collaborative partners are especially important factors. These results can be used as guidelines by healthcare providers interested in implementing DT for improved competitiveness.

THE VALUE CREATION GUIDELINES IN SERVICES PROVIDED TO CUSTOMERS AFFECTING DECISION TO CHOOSE HOMESTAY ACCOMMODATION IN KOH SAMUI DISTRICT, SURAT THANI PROVINCE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the guiding principles of value creation in customer services that influence the decision to choose homestay accommodation in Samui District, Surat Thani Province, and to develop guidelines for homestay accommodation management.The experimental groupwas400 Thai tourists who hadsome experience staying in homestay accommodations in Koh Samui District, Surat Thani Province were interviewed. The research instrument is a questionnaire. This research employed a random convenience sampling method, and the data were analyzed using statistical methods such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The results revealed that: most of the interviewees are women, age 31-40, single, with a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Most of them are private sector workers with a monthly income between 20,001 and 30,000 baht. 
 Hypothesis testing using multiple regression analysis techniques revealed that the value of customer service affects the level of decision-making when choosing a place to stay in Koh Samui District, Surat Thani Province. The statistics show that service personnel influence the decision level the most, followed by physical characteristics, service process, price, and product and service, marketing promotion, advertising, distribution channels, and public relations, respectively.

The Relationship Between the Quality of Beauty Salon Service and Perceived Value and Word of Mouth

In modern society, it is important to manage the external image. As a result, as the beauty-related service industry develops, so does the beauty salon. However, the overload of hair salons and the competition between hair salons is overheating. As a result, beauty salons must increase their satisfaction with high service quality to their customers for effective store development. We conducted a survey to see how the perceived value of customer service affects customers' word of mouth, and analyzed using 579 valid questionnaires, selecting consumers who use beauty salons in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. As a result of the analysis there was no problem in factor analysis reliability to verify the validity of service quality and the perceived value of word of mouth, and regression analysis on the impact of service quality on perceived value was not a problem. The intention of the word of mouth had an impact. Has confirmed. In addition, the results of regression analysis on the effect of perceived value on word of mouth were also found to have a significant effect. In conclusion, As the perceived value of service to customers increases, beauty salons influence the customer's word of mouth intentions. Therefore, personal and beauty salons are providing marketing materials for business development by researching ways to improve service and increase value. There is a purpose.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ТРАЕКТОРІЄЮ СТВОРЕННЯ СПОЖИВЧОЇ ЦІННОСТІ В СЕРВІСНОМУ ПРОЦЕСІ

The aim of the study – development and testing of marketing tools that allow to analyze the trajectory of creation of clients attitude to the service, the results of its application are clear and understandable to the management of the service provider, and the conclusions from analysis of trajectory are more fully than known approaches can rationalize the management of elements of customer service value. Methods – passenger survey, measuring the consumer value of trips by public transport based on Likert scale, measuring the level of passenger satisfaction with public transport service based on semantic differential, development of cascade charts of trajectory of customer value of passenger transportation service. Results. When interacting with the market, rational management of the customer service value is an important factor of goals achieving by service provider. Customer service value is the client’s feeling of the difference between the benefits and the sacrifices gained in the process and the outcome of the service. To improve service, the provider usually measures the client’s perception of the service process at its some control points and (or) by specific elements of its customer value. Measurements of custormer service value are made in the form of client’s attitude using various ordinal scales. At this case the client’s attitude is a static indicator. The service provider often has no idea about the path of client’s consciousness changed before measuring the customer service value. But the final measured level of customer service value depends on trajectory of forming the clien’s attitude, so this information should be useful to manager. It can contribute to the further rationalization of managerial decisions aimed to improve the service. Based an example of public passenger transportation in city Kyiv shows how manager can uses the waterfall chart of customer value formation at managerial decisions to improve service.

PENGARUH KOMUNIKASI INTERPERSONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE GO-JEK INDONESIA TERHADAP LOYALITAS PELANGGAN DI JABODETABEK

Interpersonal communication is one important aspect for customer service in a company which engaged in services. This research was conducted to observe the influence of interpersonal communication of Go-Jek Indonesia’s customer service on customer loyalty in Jabodetabek and what other factors may come into play to achieve such result. The principle theory used in this research is the theory of interpersonal communication with customer loyalty as the supporting theory. The research method used is the quantitative explanative method, by distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents of Go-Jek Indonesia’s users who have contacted the customer service. This research uses the Likert scale as the measurement scale. From the results of research found the contribution of interpersonal communication of Go-Jek Indonesia’s customer service value equals to 37,3% on customer loyalty in Jabodetabek, with result of regression coefficient value equal to 0,552 and constant value equal to 32,444.Keywords: Interpersonal communication, customer service, customer loyalty

