Deck 12: Customer satisfaction and service quality

Question 1

When forming expectations of a brand or service, which of the following is NOT an influence on consumers?

A)Past experience
B)Word of mouth
C)Advertising
D)Promotion
E)None of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Recent research has shown that the 'halo effect' is of particular importance to:

A)professional services
B)organisational services
C)credence services
D)social services
E)all of the above

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A comparison of the ratio of buyer's inputs to outputs against seller's input/output ratio is part of:

A)equitable theory
B)control theory
C)equity theory
D)script theory
E)role theory

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A customer who feels angry and upset after receiving bad customer service is experiencing negative ________ value.

A)performance
B)interactive
C)quality
D)social
E)emotional

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of achieving customer satisfaction and service quality?

A)Reduction in failure costs
B)Reduction in cost of attracting new customers
C)Positive word of mouth promotion
D)Creates a sustainable advantage
E)Increases customers' exposure to competition

Question 6

If the service performance is much better than pre-purchase expectations then ________ will most likely result.

A)dissatisfaction
B)satisfaction
C)evangelism
D)delight
E)both c and d

Question 7

Recent research that highlighted the impact of culture on consumer expectations has found that:

A)Eastern consumers had high overall service expectation
B)Western consumers had high overall service expectations
C)consumers high on power distance had overall high service expectation
D)consumers low on uncertainty avoidance dimension had high overall service expectation
E)none of the above

Question 8

Factors known to influence satisfaction evaluations, directly or indirectly, include consumers' attributions to unexpected events.Which of the following is one of the three types of attributions?

A)Casual attribution
B)Total attribution
C)Stable attribution
D)Causal attribution
E)Equitable attribution

Question 9

Any difference between expectations and perceived performance is known as:

A)gap
B)confirmation
C)distortion
D)disconfirmation
E)difference

Question 10

Satisfaction is a consumer's post-purchase evaluation of the overall service experience of:

A)processes
B)processes and physical evidence
C)processes and outcome
D)outcome and physical evidence
E)physical evidence

Question 11

Which of the following statements may NOT be true?

A)Delighted customers show more loyalty and relationship commitment.
B)Delighted customers spread positive word of mouth.
C)Delighted customers are more forgiving.
D)Delighted customers expect more.
E)Delighted customers are less susceptible to being seduced by competitive offerings.

Question 12

Why might some customers be satisfied by organisations that offer relatively low levels of service?

A)Because the price is so low
B)Because of the intangibility of the service
C)Because the customer had low levels of expectations
D)Because of the advertising of the service organisation
E)Because of the complexity of the service

Question 13

________ factors leave no impact on consumers while ________ factors affect both satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

A)Hygiene; satisfier
B)Critical; neutral
C)Dissatisfier; satisfier
D)Fundamental; supplementary
E)Neutral; critical

Question 14

Consumer expectations are ________ beliefs about ________ provisions that act as a standard or reference point for judging ________ performance.

A)experiential; service; post-purchase
B)pre-purchase; specific; post-purchase
C)pre-purchase; performance; post-purchase
D)post-purchase; service; post-purchase
E)post-purchase; service; pre-purchase

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a driver of overall customer satisfaction according to the experience to profits model?

A)Core service
B)Price
C)Customer service
D)Debt to equity ratios
E)Brand

Question 16

Satisfied customers are at most risk of being tempted by competitors' offerings in the zone of:

A)indifference
B)retention
C)defection
D)affection
E)contentment

Question 17

A basic level of satisfaction of ________ factors is necessary to avoid complaints but higher levels of performance will not increase satisfaction.

A)critical
B)dissatisfier
C)neutral
D)satisfier
E)all of the above

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a benefit that an organisation may obtain from creating high levels of customer satisfaction?

A)Positive word of mouth
B)More affluent customers
C)Reduced failure costs
D)Increased levels of loyalty
E)Lower costs for attracting new customers

Question 19

Which of the following is the dominant model in satisfaction research?

A)Disconfirmation of expectation model
B)Gap model
C)Satisfaction vs.Expectation model
D)Disconfirmation of Satisfaction model
E)Customer retention

Question 20

Research conducted by Xerox discovered that delighted customers were (how many more times) likely to repurchase than a merely satisfied customer?

A)3 times
B)5 times
C)6 times
D)8 times
E)10 times

Question 21

Garvin (1988) has identified different perspectives of 'quality', which consist of the transcendent view, product-based approach and ________.

A)fulfilment approach
B)post-purchase evaluation
C)user-based definition
D)experience to profits model
E)interaction approach

Question 22

The SERVQUAL dimension of empathy includes:

A)individual attention
B)convenient operating hours
C)personal attention
D)specific customer needs
E)all of the above

Question 23

In the gaps model of service quality, which of the following best describes GAP 4?

