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The findings of the present study show that healthier patients, older patients, males, those with a lower level of education, those who perceive system performance to be high and those with lower levels of system usage are more satisfied with both their healthcare and health plan than their opposite counterparts. Regarding the incremental effects of these variables, the most striking finding is the strong, pivotal role of physicians in influencing patient satisfaction with healthcare. In regard to satisfaction with health plan, the extent of the problems that members have had with their health plan has by far the largest statistical influence on their satisfaction with that plan. The effects of other independent variables including the three demographic variables, self-stated health status, number of visits to doctor's office or clinic, and issues related to access, though significant, show relatively small statistical influences on overall satisfaction with healthcare and health plan.

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Store image has long been recognized as a determinant of business success and has been used as a positioning and differentiation tool. Over the years, the retail image research stream has witnessed numerous conceptual and operational definitions, However, despite the long‐term fascination of researchers with this construct, substantial “noise” is evident in store image research. Provides an overview of the store image literature and illustrates the usefulness of an attribute‐anchored conjoint methodology for operationalizing this construct.

Purpose: To produce up-to-date inventories for satisfaction and Likert scales that contain commonly used scale point descriptors and their respective mean scale values and standard deviations. Methodology/Approach: All data were collected online using the SSI Survey Spot Panel. The panel is national (U.S.) in scope and was screened to include individuals 21-65 years of age. A random sample was drawn. Thirty-nine satisfaction items and 19 agreement items were tested, and the mean value and the standard deviation were calculated for each of these descriptors. Findings: Even though only six of the items that had been tested by Jones and Thurstone (1955) were included in the list of satisfaction scale descriptors, the semantic meanings of those six have changed very little over the years. Research limitations/implications: One limitation of the current study might be the chosen service context, since scale point descriptor inventories developed within the context of health insurance might not be valid in other service contexts. Practical Implications: Since the present study focuses on two types of scales that are frequently used in service environments, namely Likert and satisfaction scales, the major contribution of this study is to provide researchers and managers in services marketing with quantitative measurement of the meanings of commonly used scale point descriptors, which as pointed out by Myers and Warner (1968) will make possible the development of equal interval scales and thus aid analyses of data sets. It will thus help service marketers to develop questionnaires that more accurately reflect actual consumer satisfaction and opinions.