Exam 3: Customer Expectations of Service

When Maria woke up this morning,she felt terrible.She had a headache,sore throat and upset stomach.She called her doctor's office,explained her condition to the receptionist and asked if she could make an appointment to see the doctor as soon as possible that day since she was going on vacation tomorrow.Maria's desired expectation to see her doctor the same day she became sick resulted from a(n):

Customer _____ are beliefs about service delivery that function as standards against which performance is judged.

If customers believe they have multiple service providers to choose from for a particular service,or if they can provide the service for themselves,their levels of adequate service are _________ those of customers who believe it is not possible to get better service elsewhere.

Jack and Luke used the same mechanic to fix their cars.Both were unhappy with recent repairs.Luke who complained because his car was improperly repaired will have a ______ level of adequate service and a _____ zone of tolerance than Jack who did not complain about how poorly his car was running after the mechanic put in new spark plugs and did other maintenance.

Lillie worked as a caterer when she was in college.She was highly critical of the caterer and its staff that her parents selected for their 50^th anniversary party.Lillie's attitude about how a caterer should act reflects her:

Zones of tolerance are a source of desired expectations.

The highest customer expectations are referred to as _____ expectations.

Denise said all she expected from the day care at the gym she belonged to was to get her children back at the end of an hour and learn the police had not been called because of something they did.She uses this particular gym because the day care will let her unruly children stay even though it provides only the nominal supervision.Denise has _____ expectations about the day care.

Kelly dined in a family-style restaurant in Mobile,Alabama,shortly after a hurricane had brushed the coastal area.The server apologized because there were no iced drinks available.The water supply had been contaminated by the storm's high tides.The water system was fine now,but after repairing other minor damages,the workers had not yet had a chance to clean the ice machine.Kelly,a long-time resident of Mobile,understood that _____ meant she would need to modify her service expectations.

A human resources manager who is hiring a sales trainer to improve the company's sales close rate will be concerned whether the trainer will provide the needed tools and motivation to perform his or her job.The human resources manager wants the company's top management and its sales force managers to approve of his selection of trainer.This is an example of a(n)_____ expectation.

Leonard has been commuting to New York City on the Long Island Railroad for ten years.Every morning he takes the 7:00 a.m.train that is scheduled to arrive in New York at 8:15 a.m.from Huntington,a suburb of New York.Although Leonard would like the train to arrive in New York on time,he knows from his experience as a commuter that it is more likely the train will be 5 minutes late.Leonard's expectation that his train will be 5 minutes late reflects his _________ level of service for the Long Island Railroad.

Customers assess service performance on the basis of what they desire and what they deem acceptable.

Which characteristic of services best explains the existence of zones of tolerance?

Customers typically notice service when it falls outside the zone of tolerance.

_____ service is the level of service the customer hopes to receive.

List the three factors that influence adequate service.

The factors that influence adequate service expectations are _____ in nature and fluctuate _____ than the factors that influenced desired service expectations.

As the number of perceived service alternatives increases,the level of adequate service _____ and the zone of tolerance _____.

Tom Grantham,a U.S.citizen,decided to outsource the preparation of his personal income taxes to a company in India.After he emailed his earnings and scanned receipts,his tax return was completed in two days at a cost of $50 - about one-third of what a U.S.firm like H&R Block charges.However,he had to file his return as "self-prepared," since it was not prepared by a U.S.accountant.Using a foreign service provider may require customers to reset their:

When Allyn and Baylee received the catalog from the antique auction,they assumed the auction would be of the highest quality antiques because the 32-page catalog was filled with attractive color photos on slick high-quality paper and cost $2.50 to mail.Categorize this catalog as a source of Allyn's and Baylee's desired and predicted service expectations.