Factors Affecting Expectation Levels and Zones of Tolerance
Enduring Service Intensifiers
Things that routinely cause something to be of higher importance or with less room for failure testing services, legal matters, level of reliance Personal Needs Personal circumstances e.g., greater reliance on a service provider if you dont have a staff or knowledge in some specific area Transitory Service Intensifiers Temporary factors such as emergencies, rushes, etc. Perceived Service Alternatives Can anybody else offer the same thing? may affect tolerance range more than desired performance, if no options exist Self-Perceived Service Role To what extent did you affect the outcome? Explicit Service Promises Were guarantees made, did advertising specify an outcome? Implicit Service Promises Expectations are higher with respect to more costly offerings, better looking facilities, etc. Word of Mouth Have others influenced your expectations? Past Experience What expectations do you have based on your own past experiences are they reasonable and repeatable? Adapted from: Berry, L.L. & Parasuraman, A (----) Marketing Services: Competing through quality. The Free Press, New York.