The zone of tolerance is recognised in both the service quality and satisfaction literature as representing both a range of expectations and an area of acceptable outcomes in service interactions. This analysis presents hypotheses which are derived from existing literature, concerning the possible impact of a change in the “disposition of the customer”. That is whether cumulative experience has left the customer favourably or negatively disposed towards the service, and hence the impact on desired and adequate expectations and consequently the zone of tolerance. The study offers a particularly valuable insight as it is framed in a longitudinal dimension. Findings from a quantitative study suggest those who become more favourably disposed towards a service over time are likely to have significantly higher adequate expectations and a smaller zone of tolerance. Further analysis suggests that the change in the disposition of the customer is also significantly related to the change in adequate expectation standards over time.
BerryL.L., ParasuramanA., ZeithamlV.A., 1993. “Ten lessons for improving service quality”. Marketing Science Institute, Report No 93–104,.(May).
2.
BiswasA.PulligC.KrishnanB.C.BurtonS.Consumer evaluation of reference price advertisements: Effects of other brands’ prices and semantic cuesJournal of Public Policy & Marketing181199952–65
3.
BoumanM.Van der WieleT.Measuring service quality in the car service industry: Building and testing an instrumentInternational Journal of Services Industry Management3419924–16
4.
BrownT.J., ChurchillG.A., PeterJ.P., 1993. “Improving The Measurement Of Service Quality”. AC Neilsen Working Paper, Nos. 91–94, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
5.
BrownS.W.SchwartzT.A.A dyadic evaluation of the professional services encounterJournal of Marketing53198992–98(April)
6.
ButtleF.On The Role Of ExpectationsIn SERVOUAL, MEG Annual Conference Proceedings1995112–122
7.
BuzzellR.GaleB.The PIMS Principle: Linking strategv to performance1987Free PressNY
8.
CadotteE.R.WoodruffR.B.JenkinsR.L.Expectations and norms in models of consumer satisfactionJournal of Marketing Research241987305–314(August)
9.
CarmanJ.M.Consumer perceptions of service quality: An assessment of the SERVQUAL dimensionsJournal of Retailing661199033–35Spring
10.
CroninJ.J.TaylorS.A.Measuring service quality: A re-examination and extensionJournal of Marketing56199255–68(July)
11.
CrosbyL.A.StephensN.The Effects of Relationship Marketing on Satisfaction, Retention and Prices in the Life Assurance IndustryJournal of Marketing Research241987404–411(November)
12.
DevlinJ.F.Adding value to service offerings: the case of UK retail financial servicesEuropean Journal of Marketing3211–1219981091–1109
GwynneA.L.DevlinJ.F.EnnewC.T.The Zone of Tolerance: Insights and InfluencesJournal of Marketing Management162000545–564
15.
HalsteadD.HartmanD.SchmidtS.L.Multisource effects on the satisfaction formulation processJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science2221994114–129
16.
HolbrookM.B.CorfmanK.P.JacobyOlsonQuality and Value in the consumption experience: Phaedus rides again1985Perceived QualityLexington
17.
JohnstonR.The zone of tolerance: Exploring the relationships between service transactions and satisfaction with the overall serviceInternational Journal of Service Industry Management62199546–62
18.
La TourS.A., PeatN.C., 1979. “Conceptual and methodological issues in consumer satisfaction research”. WilkieW.L., (Ed), Advances in Consumer Research, 6, 432–7.
19.
LewisB.R.Defining and measuring the quality of customer serviceMarketing Intelligence & Planning86199011–17
20.
LewisB.R.Service Quality: Recent developments in financial servicesInternational Journal of Bank Marketing116199319–25
21.
LewisB.R. & SmithA.M. (1989) “Customer Care in the Service Sector: The customer's perspective”, FSRC, Manchester School of Management.
22.
MattssonJ.A service quality model based on an ideal value standardInternational Journal of Service Industry Management33199218–33
23.
MillerJ.A.Exploring satisfaction, modifying models, eliciting expectations, posing problems and making meaningful measurementsHuntH.K.Conceptualisation and Measurement of Customer Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction1977Marketing Science InstituteCambridge, MA
24.
NunnallyJ.C.Psychometric Theory1978McGraw-Hill Book CompanyNew York
25.
OliverR.L.The effects of expectations and disconfirmation on post-exposure product evaluationsJournal of Applied Psychology621977246–250(April)
26.
OliverR.L.A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisionsJournal of Marketing Research171980460–469(November)
27.
OliverR.L.A conceptual model of service quality and service satisfactionAdvances in Services Marketing and Management199365–86
28.
ParasuramanA.BerryL.L.ZeithamlV.A.Understanding customer expectations of serviceSloan Management Review3221991
29.
ParasuramanA.ZeithamlV.A.BerryL.L.A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future researchJournal of Marketing49198541–50
30.
ParasuramanA.ZeithamlV.A.BerryL.L.SERVQUAL: A multi-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service qualityJournal of Retailing6411988Summer
31.
RustR.T.ZahorikA.J.Customer satisfaction, customer retention and market shareJournal of Retailing691993193–215
32.
SinhaIDeSarboW.S.An integrated approach toward the spatial modelling of perceived customer valueJournal of Marketing Research3521998236–249
33.
SparksJ.R.HuntS.D.Marketing researcher ethical sensitivity: Conceptualisation, measurement, and exploratory investigationJournal of Marketing622199892–109
34.
SprengR.A.OlshavskyR.W.A desire congruency model of consumer satisfactionJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science211993169–177(Summer)
35.
SprengR.A.MacKenzieS.B.OlshavskyR.W.A re-examination of the determinants of consumer satisfactionJournal of Marketing60199615–32(July)
36.
StaffordM.R.Advertising sex-typed services: The effects of sex, service type, and employee type on consumer attitudesJournal of Advertising272199865–82
37.
TeasConsumer expectations and the measurement of perceived service qualityJournal of Professional Services Marketing82199333–53
38.
TseD.KWiltonP.C.Models of consumer satisfaction formation: An extensionJournal of Marketing Research251988204–212(May)
39.
WiltonP.NicosiaF.M.Emerging paradigms for the study of consumer satisfactionEuropean Research1419864–11(January)
40.
WoodruffR.B.CadotteE.R.JenkinsR.L.Modelling consumer satisfaction processes using experience-based normsJournal of Marketing Research201983296–304(August)
41.
ZeithamlV.A.Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality And Value: A Means-End Model And Synthesis Of EvidenceJournal of Marketing5219882–22
42.
ZeithamlV.A.BitnerM.J.Services Marketing, International Edition1996McGraw-HillSingapore
43.
ZeithamlV.A.BerryL.L.ParasuramanA.The nature and determinants of customer expectations of serviceJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science12119931–12
44.
ZeithamlV.A.ValerieA.BerryLeonardL.ParasuramanA.The Behavioural Consequences of Service QualityJournal of Marketing60199631–46(April)