Repositioning the customer support services: the next frontier of competitive advantage

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the present status of customer support services (CSS) and advocate the re-positioning of support services from an administrative cost center to a strategic profit center. Authors demonstrate how customer support or after sales services can be a source of competitive advantage and revenue generation for firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a conceptual approach grounded in theoretical foundations of service dominant logic, customer loyalty and customer centricity along with practical illustrations from the industry.FindingsFollowing the tenets of theory, review of existing research and analysis of the industry practices, the authors propose a new framework to enable the repositioning of customer service function. The key propositions include establishing customer support as separate business unit and insights center, introducing a new role of a C-level chief customer support officer to lead the customer support unit, adopting a customer-centric culture and process, enabling frontline IT support and investing in frontline employee skills development.Research limitations/implicationsAcademics should examine the potential of customer support, where the strategic importance is low at present, leading to customer dissatisfaction. The new approach and positioning of customer support calls for a new direction for research in this area focusing on enablers, challenges and further implications. To succeed in this competitive era, firms should be conscious of the value of customer service and undertake concrete actions to generate value for all stakeholders.Practical implicationsIndustry can use the new framework and re-position CSS of the organizations. The CSS unit can be different from other business units in the organizations. The CSS would evolve and emerge from the live customer insights. CSS unit can be managed by the C level chief CSS officer. Customer-centric culture would be developed and front line processes can be made customer-oriented by the officer. Thus, this paper and framework would provide new customer-centric directions to the organizations for effective functioning.Originality/valueThis is the original piece that has emerged from the experience and expertise of the authors.

Managing knowledge to create customer service value

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the services management literature by identifying a sequence of the different processes of knowledge management (KM) to create customer service value. Design/methodology/approach – The context for the research hypotheses is the Spanish banking industry. The authors conducted a study including 76 banks and 1,832 customers of these banks. This paper uses the partial least squares method to conduct the data analysis. Findings – The authors find support for all the hypotheses proposed in the model. The results show that service firms that are able to apply more knowledge or apply knowledge more effectively are likely to generate more benefits for their customers, and/or reduce their sacrifices, contributing significantly to a higher perception of service value. Research limitations/implications – The study focusses on one particular industry in a single point in time. A longitudinal analysis of a variety of service industries would enrich the study. Practical implications – It is argued that KM constitutes a key capability for service firms for the delivery of service value. According to the research, if service firms want to improve the application of knowledge, it is important to focus on knowledge retention while they create new knowledge. Originality/value – Although a considerable amount of research has been carried out in the fields of KM and customer value, there has been less research that has taken both into consideration simultaneously. This paper addresses this gap in the literature.

Literature Review of Customer Service Value and Building Customer Value Model under the Internet Service Situation

<p>The paper summarizes the study of customer service value at home and abroad, including the connotation of customer service value, analysis of the development history and research content, stage division. Through literature analysis, find out the new research hotspot. On the basis of previous research, the paper build customer value model under the situation of Internet service. In order to carry out further research in academic circles of our country to provide reference and reflection.</p>

An Assessment of the Role of Risk Management Practices in Core Banking Software Project Success: A Case of Commercial Banks in Kenya

Core Banking Software Change project in a bank is a project that is very costly and very delicate such that its success emerges the top most priority for the organization that is undergoing the change. There is need for business continuity, data integrity and customer service value addition from the product of the project. This study sought to establish the role of risk management practices towards enhancing project success in commercial banks in Kenya during Core Banking Software Change. Given its complexity, therefore, it would be paramount to establish the existing risk management practices in the local banking sector. This study sought to assess these practices with regard to risk identification, risk analysis and risk response and control. The researcher used survey research design and the target population was 14 banks that have changed their Core Banking Software in the last five years (2007-2013) based in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. A sample size of 7 banks was taken consisting of Project Managers, System Owner and Super Users as respondents. Data was the analyzed qualitatively using statistical representations such as percentages and graphs. The study revealed that most commercial banks in Kenya employ risk management practices during Core Banking Software Project implementation and most respondents believed that Risk Management is a major contributor to project success. Project success is the outcome of a personal, individual evaluation of project characteristics by each stakeholder. This may include objectively measurable characteristics such as time, money and requirements, but may also include other characteristics such as stakeholder satisfaction and the future potential of the project result (Koningsveld & Mertens, 1992). This study recommends that banks need to adopt an integrated project risk management tool to be used by the project team during the whole project cycle. This research also recommends the introduction of a prototype risk decision support tool which banks can use in decision making during the implementation of a project. These recommendations are expected to enhance project success through delivery in time, within the established budgets and at the expected quality.

