Bernd Stauss

“Culture shocks” in inter‐cultural service encounters?

Service customers perceive quality in the moment of interaction with the service provider. In times of globalization, it is important for a growing number of service companies to ask if the perceived service encounter quality differs among customers from different cultures. Particularly needed is information about whether problematic “culture shocks” occur in service encounters due to culture‐bound expectations and perceptions. To answer this question, a model of inter‐cultural service encounter quality is presented. In order to test the assumption of “culture shocks” in inter‐cultural service encounters, an empirical study applying the critical incident technique (CIT) was conducted. The unexpected results of this study lead to a further development of the model presented. This gives insights into why, and under which circumstances, inter‐cultural encounters are perceived as less problematic than intra‐cultural encounters. Finally, managerial implications and open research questions are discussed.

Process‐oriented measurement of service quality

Presents the current state of the methodological discussion on the measurement of perceived service quality. Describes two approaches ‐ attribute‐based methods and the sequential incident technique (SIT). Outlines the concept and basic assumptions of SIT describes an empirical SIT study applied to measure the quality of perception of guests in club resort. Suggests that the SIT is a valuable complement to the traditional mix of quality measurement methods. Discusses a number of limitations of this method and sets out some managerial implications.

The dimensions of complaint satisfaction: process and outcome complaint satisfaction versus cold fact and warm act complaint satisfaction

There is much empirical evidence showing that the satisfaction of complainants with a company’s response has enormous impact on the customers’ future behaviour. Therefore, it becomes necessary to fully understand the construct of complaint satisfaction. Moreover, recent research provides deep insights into the determinants and consequences of complaint satisfaction. The focus of this article is on the dimensional structure of this construct. On a conceptual basis, two dimensions of complaint satisfaction are differentiated: outcome complaint satisfaction and process complaint satisfaction. The results of an empirical study are presented, demonstrating the effects of both dimensions on overall complaint satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and repurchase intention. Additionally, factor analysis leads to the identification of two factors that can be interpreted as satisfaction dimensions: cold fact complaint satisfaction and warm act complaint satisfaction. Obviously, complainants differentiate between those quality attributes that can be evaluated on the basis of objective facts on the one hand, and those that lead to more emotional reactions.

Retention effects of a customer club

Customer clubs belong to the most important and particularly cost‐intensive elements of customer retention systems. By offering specific advantages to club members, they are supposed to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, up to now there is no certainty with respect to the existence and degree of the expected loyalty effects. Thus, there still is also no sufficient foundation for an estimation whether investments in customer clubs can be justified in comparison to several alternatives of gaining new customers or customer retention. To fill this gap in information, this paper focuses on the question of which kind of retention effects of customer clubs might exist and whether there is a scientific evidence of these effects. In the first step, a theoretical model and propositions of different retention effects of customer clubs are developed. Afterwards the results of an empirical study among members of the Volkswagen Customer Club, Germany’s largest automotive customer club are presented. They indicate that customer club satisfaction has a remarkable impact on the customer’s relationship satisfaction and customer retention. Consequently it can be concluded that a customer club certainly is an important issue of retention management.

Internal services: classification and quality management

The ultimate goal of total quality programmes is customer satisfaction. In order to reach that goal, TQM applies the customer orientation maxim internally, assuming that it can be applied without problems to internal services, too. Analyses the justification for this assumption. Argues that the concept of internal customer orientation only makes sense for workflow and audit/advice services, while evaluation/audit relationships do not comprise any kind of customer‐supplier relationship. It is shown that internal customer orientation does not arise automatically but results from management decisions which bring about an appropriate setting. Deals with the characteristics of workflow and non‐standardized support/ advice services and the consequences of these for the employment of customer‐oriented quality instruments. Points out that the strict realization of internal customer orientation can cause problems which prevent organizations from improving the quality of their products and services which are market...

Using New Media for Customer Interaction: A Challenge for Relationship Marketing

Direct interaction processes, geared towards contact maintenance and repeated transactions, are an integral part of the relationship marketing concept. New types of communication now available through the internet offer a number of new and promising opportunities for the intended dialogue. This applies in particular to company-controlled communication. This gives companies the ability to customize information with regard to the individual needs of a particular customer and to optimize the customer’s feedback opportunities. To achieve this, however, companies must satisfy demanding preconditions related to technology, personnel, organization and co-ordination. Companies also face a completely different challenge arising from customer-controlled internet communication. When customers publish their criticism of products and companies online and make their individual criticism the subject of global word of mouth, customer-customer communication becomes a real threat. In order to prevent serious damage to customer relationships, managers must monitor these communications carefully, analyze them, and react appropriately.