A)Not knowing what customers expect
B)Service performance that does not match specifications
C)Specifying service standards that do not accurately reflect what management believes to be customers' expectations
D)Discrepancies between expected service and actual service delivery
E)Service not living up to levels of performance that are promoted and promised by the advertising of the company

Question 24

Which of the following is one of the methods in service 'GAP 3: Ensure that service performance meets standards prescription methods'?

A)Clarify employee roles
B)Turn information and insights into action
C)Measure performance and provide regular feedback
D)Develop advertising that features real employees
E)Reward managers and employees for attaining quality goals

Question 25

The basic E-S-QUAL scale is used for measuring core e-service quality.Which of the following is NOT one of the four dimensions used in this scale?

A)Efficiency
B)Reliability
C)Fulfilment
D)System availability
E)Privacy

Question 26

In the gaps model of service quality, which of the following best describes GAP 1?

A)Not knowing what customers expect
B)Service performance that does not match specifications
C)Specifying service standards that do not accurately reflect what management believes to be customers' expectations
D)Discrepancies between expected service and actual service delivery
E)Service not living up to levels of performance that are promoted and promised by the advertising of the company

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a dimension of SERVQUAL?

A)Tangibles
B)Fairness
C)Reliability
D)Assurance
E)Empathy

Question 28

All of the following help a service organisation to increase the level of responsiveness to its customers EXCEPT:

A)telling customers exactly when service will be performed
B)being willing to help customers whenever possible
C)trying to instil confidence in customers
D)matching competitors' levels of service whenever possible
E)giving prompt service to customers

Question 29

A customer's zone of indifference exists because of which special characteristic of services?

A)Intangibility
B)Heterogeneity
C)Perishability of output
D)Simultaneous production and consumption of services
E)Difficulty in evaluating services

Question 30

To build a service satisfaction information system, ongoing research through portfolio of research approaches has been recommended.Such research approaches may NOT involve:

A)analysis of customers complaints
B)post-transaction surveys
C)ongoing survey of account holders
D)employee surveys
E)internal sales record analysis

Question 31

Which of the following statements are true in connection with measuring customer satisfaction?

A)All firms have their own way of keeping track of the customer satisfaction metric.
B)A sophisticated customer satisfaction metric will solve the problem.
C)Innovation is rarely necessary.
D)Ensure fundamentals are right.
E)a and d

Question 32

In the gaps model of service quality, which of the following best describes GAP 2?

A)Not knowing what customers expect
B)Service performance that does not match specifications
C)Specifying service standards that do not accurately reflect what management believes to be customers' expectations
D)Discrepancies between expected service and actual service delivery
E)Service not living up to levels of performance that are promoted and promised by the advertising of the company

Question 33

A powerful tool which can be used to enable business to identify fail points in delivering a service is ________.

A)SERVQUAL
B)assurance measures
C)tangibles
D)blueprinting
E)methodology

Question 34

Which of the following methods are useful to gain the reputation of being an organisation that is known for excellent service and listening to customers?

A)Analyse customer complaints
B)Use mystery shoppers
C)Discourage complaining customers
D)All of the above
E)a and b

Question 35

In the gaps model of service quality, which of the following best describes GAP 3?

A)Not knowing what customers expect
B)Service performance that does not match specifications
C)Specifying service standards that do not accurately reflect what management believes to be customers' expectations
D)Discrepancies between expected service and actual service delivery
E)Service not living up to levels of performance that are promoted and promised by the advertising of the company

Question 36

In designing an effective service guarantee, which of the following is NOT said to create an effective service guarantee?

A)A guarantee that is easy to invoke.
B)A guarantee that is conditional.
C)A guarantee that is easy to collect on.
D)A guarantee that is meaningful.
E)A guarantee that is easy to understand and communicate.

Question 37

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A)Service guarantees are explicit promises.
B)Guarantees are most effective when customers already have a level of trust in the organisation.
C)Guarantees work when they promise high standards.
D)Guarantees work when they promise consistency.
E)Guarantees work when some form of compensations are offered.

Question 38

In which scenario is the customer's zone of indifference likely to be at its highest level and narrowest?

A)Using the service for the first time
B)Purchasing a service in a non-competitive industry
C)In a service recovery situation
D)When the customer is experienced and satisfied with previous service encounters
E)When the service organisation has provided reliable advertising of its services

Question 39

How do consumers differ, if at all, in the ways they assess satisfaction with tangible goods and services?

A)They give more weight to courteous salespeople when buying tangible goods.
B)Because of credence properties, they have more trouble assessing tangible goods.
C)With tangible goods, they have more trouble assessing outcomes.
D)With services, they have more trouble assessing technical quality.
E)They assess both in terms of conformance to technical specifications.

Question 40

Which one of the following is the main difference between service quality and customer satisfaction?

A)Perceived service quality is experience dependent and customer satisfaction is not
B)Customer satisfaction is an overall evaluated measure and perceived service quality is not
C)Perceived quality is service-specific whereas customer satisfaction is organisation-specific
D)Customer satisfaction has to be experience dependent whereas perceived service quality does not
E)Perceived service quality is an overall evaluative measure and customer satisfaction is not

Question 41

At which level of employee satisfaction are marketers likely to see the greatest strengthening of customer loyalty?