Evaluation method for service branding using word‐of‐mouth data

AbstractThe development and spread of Internet technology enables service firms to obtain a high capability for brand information transmission as well as relative customer feedback data collection. In this paper, we propose a new evaluation method for service branding using firm and consumer data on the Internet. Based on the 7Ps of service marketing (Product, Price, Place and time, Promotion, People, Physical evidence, Process), which are key viewpoints for branding, we develop a brand evaluation system including coding methods for word‐of‐mouth (WoM) and corporate introductory information on the Internet in order to identify both the customer's service value recognition vector and the firm's service value proposition vector. Our system quantitatively clarifies both the customer's service value recognition of the firm and the firm's strengths in service value proposition, thus making it possible to analyze service brand communication gaps between firms and consumers. We applied this system to the Japanese Ryokan hotel industry. Using six ryokan hotels' data on Jyaran‐net and Rakuten travel, we created a total of 983 codes from WoM information and analyzed their service brand value according to three price‐based categories. We found that the characteristics of the customers' service value recognition vector differ according to the price categories. In addition, the system showed that there is a firm that has a different service value proposition vector from the customers' recognition vector. This helps to analyze corporate service brand strategy and has significance as a system technology supporting service management. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 95(12): 21–28, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.11442

Evaluation Method for Service Branding Using Word-of-Mouth Data

Development and spread of internet technology contributes service firms to obtaining the high capability of brand information transmission as well as relative customer feedback data collection. In this paper, we propose a new evaluation method for service branding using firms and consumers data on the internet. Based on service marketing 7Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Physical evidence, Process) which are the key viewpoints for branding, we develop a brand evaluation system including coding methods for Word-of-Mouth (WoM) and corporate introductory information on the internet to identify both customer's service value recognition vector and firm's service value proposition vector. Our system quantitatively clarify both customer's service value recognition of the firm and firm's strength in service value proposition, thereby analyzing service brand communication gaps between firm and consumers. We applied this system to Japanese Ryokan hotel industry. Using six ryokan-hotels' data on Jyaran-net and Rakuten travel, we made totally 983 codes from WoM information and analyzed their service brand value according to three price based categories. As a result, we found that the characteristics of customers' service value recognition vector differ according to the price categories. In addition, the system clarified that there is a firm that has a different service value proposition vector from customers' recognition vector. This helps to analyze corporate service brand strategy and has a significance as a system technology supporting service management.

Developing an optimal operation model with two competing models for retailers to explore customers shopping preferences

This study highlights the optimal operation model for retailers to use in exploring the effect of customer loyalty and service quality on customer shopping preference. It offers a more profound understanding of the value of customer service and innovation in generic operation skills in international retailers (IR). This research uses the Likert and Semantic differential scale methods through the MTMM (multitrait-multimethod) to measure reliability, validity, and take two competing models to analyze the model fitness. The two competing model strongly shows the impact on channel retailers when they develop an optimal operation to probe the customer preference. The finding of Host Country Retailer (HCR) should reinforce their service quality by canvassing more customers shopping in the stores, and improve their service feedback speed. In a competition between the semantic scale of SEM and the Likert scale, measurements make it obvious that the Likert scale of SEM is more powerful. It’s good for the retailers and business manager to have furthering understand the operation skill and service improvement. The leader of channel retailers should from mind to start targeting their goal and incremental market value to service more customers shopping preferences. Key words: Operation, service quality, international retailer, host country retailer, shopping preferences.

2503 サービス改善のための企業リソースを考慮したコンテンツパラメータ設計(OS12-2 ライフサイクル設計とサービス工学II:サービスのモデル化技法,OS12 ライフサイクル設計とサービス工学)

In service engineering, contents parameters are very important for the customer service value. However, the contents parameters cannot be designed in any values, because the providers have limited resources, which are monetary and time, for the improvements of the contents parameters. In this study, we propose the method of the resource design with the represent of sigmoid functions and genetic algorithm. And, we verify the proposed method with a certain example.

Patient-Focused Radiology: The Value of Customer Service?

Nearly 25 years ago, when I was a newly qualified doctor and feeling very self-important, I complained to a business school professor that I deserved more respect and gratitude from patients. To my dismay, he had little sympathy for my complaint and told me that I should see myself as no different from a bus conductor. I could hardly believe it. I tried to argue that I provided a service far more important than a bus conductor ever could and should therefore always deserve respect from patients, particularly because I knew what was best for them, whatever their circumstances.