Beschwerdemanagement : unzufriedene Kunden als profitable Zielgruppe

Kundenzufriedenheit ist fur die meisten Unternehmen ein erstrangiges Ziel. Doch unzufriedene Kunden werden nur selten als profitable Zielgruppe wahrgenommen. Nur wenige Unternehmen ermutigen Kunden, sich mit einer Beschwerde zu melden. Damit lassen sie grose okonomische Potenziale ungenutzt. Denn Beschwerdemanagement ist der zentrale Ansatz, um Kundenbindung zu sichern und Kundenverluste zu minimieren. Daruber hinaus bietet es erhebliche Moglichkeiten fur Verbesserungen von Qualitat und Effizienz. Hier setzt dieses Standardwerk in der vollig uberarbeiteten Neuauflage an: Es zeigt, wie Unternehmen durch ein aktives Beschwerdemanagement ihre Kunden zufriedenstellen und zugleich die eigenen wirtschaftlichen Ziele erreichen konnen. Highlights: - Umfangreiche Darstellung aller Aufgaben des Beschwerdemanagements - Praxisnahe - wissenschaftlich fundiert - Zusatzliche Inhalte in der Neuauflage: Verantwortung der Unternehmensleitung, strategische Planung im Beschwerdemanagement, die Beschwerdemanagement Balanced Scorcard, Weblogs im Beschwerdemanagement

Complaint management profitability: what do complaint managers know?

Despite the great impact of complaint handling on customer retention and the beneficial usage of complaint information for quality improvements, most companies have great difficulty calculating the profitability of their complaint management. As a consequence of this knowledge deficit, complaint management is often not regarded as a profit centre but as a cost centre, which makes it a probable victim for cost reductions by cutting back its activities. Hence, there is a huge challenge to develop methods and to address this issue. This work contributes to this. It is shown how complaint management profitability (CMP) can be conceptualized and several types of benefits and costs are presented. On this basis several propositions about the current practice of CMP calculation are developed. To test these propositions a comprehensive empirical study was conducted among complaint managers of major German companies in the business‐to‐consumer market. The collected information shows that the assumed CMP knowledge deficit is even higher than expected. To reduce this deficit this article provides an approach to calculate CMP on basis of the repurchase benefit.

Service Problem Deployment: Transformation of Problem Information into Problem Prevention Activities

States that customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal of total quality management efforts in the service sector and that an essential prerequisite in achieving this goal is the detection and prevention of problems which the customer encounters in the service consumption process. Proposes that an instrument is needed which will enable management to gather customer problem information comprehensively and use it as a tool for quality control, planning and service innovation. Presents Service Problem Deployment as a tool which provides a framework for the fulfilment of this task. Defines Service Problem Deployment as a planning and communication system for cross‐functional teams applying a specific set of matrices principally known from the Quality Function Deployment approach. Posits that, as a result of Service Problem Deployment, you can expect the entire service planning and delivery process to be geared consistently to the needs of customers and the goals of problem prevention and customer satisfaction.

Prozessuale Zufriedenheitsermittlung und Zufriedenheitsdynamik bei Dienstleistungen

Im Marketing Management-Konzept stellt die Zufriedenheit der Kunden mit dem unternehmerischen Leistungsangebot schon seit Jahrzehnten eine zentrale Orientierungsgrose dar. Danach gelten der Aufbau und die Erhaltung von Kundenzufriedenheit als Voraussetzung fur Kundenbindung und -loyalitat und somit fur die Realisierung okonomischer Unternehmensziele wie Umsatz und Gewinn. Die in jungster Zeit intensiv diskutierten unternehmensweiten Managementkonzepte — wie Total Quality Management oder Reengineering — haben diesen plausiblen Sachverhalt noch einmal mit Nachdruck hervorgehoben und ihn in das Bewustsein unternehmerischer Entscheidungstrager geruckt. Angesichts der bekannten Entwicklungstendenzen auf den Markten mit sich schnell wandelnden Kauferanspruchen und einer sich standig verscharfenden internationalen Konkurrenz ist es zu einer unternehmerischen Selbstverstandlichkeit geworden, sich zu Kundenorientierung, Kundennahe und Kundenzufriedenheit zu bekennen.