A)When basic expectations are met
B)When service improvements move customers from dissatisfied to satisfied
C)As customers enter the zone of indifference
D)Around the threshold between satisfaction and delight with the service
E)Loyalty grows at a steady rate as satisfaction rises

Question 42

Satisfaction is a consumer's post-purchase evaluation of the overall service experience.It is an effective (emotion) state or feeling reaction in which the consumer's needs, desires and expectations during the course of the service experience have been met or exceeded.

Question 43

In Herzberg's two-factor theory, dissatisfiers play the role of hygiene factors where their presence is necessary to avoid complainants.

Question 44

Consumers' pre-purchase beliefs play no role in judging post-purchase performance.

Question 45

Customer satisfaction and service quality lower the cost of attracting new customers.

Question 46

The disconfirmation of expectations paradigm is the variation between customer post-purchase evaluation of performance and customer pre-purchase expectations.

Question 47

By emphasising productivity and efficiency, what have service output measures tended to ignore?

A)Effectiveness
B)The ratio of outputs to inputs
C)Time-based standards
D)Quantitative information
E)Costs of improvement

Question 48

Australian customers would expect a manager to be responsible for apologising if they had a complaint.

Question 49

Fast and effective handling of a complaint generally will not affect customer loyalty.

Question 50

In broad terms, ________ focuses on benefits created for the customer's side of the equation, and ________ addresses the financial costs incurred by the firm.

A)productivity; quality
B)reliability, value
C)security; responsiveness
D)value; reliability
E)quality; productivity

Question 51

If pre-purchase expectations are low, a consumer is more likely to be satisfied with a service experience even when performance is poor.

Question 52

It is often easier for consumers to confidently evaluate service performance outcomes than evaluate product performance outcomes.

Question 53

For a few months, McDonald's advertised a maximum waiting time of:

A)1 minute
B)2 minutes
C)3 minutes
D)4 minutes
E)5 minutes

Question 54

The relationship between the degree of satisfaction and customer loyalty is linear.

Question 55

Hart (1988) argues that guarantees are powerful tools because they:

A)force firms to focus on customers' wants
B)build marketing muscle
C)generate meaningful feedback
D)set clear standards
E)all of the above

Question 56

To be successful in today's market, organisations need to be aware of and provide for cultural differences in their services.

Question 57

Emotional value is derived from the service's ability to enhance the customer's 'social self-concept'.

Question 58

With causal attribution, customers who assess that the company is at fault are more likely to be dissatisfied than if they partly blame their own actions.

Question 59

Organisations which promote their business as being faster and more efficient than competitors run the risk of being unable to manage their customers' high expectations.

Question 60

In a study of customer satisfaction in the Asia-Pacific region, Toyota Motor Corporation found there was no correlation between customer satisfaction and market share.

Question 61

Select a local business.Use the Gaps Model to identify the potential gaps between what customers may expect and what they actually receive from that business.What could the business do to reduce the gaps identified?

Question 62

It would be possible for a firm to be less than 100 per cent failure-free but with service recovery methods still manage 100 per cent satisfaction rating from its target customers.

Question 63

Using the Experience to Profits Model, what advice would you give to a start-up company working in the IT area?

Question 64

Think of a recent service experience where you were dissatisfied, merely satisfied or delighted.Use the example of that service experience to explain the disconfirmation of expectations model.

Question 65

Many previously two-partner GPs are moving into group practices using the prescription for closing service gaps.What advice would you give to this group of professionals in terms of the provision of customer satisfaction?

Question 66

A restaurant that opened in the '80s and until recently was still successful is now starting to see only a limited number of customers.If you were employed to address this problem, what methods would you use to increase customer satisfaction?

Question 67

Explain the similarities and differences between the concepts of perceived service quality and customer satisfaction.

Question 68

Customer expectations need to be managed.Explain different types of expectations and discuss which type of expectation a restaurant might use as the reference point for judging post-purchase performance.What could the restaurant do to manage that expectation?

Question 69

What happens backstage in an organisation has virtually no impact on the service that the customer receives.

Question 70

How important is it to deliver on expectations of overseas visitors who are only like to have one trip to the country? What could be the effect of not addressing their satisfaction?

Question 71

In recent years, Australian educational institutions have recruited a great number of their students from Asian countries.In terms of the cultural differences, is there a need to put specific service standard measures in place in the case of complaints?

Question 72

Making service processes more efficient will generally result in a better experience for the customer and a higher customer satisfaction rating.

Question 73

A company should never offer an unconditional guarantee of satisfaction.

Question 74

The transcendent view of quality as identified by Garvin (1988) is synonymous with innate excellence.

Question 75

Use the same service experience from Question 1 to explain other factors that are known to affect customers' satisfaction evaluation.