Purpose -The purpose of this article is to investigate the path service quality ! customer satisfaction ! loyalty, at the level of constructs, drawing from the Greek insurance industry. Design/methodology/approach -A SERVQUAL type service-quality instrument is developed for Greek insurance. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses are used to determine the scale's dimensionality. Path analysis is utilized to examine a model linking service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty at the level of constructs' individual determinants. Findings -SERVQUAL's dimensionality is not confirmed. A non-tangibles, tangibles structure exists in Greek insurance. "Tangibles" does not affect customer satisfaction while WOM is an antecedent of repurchasing intentions. Satisfaction does not directly influence the latter. Research limitations/implications -This study suffers the limitation that it tests the fit of the model within the limits of a single service industry. Another limitation is availability sampling. However, the satisfactory fit of the estimated model allows for the study to be a reliable comparison basis for future research. Practical implications -Insurance managers may use GIQUAL for measuring the quality of insurance services offered. They must improve the intangible rather than the tangible elements of service and direct their support mechanisms towards developing customers willing to engage in positive WOM. The proposed model can be used to provide comparable findings across sectors, countries and time provided that, in each case, an appropriately customized SERVQUAL type scale is used.Originality/value -This study explores the service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty path at the level of specific dimensions drawing from Greek insurance.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the well-established nomological network of service quality-relationship quality-customer loyalty by introducing service fairness – a distinct service evaluation concept. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the impact of service fairness on relationship quality as a complementary to service quality driver, and the direct and indirect effect of service fairness on customer loyalty in the presence of service quality and relationship quality in a no failure/recovery effort service context. Design/methodology/approach – A telephone survey of a random sample of 408 customers of auto repair and maintenance services was implemented using a structured questionnaire with established scales. Data were analyzed with partial least squares path methodology, a structural equation modeling methodology. Findings – Interactional fairness is the most important formative determinant of customers’ overall fairness perception, followed by procedural and distributive fairness. Relationship quality measured as a higher order construct, made of satisfaction; trust; affective and calculative commitment, is the main determinant of customer loyalty. Also, it partially mediates, along with service quality, the relationship between service fairness and customer loyalty and fully mediates the effect of service quality on customer loyalty. Finally, service fairness has the highest overall effect on customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications – The sample is industry-specific and this may affect generalizability of findings. Also, the cross-sectional design adopted does not reflect temporal changes. Practical implications – Interactional fairness is of utmost importance to customers of the investigated industry. So, customers should be fairly treated at every point of contact. Also, service quality is heavily affected by service fairness. Thus, fair service leads to high-perceived service quality. Third, service quality affects customer loyalty only through relationship quality. Only when service quality is coupled by long-term quality relationships, signs of customer loyalty appear. Finally, service fairness influences customer loyalty mainly through service and relationship quality and has the highest overall effect on customer loyalty. So, fairly treating customers is crucial for developing long-term relationships that lead to customer loyalty. Originality/value – The role of service fairness in the service quality-relationship quality-customer loyalty chain is investigated and using a higher order construct for relationship quality.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the effect of culture on service quality and customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachBy extending GIQUAL, an instrument developed for measuring service quality in Greek Insurance, to measure the culture of individuals, hypotheses on all 25 possible relationships between the dimensions of culture and of service quality are determined and tested. The relationships between the dimensions of service quality and customer satisfaction, in the light of culture, are further examined.FindingsOf the 25 hypothesized relationships between the dimensions of culture and of service quality, 23 are confirmed and the remaining two are directionally supported. The hypothesized importance of the service quality dimensions is also confirmed. However, the expected association between the importance of quality dimensions and the strength of their relationships with customer satisfaction is only directionally supported. Although the typology of Hofstede is used in the study, a culture different from the one specified for Greece by Hofstede's scores is exposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of this study are first, that it is based on a single service industry and secondly, that convenience sampling is used. However, its methodology and conclusions provide a solid basis for future research.Practical implicationsInsight on using culture for directing resources where quality investments are needed most is provided to managers. Although weak, the directional support for the hypothesized effect of the importance of quality dimensions on their relationships with customer satisfaction enhances the value of the findings. Different sub‐cultures that may be found in varying market segments can be used for determining quality investment priorities.Originality/valueThis study explores the effects of culture on service quality and customer satisfaction drawing evidence from Greek Insurance.

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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to build a retail‐banking specific quality scale and, through its examination and comparison with the SERVQUAL and BSQ metrics that are currently used in banking, to deepen understanding of quality determinants in the industry. Furthermore, the study is set to provide additional input to the debate over generic against setting/industry/time‐specific quality metrics.Design/methodology/approachThe study is implemented through a two‐stage process of literature review and empirical survey. Evidence drawn from Greek retail banking, through a specially designed research tool, is analyzed through reliability, factorial and regression analysis to determine the scale's item and factorial structure and assess its reliability and validity.FindingsThe BANQUAL‐R metric is introduced, with key elements assurance/empathy, effectiveness, reliability and confidence, a combination of SERVQUAL and BSQ dimensions. Findings back the setting‐specific approach of service quality and the notion that SERVQUAL provides the skeleton on which setting‐specific scales should be built.Practical implicationsBank managers are provided with a reliable and valid metric of service quality in retail banking. Its dimensionality implies that under credit‐crunch conditions service delivery should be directed towards reinstating customers' trust and confidence that are put in danger. Banks should redirect resources from tangibles to the human contact‐related service elements.Originality/valueAlthough the subject of “service quality measurement” is extensively researched, the continuously changing marketing environment calls for an ongoing assessment of quality factors. With respect to its academic value, the study accumulates knowledge that will eventually outgrow the boundaries of academia and pervade management.