Self‐Service Operations at Retail Stores: The Role of Inter‐Customer Interactions

Inter‐customer interactions are important to the operation of self‐services in retail settings. More specifically, when self‐service terminals are used as part of customers’ checkout processes in retail operations without the explicit involvement of retailers as the direct service providers, inter‐customer interactions become a significant managerial issue. In this article, we examine the impact of inter‐customer interactions at retail self‐service terminals on customers’ service quality perceptions and repeat purchase intentions at retail stores. We conduct a scenario‐based experimental design (N = 674) using a 2 × 2 factorial design in which inter‐customer interactions are divided into “positive” vs. “negative” and occur during the “waiting” or during the actual “transaction” stages of self‐services at a retail store. We use attribution theory to develop the hypotheses. The results demonstrate that, through their interactions, fellow customers can exert influences on a focal customer's quality perceptions and repeat purchasing intentions toward a retail store. Furthermore, these influences were impacted by how customers attribute blame or assign responsibility toward the retail store. Service operations managers should leverage these interactions by designing into self‐service settings the capacities and interfaces that are best suited for customers’ co‐production of their self‐service experiences.     

A Mathematical Model of Service Failure and Recovery Strategies*

Understanding the nature of service failures and their impact on customer responses and designing cost‐effective recovery strategies have been recognized as important issues by both service researchers and practitioners. We first propose a conceptual framework of service failure and recovery strategies. We then transform it into a mathematical model to assist managers in deciding on appropriate resource allocations for outcome and process recovery strategies based on customer risk profiles and the firm's cost structures. Based on this mathematical model we derive optimal recovery strategies, conduct sensitivity analyses of the optimal solutions for different model parameters, and illustrate them through numerical examples. We conclude with a discussion of managerial implications and directions for future research.     

Uncertainty Reduction Approaches,Uncertainty Coping Approaches,and Process Performance in Financial Services

Developing a better understanding of the impact of uncertainty on process performance has been recognized as an important research opportunity in service design ( Hill, et al., 2002 ). Within this general research stream, our study focuses on the question of what managers can do to most effectively address operational uncertainty and mitigate its negative effects. To begin to address this question, we report on an exploratory study using a sample of professionals in the financial‐services industry who acted as informants on 108 financial‐services processes. These professionals were sampled from a population of graduates of a university in the northeastern region of the United States who were employed in the financial‐services industry. Based on these processes, we empirically examine the relationship between responses to operational uncertainty and process performance after controlling for customer mix, other uncertainty sources, and process type characteristics. Our findings suggest that process improvement—an uncertainty reduction approach related to the internal functioning of the process—as well as several uncertainty coping approaches are associated with better performing processes. However, uncertainty reduction approaches related to customer involvement with, and demands on, the process are not associated with better performing processes. We discuss the implications of our findings for determining what actions managers can take to reduce the negative performance effects of operational uncertainty and how managers can decide which of these actions to take. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations of our study.     

平台服务和物流服务对网络商家信心的影响——商家信誉的调节作用

在电子商务平台中,商家日常经营所需的服务与传统零售业有所不同,主要包括平台服务和物流服务两种。商家信心决定着平台的生存发展,但尚未有文献从信心视角对平台服务和物流服务展开研究。本文使用3995位淘宝店铺经营者的调查数据,建立次序回归模型分析发现:平台服务和物流服务都对商家信心有正向影响;商家信誉具有调节作用,随着信誉等级的提高,平台服务对商家信心的影响逐渐增强;而信誉等级较低的商家信心更容易受物流服务影响。     

Optimal Workforce Mix in Service Systems with Two Types of Customers

We consider a service system with two types of customers. In such an environment, the servers can either be specialists (or dedicated) who serve a specific customer type, or generalists (or flexible) who serve either type of customers. Cross‐trained workers are more flexible and help reduce system delay, but also contribute to increased service costs and reduced service efficiency. Our objective is to provide insights into the choice of an optimal workforce mix of flexible and dedicated servers. We assume Poisson arrivals and exponential service times, and use matrix‐analytic methods to investigate the impact of various system parameters such as the number of servers, server utilization, and server efficiency on the choice of server mix. We develop guidelines for managers that would help them to decide whether they should be either at one of the extremes, i.e., total flexibility or total specialization, or some combination. If it is the latter, we offer an analytical tool to optimize the server mix.     

Globalization and its impact on global managers' decision processes

Globalization of business can have a profound impact on the decision-making processes of managers responsible for making these complex interrelated decisions. This paper explores the global decision-making processes of global managers. The first element examined is the multiple intelligences that global managers need to be able to address the issues associated with global decisions. These eight IQs are considered critical elements in the decision-making capabilities of global managers. Following this discussion, the composition of global groups and their impact on the decision-making process is explored to determine how the composition of the group inhibits/supports the global manager. The next step in the decision-making process discussed in the paper is that of the nature of the task(s). The type of task can have a direct impact on the effectiveness as well as the efficiency of global manager's decision-making. The crux of the issue is that a global orientation to decision-making is poised as being significantly different from decision processes use by managers in a multinational context.     

