Service quality cost management in Japanese call centers: study using preventive-appraisal-failure model
Abstract
Purpose
This study uses the preventive-appraisal-failure (PAF) model to investigate the quality-cost behavior of call centers specializing in customer support, complaint handling and other telephone-based customer-service operations.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted a mail questionnaire survey among call center companies in Japan and analyzed the quantitative data of 37 valid responses. Factors were derived from observed variables obtained through the survey using exploratory factor analysis.
Findings
The study found that prevention costs exhibited a trade-off with external-failure costs. Also, appraisal costs demonstrated a positive correlation with internal-failure costs and acted as the indicators of internal failure. Supervisory control impacted both external and internal-failure costs. A positive relationship between internal and external-failure costs was suggested for the management of the quality cost of call centers.
Research limitations/implications
This study has three limitations: the representativeness of the sample, the validity of the questions developed by the author and the need for additional qualitative research. Future research should explore the management of service-quality costs in call centers.
Practical implications
This study recommends reducing prevention costs that increase external-failure costs and increasing prevention costs that reduce external-failure costs. Additionally, enhancing supervisor management can mitigate external and internal-failure costs.
Originality/value
This study is the first to identify the relationship between quality and cost behaviors in call centers within the context of service studies, where quality-cost management has been underexplored.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Editage (www.editage.com) for English language editing. In preparing this paper, I received appropriate guidance from beginning to end from Professor Atsuo MUKOYAMA and Associate Professor Kohei ARAI of the Graduate School of Business, Osaka Metropolitan University. I would like to express my deep gratitude here. The positive and sincere attitude of Mr. Shinichiro MAKISHITA and Mr. Takayuki KOSUGE, who are seniors in the Arai research group, in working on research was encouraging in advancing this research. I would like to express my gratitude here. The comments of the two anonymous reviewers helped to significantly improve the manuscript. I would like to express my deepest gratitude here. This study uses survey results from a questionnaire, and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the call center companies that cooperated in the survey. This work was supported by Osaka Metropolitan University Research Scholarship Project. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude.
Citation
Aramaki, M. (2025), "Service quality cost management in Japanese call centers: study using preventive-appraisal-failure model", The TQM Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-05-2024-0166
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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