Determinants of customer satisfaction with service encounter

• Main Authors: Ariana Nefat, Nika Paus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Economics & Business, Zagreb, CROMAR (Croatian Union of Marketing Associations) 2008-12-01
• Series: Tržište
• Subjects: service encounter; customer satisfaction; service quality; evidence of service; service recovery
• Online Access: http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/80973

Service encounters are the focal point of a customer’s perception of a service in terms of its quality, value and customer satisfaction. The paper researches the influence of the components of a service encounter on customer satisfaction. Among several factors that determine customer satisfaction the quality of service, which is related to the characteristics of service, plays an important role. However, a direct insight into the reasons that make a service encounter satisfactory or unsatisfactory is provided by the critical incident technique, where causes of dis/satisfaction differ primarily depending on whether they derive from interpersonal contact or from contact with technology. The evidence of service, which includes people, process and the physical evidence, plays a critical role in a customer’s dis/satisfaction. The influence of these elements cannot be observed separately; it must be observed in their interaction during the delivery of service and their strongest effect is achieved during face-to-face service encounters that have the characteristics of a theatre metaphor. Even though a high level of satisfaction may be achieved after the recovery of a service, enterprises should aim to conduct excellent service encounters right from the start.