An interdependent layered network model for a resilient supply chain

This paper addresses the problem of designing supply chains that are resilient to natural or human-induced extreme events. It focuses on the development of efficient restoration strategies that aid the supply chain in recovering from a disruption, thereby limiting the impact on its customers. The proposed restoration model takes into account possible disruptions to infrastructures, e.g., transportation and communications, by explicitly formulating their logical relationships with supply chains. A problem solving process is proposed that provides for cooperation between the managers of the infrastructures and the managers of the supply chains disrupted by an extreme event. Both the model and the problem solving process are exercised with a realistic industry problem.     

面向顾客模糊性要求的服务交互价值共创研究

服务接触中顾客所提出的模糊性要求,为服务交互管理带来诸多挑战。动态刻画面向模糊性要求的服务交互价值共创过程为理解和应对模糊性要求提供了具体的视角。本研究通过构建服务交互价值共创模型,模拟面向模糊性要求情景的单人单次和单人多次服务交互的价值共创过程。结果表明,三个核心判断条件识别出价值共创的四种典型情形;多次交互情境下,员工自由应对时平均能力提升方向不定,员工间个体能力差异也较大,而企业对员工的干预能有效提升员工能力和服务质量。该研究首次动态阐释了非常规波动下顾企价值共创的具体过程,也明确了企业对员工应对模糊性要求干预的必要性和有效性。     

顾客满意度不确定性对服务质量评价的影响

在以顾客为中心的时代,企业服务质量的评价直接依赖于顾客满意度的高低,而顾客满意度的评价结果往往是基于某种评价等级的一个分布.论文研究顾客满意度评价的不确定性对服务质量总体评价的影响,结果表明在服务质量的评价中存在着一种“反射现象”,即当服务质量总体水平处于满意的状态下,管理者追求的是保持和稳定,展现出对不确定性的厌恶;而当服务质量总体水平处于不满意的状态时,管理者力图改变和进步,展现出对不确定性的偏爱,而且,顾客满意度评价的负面结果要比同等程度的正面结果对服务质量总体评价的影响要大.这些现象在两项实证研究中获得了中高层管理人员的确认.作者进一步建立了一个在顾客满意度有不确定性情况下服务质量评价的模型.     

Dynamic capacity adjustments with reactive customers

In this paper we develop a behavioural model in which customers come and go based on their perception of waiting time (relative to other facilities) while managers gradually adjust the capacity of the facility based on their perception of demand. We explicitly account for the difference in access to information between existing and potential customers, which implies that the perception of potential customers lags the perception of current customers. We investigate the outcome of the interaction between these simultaneous dynamic decision processes, and in particular the impact of the lags created by the perception formation process and the time to implement desired changes in capacity. These multiple delays may result in customers and service provider being out of step: customers walk away just as the service provider manages to bring extra capacity online.     

PIECING TOGETHER SERVICE QUALITY: A FRAMEWORK FOR ROBUST SERVICE*

This paper addresses the issue of service design, specifically that of designing the service encounter for improved quality. We introduce a framework based on the three T's of task, treatment, and tangibles as a means of organizing the application of the diverse and growing body of service quality literature to encounter design. The framework is consistent with how successful service managers disaggregate the design problem. More importantly, we show that mutually supportive interrelationships between the three T's produce an opportunity for designing in a robustness to service failure. The framework is supported by case based evidence.     

公仆型领导、员工集体和个人的工作态度对服务质量的影响

作者在13家宾馆和餐馆进行了一次实证研究,探讨饭店管理人员的公仆型领导风格、员工集体和个人的工作态度对员工的服务质量的影响。多层次线性模型分析结果表明,部门的公仆型领导氛围会直接影响员工集体的工作满意感,并通过集体情感性归属感,间接影响员工的服务质量。部门的公仆型领导氛围会调节员工感知的部门负责人的公仆型领导风格对他们的服务质量的影响;员工集体的情感性归属感会调节员工个人的工作满意感和情感性归属感对服务质量的影响。     

IT服务企业中文化对知识共享与创新行为关系的影响

在全球一体化进程加速、IT服务企业员工文化价值取向趋于多元化的背景下,有必要了解员工文化观念对企业的影响。本文研究员工的集体主义观念和权力距离观念对IT服务企业中知识共享与创新行为之间关系的影响。在北京、西安的具有不同文化特色的IT服务企业进行问卷调查,收集了484份问卷,运用SPSS及SmartPLS进行数据分析。研究结果表明:员工的集体主义观念增强时,知识共享对创新行为的影响会增加;权力距离增大时,知识共享对创新行为的影响会减弱。对实践的启示是:管理者应培养、提高员工的集体主义文化价值观;根据公司的企业文化特色,区分对待员工权力距离对知识共享与创新行为之间关系的影响作用。     