Service America in the new economy

Service America was Dow-Jones Irwin's best selling book in history. Published in 1985, it has now sold more than two million copies worldwide in hardcover and paperback (Warner acquired the paperback rights, but their contract can be terminated within six months). As the definitive book on customer service--and the first major title in the field--it helped to define the category, spurring on dozens of imitators and creating an entirely new customer-service publishing category. Their seminal book became the blueprint that companies used to reform their service management strategies. In the original, Karl Albrecht and Ron Zemke predicted that delivering customer service value would become more and more important in the years ahead. Although no one could have predicted the new digital world, Karl Albrecht makes a powerful argument for why customer service is even more important in the new economy. He contends that customer service has suffered a major setback in the new e-commerce marketplace: Web-based businesses, so far, at least, have probably set back the state of the art in delivering customer value by at least ten years. Even the best of them have simply transformed their businesses into virtual vending machines. The mindless use of digital technology to depopulate the customer interface will turn out to be one of the biggest mistakes many companies will ever make. As examples, Albrecht points to many industries and companies in which it seems virtually impossible to get a human being on the phone (e.g. phone company, airlines etc). Customers are becoming tired of inferior levels of service (e.g. United Airlines customers), and Albrecht predicts that the problem will only get worse as e-commerce becomes more commonplace.

The value of customer service

The value of customer service

An Analysis of Complaint Data in the Automobile Insurance Industry

An Analysis of Complaint Data in the Automobile Insurance Industry Abstract Cross-firm policy service quality differences are investigated in the automobile insurance market through empirical testing of firm-specific complaint data. The data used here are publicly available complaint ratios which are collected by regulators in some states to assist consumers in service quality discrimination. Previous studies have shown independent agency firms to have larger expense ratios than direct writers, but empirical evidence here does not suggest that direct writers provide lower service quality than do independent agency companies. The evidence suggests that firms specializing in high risk drivers receive relatively more complaints. Evidence of cross-firm price variation for homogeneous automobile insurance contracts has been documented by Jung (1978), Dahlby and West (1986), and Berger, Kleindorfer and Kunreuther (1989). Smallwood (1975) suggests that service quality differences across insurers may explain price dispersion.(1) Investigation of quality differences across insurers has been limited, largely due to difficulty in identifying empirical measures of service quality.(2) This study uses state insurance department firm complaint ratios from California, Illinois, and New York, as an empirical measure of firm service quality. The California ratio equals the number of complaints received per 1,000 covered automobiles, and the Illinois and New York ratios equal the number of complaints received divided by written premiums. A relatively large complaint ratio suggests that the insurer provides poor service quality. The complaint ratio is an imperfect measure of firm service quality, since complaints result from disappointed expectations of the insured which may or may not be strictly due to poor service. However, the complaint ratio is what state regulators collect and use to measure consumer satisfaction with policy service quality, and use of the ratio here allows a first step toward empirical investigation of possible cross-firm quality differences. Following survey results in Consumer Reports (1988) and a Gallup poll conducted for Best's Review (1989), results here suggest that service quality differences exist across automobile insurers. The Economics of Quality Determination Evidence supports characterization of the property-liability insurance market as competitive.(3) In a competitive market, buyers make price-quality tradeoffs when choosing insurance coverage. Buyers purchase coverage based on expected full price, which equals premium plus complaint price, where complaint price is the loss in value to the insured of not receiving expected service. Based on work by DeVany and Savings (1983), an economic model describes firm service quality determination in a competitive market. Full price is specified as follows: P = p* + [Alpha] and [Alpha] = [Alpha] (v, o, c), where P is full price, p* is the premium, and [Alpha] is the complaint cost to the insured. Complaint cost can include implicit and nonpecuniary costs to the insured of not receiving good service. The variable, [Alpha], is a function of v, the marginal value of policy service to the insured; o, the total output of service provided to all policyholders; and c, the capacity of the firm to provide service. The function [Alpha] is assumed to be increasing in v since expected complaint cost increases with the insured's marginal value of customer service. The function [Alpha] may be increasing in o and decreasing in c: if an insurer with fixed service capacity provides increased output of policy service, increased complaint costs may result. That is, if the firm's resources are limited and the frequency and severity of claims increase, the quality of service may decrease, leading to increased complaint costs. …

From the editor's desk: The multiplier impact or economic value of customer service

From the editor's desk: The multiplier impact or economic value of customer service