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This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/08876049810219511. When citing the article, please cite: Dan Sarel, Howard Marmorstein, (1998), “Managing the delayed service encounter: the role of employee action and customer prior experience”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 12 Iss: 3, pp. 195 - 208.

Competitive performance analysis typically relies on customer service surveys. This research highlights the importance of systematically including non‐customer input to customer service surveys. Findings indicate that perceptions of customers and non‐customers both on service importance and on firm performance can be significantly different. This research also examines the special requirements needed to apply results of customer service surveys in Latin America. Finally, a method for the simultaneous evaluation of multiple competitors is recommended. Strategies for developing competitive advantage based on the findings are discussed.

Despite the increased attention being paid to service delivery, lengthy waits for service are still common. This paper provides a conceptual and empirical examination of the effects of perceived employee action and customer prior experience, on reactions to service delays. The results of a field study of customers experiencing actual delays in a major retail bank are then discussed. The findings indicate that events and actions taking place prior to, during, and after the delay, affect consumer response. First, customers’ prior experience with that service provider is critical. Contrary to much of the literature on expectations, customers who had frequently experienced delays in the past were even more angered by the current service failure. Second, perceived employee effort during the delay had a tremendous impact on customers’ reactions. Irrespective of the length of the delay, when employees are perceived as not making a real effort, customer anger is high. Third, the impact of an apology is more complex. An apology is not a substitute for genuine employee effort. An insincere apology may even backfire, especially when customers experience frequent delays and believe employees are not making a concerted effort to help. Managerial implications for addressing this problem, before, during and after the delay, are discussed.

After investing in service quality improvement programs, firms may realize that they still face a daunting challenge: How should they persuade consumers that service has actually improved? One way of attempting to persuade consumers is to offer a service guarantee. But are guarantees credible? Are they really effective? Can they overcome consumers’ prior negative experience? Surprisingly, the topic has received very little attention. This paper provides a conceptual and an empirical examination of the persuasive power of service guarantees. Specifically, the effects of service process evidence, compensation and prior beliefs about the service provider, are examined. The experimental data indicate that the inclusion of service process evidence significantly increases consumers’ willingness to try the provider. The findings also suggest that compensation is more persuasive when service process evidence is specified in the guarantee. The synergy of presenting service process evidence and high compensation, is able to overcome consumers’ prior (negative) exposure. Overall, the study supports the conclusion that consumers are primarily interested in service reliability and only secondarily in compensation for service failures. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

This study aims to investigate critical spatial factors that may affect the utilization rate of graduate student study space in higher education institutions (HEI). It is anticipated that the results of this study could promote research productivity by more effectively engaging research space dedicated to graduate students.

A comparative quantitative analysis based on survey results was implemented. The quantitative study compares the results of Department A of the university under study with other departments on the same campus. Logistic regression is used for quantitative translation of the categorical data.

Noise level and furniture quality (both for comfort and layout design) are almost equally the most significant factors for attracting graduate students to study lounges. Based on the results from this study, with quality improvements of noise level or furniture, the probability of user occupancy rates in graduate lounges would triple.

Being a case study, the quantitative results are only applicable to the one university studied. However, the significance of noise and furniture quality as the prime factors for successful graduate study lounges could be bolstered with findings from other case studies around the nation and the world.

This study attempts to pay close attention to graduate lounge spaces within HEI. With the rising pressure on universities to offer greater benefits with the same space assets, this study helps facility managers create more efficient spaces at universities tailored for the modern style of education.

This research aims to develop an index for measuring Indonesian quality label awareness among motorcycle helmet users. The index measures quality label awareness and its antecedent variables, which are the variables that represent marketing effort on promoting the quality label.

The indicators of the index were derived from a literature review. A survey was performed. The respondents are 487 motorcycle drivers and passengers helmet users in Jakarta. The authors conducted some statistical analyses, namely, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s α analysis, and multiple regression analysis.

A quality label awareness index was developed and tested. The index consists of quality label awareness and its determinants. The determinants are label marketing clarity and label marketing credibility. The research result showed that the index is valid and reliable.

The authors performed the survey only at Jakarta using convenience sampling technique. Thus, the findings may not be generalized to other contexts. Given this, replication research is important to be performed in the future in order to test the stability of the findings in other contexts.

The index can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of quality label and quality label marketing programs.

This study is believed to be the first to develop and test consumers' quality label awareness index.

Understanding the contribution of the use of proper language to thinking development and learning processes, served as the basis of this study. The purpose of this study is to learn from parents, teachers and teacher-trainees whether their view of efficient teaching also relies on the teacher’s use of proper language.

In total, 308 teacher-trainees, teachers and parents participated in this mixed-method study. Completing a questionnaire with open and closed questions, they were asked to rate a teacher’s professionalism via a written reflection, thereby gauging their perspectives in regard to important teacher characteristics.

The main finding was that teachers’ intercultural knowledge and understanding of their students’ diversity were perceived as significantly more important than their language register. Participants did not argue that language was not important, but did not necessarily refer to it while assessing the teacher’s professionalism. No significant differences were found between the chosen three groups of participants.

Although this study included a large number of participants, it is the first of its type. As far as is known, no other study has been published in regard to people evaluating teachers’ professionalism on the basis of their language level as expressed in written reflections.

From previous studies, it is taken for granted that people will evaluate teachers’ professionalism according to the language they use. Nevertheless, this study presents different perspectives that might allow the development of different and teaching and assessments methods.