IT驱动的虚拟社区知识共享对跨境电商服务质量的影响研究

随着跨境电子商务(跨境电商)的快速发展,网购消费者对跨境电商服务质量的投诉量持续增加。为了探索跨境电商服务质量的提升策略,本研究基于顾客感知角度,提出信息技术(IT)驱动的虚拟社区知识共享对易用性、可靠性、响应性和移情性等电商服务质量维度的影响模型。我们通过问卷方式对有跨境网购经验的顾客进行调查,利用统计分析软件对获得的458份问卷数据进行结构方程模型分析,得出结果：在跨境电商情景下,知识共享程度不同的顾客对易用性、响应性、可靠性和移情性的感知具有显著差异;IT驱动的虚拟社区知识共享可以显著地影响易用性、可靠性、响应性和移情性。根据此结果,给出了通过IT驱动的虚拟社区知识共享提升跨境电商服务质量的管理启示。     

服务补救中顾客情绪对顾客满意之影响的实证研究

在顾客服务补救满意的研究中,本文引入情绪变量,提出了包含服务失败、服务补救整个过程的研究模型,采用情景模拟的方法进行了实证研究。研究表明:顾客在服务补救后的满意,受顾客服务补救后情绪的影响,而不是受顾客服务失败时的初始情绪的影响。其中,补救后积极情绪对补救满意有显著的正向影响;补救后外在归因消极情绪对补救满意有显著的负向影响。     

Managing Quality in the E‐Service System: Development and Application of a Process Model

In this paper, we develop a process model for assessing and managing e‐service quality based on the underlying components of the e‐service system and, in turn, address the growing need to look in more detail at the system component level for sources of poor quality. The proposed process model is comprised of a set of entities representing the e‐service system, a network defining the linking between all pairs of entities via transactions and product flows, and a set of outcomes of the processes in terms of quality dimensions. The process model is developed using Unified Modeling Language (UML), a pictorial language for specifying service designs that has achieved widespread acceptance among e‐service designers. Examples of applications of the process model are presented to illustrate how the model can be use to identify operational levers for managing and improving e‐service quality.     

Are Self‐Service Customers Satisfied or Stuck?

This paper investigates the impact of self‐service technology (SST) usage on customer satisfaction and retention. Specifically, we disentangle the distinct effects of satisfaction and switching costs as drivers of retention among self‐service customers. Our empirical analysis examines 26,924 multi‐channel customers of a nationwide retail bank. We track each customer's channel usage, overall satisfaction, and retention over a 1‐year period. We find that, relative to face‐to‐face service, customers who use self‐service channels for a greater proportion of their transactions are either no more satisfied, or less satisfied with the service they receive, depending on the channel. However, we also find that these same customers are predictably less likely to defect to a competitor if they are heavily reliant on self‐service channels characterized by high switching costs. Through a mediation model, we demonstrate that, when self‐service usage promotes retention, it does so in a way that is consistent with switching costs. As a robustness check, we examine the behavior of channel enthusiasts, who concentrate transactions among specific channels. Relative to more diversified customers, we find that self‐service enthusiasts in low switching cost channels defect with greater frequency, while self‐service enthusiasts in high switching cost channels are retained with greater frequency.     

The systemic perspective of service processes: underlying theory,architecture and approach

As competition in the service industry grows, delivering high-quality service to meet customers’ needs and expectations becomes paramount. In order to achieve a thorough understanding of customers, companies are increasingly adopting Customer Relationship Management (CRM) initiatives. However, CRM does not have the process vision necessary to cope with complex and cross-functional processes. This problem is better handled by Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives, which, by their turn, struggle to built-in customer intelligence in their systems. Based upon systems theory, we discuss the roles of CRM and BPM in an integrated approach to deliver customer fulfillment. As the evolution of service-oriented approaches requires us to consider both customer interactions and experiences as key elements of service processes, we present a broader perception of service processes involving these two perspectives. Also, we discuss the architecture of a customer-facing system comprising customer processes that are aimed at better dealing with customer interactions.     

Waiting: integrating social and psychological perspectives in operations management

Waiting time is an important issue in service operations management because of its impact on customer satisfaction and operations capabilities. This paper examines waiting time from a social and psychological perspective. It provides a conceptual framework which identifies social and psychological factors that affect perceptions of waiting. The conceptual framework enables service managers to rethink operational issues, such as layout design, process choices, and service delivery from customers’ perceptions of waiting. Assimilation–contrast theory suggests that perceived waiting time be linked to expected waiting time and its gap leads to customers’ overall evaluation of service. A customer’s willingness to accept delay is related to the causes for delay as explained by attribution theory. Approaching waiting time from a stress management theory, this paper provides service managers with various stress-reduction mechanisms such as giving customers advance notice of expected waiting time, speeding up pre-process waiting time, and acknowledging customers’ rights to quick service. These practical suggestions can aid service managers in reducing perceived waiting time, enhancing customers’ waiting experience, and improving queue management.