An Assessment of the Dimensionality of Should and Will Service Expectations

Abstract

This study is a step forward in the continued evolution of our understanding of multiple standards of customer service expectations. By developing a higher‐order factor model, we examine the existence of hypothesized functional and technical dimensions of should and will expectations, and determine the causal relationships between the two types of expectations and the two hypothesized dimensions. In an effort to provide a richer conceptualization of should and will expectations, we test their dimensionality in the context of the turbulent airline industry. A survey measuring consumers' post‐encounter expectations vis‐à‐vis a well‐known airline carrier was completed by a sample of experienced travelers (N = 363). As expected, should expectations were higher than will expectations with the former exhibiting less variability than the latter. Our second‐order factor model also revealed two types of expectations, should and will, and two dimensions, functional and technical, for each type. Given its multidimensional nature, our model of customer service expectations has far‐reaching implications in carrying out and interpreting service quality and satisfaction research. Based on our findings, we recommend that managers formulate useful marketing strategies by manipulating should and will expectations simultaneously, and by focusing more on the functional as opposed to the technical dimensions, at least in the airline industry. Résumé La présente étude marque un nouveau développement dans la compréhension des diverses normes d'évaluation du service à la clientèle. Grâce à l'élaboration d'un modèle factoriel de plus haut niveau, nous examinons l'existence des dimensions à teneur fonctionnelle et technique qui sont sous‐jacentes aux attentes normatives (should) et prédictives (will) et déterminons la relation causale entre les deux types d'attentes. Dans le souci de fournir une meilleure image de la conceptualisation des attentes prédictives et normatives, nous avons choisi l'industrie aéri‐enne qui a récemment connu beaucoup de mutations. Nous avons sélectionné un échantillon composé de personnes qui ont l'habitude de voyager (N = 363) auxquelles nous avons distribué un questionnaire portant sur les attentes envers une compagnie aérienne reconnue. Conformément à notre hypothèse, le niveau des attentes normatives (should) était plus élevé que celui des attentes prédictives (will), le premier présentant une plus grande variabilityé que le second. Le facteur de second ordre a confirmé non seulement l'existence d'attentes normatives et prédictives, mais aussi l'existence de deux dimensions (fonctionnelle et technique) qui sous‐tendent chacun des deux types d'attentes étudés. De par sa nature multidimensionnelle, le modèle d'attentes proposé dans cet article comporte plusieurs implications théoriques au niveau de la recherche sur la qualityé du service et sur la satisfaction. Nos résultats nous incitent à recommander aux gestionnaires de manipuler simultanément les attentes prédictives et normatives et de concentrer...

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