DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is customer satisfaction, and why is it so important? Discuss how customer satisfaction can be
influenced by each of the following: product attributes and features; customer emotions; attributions
for success or failure; perceptions of fairness; and family members or other customers.
According to the chapter, satisfaction is “the customer’s evaluation of a product or service in terms of
whether that product or service has met their needs and expectations.” Failure to meet needs and
At the firm level, Figure 4.3 illustrates the critical linkages between satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Product and service features and attributes, customer emotions, attributions, and perceptions of
fairness, and other consumers, family members, and co-workers can all influence customer
2. What is the ACSI? Do you believe that such national indicators of customer satisfaction should be
included as benchmarks of national economic well-being similar to Gross Domestic Product (GDP),
price indicators, and productivity measures?
The ACSI is the American Customer Satisfaction Index, developed by researchers at the National
Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan. The measure tracks customer perceptions
An interesting discussion can be lead regarding the pros and cons of the various measures listed as
indicators of economic well-being. The unique feature of the ACSI is that it is based on customer
3. Why do service companies generally receive lower satisfaction ratings in the ACSI than nondurable
and durable product companies?
Several possible reasons for the lower satisfaction ratings are cited in the text. Perhaps it is the trend
in recent years toward downsizing that has resulted in lower quality being provided on the front lines.
4. Discuss the differences between perceptions of service quality and customer satisfaction.
This question is rather esoteric for most student groups. However, if the instructor is comfortable
with the debates in the literature (cited at the end of the chapter, Note 2) the question can provide a
5. List and define the five dimensions of service quality. Describe the services provided by a firm you
do business with (your bank, your doctor, your favorite restaurant) on each of the dimensions. In
your mind, has this organization distinguished itself from its competitors on any particular service
quality dimension?
The five dimensions and their brief definitions are found on pages 87-91. By applying the dimensions
6. Describe a remote encounter, a phone encounter, and a face-to-face encounter that you have had
recently. How did you evaluate the encounter, and what were the most important factors determining
your satisfaction/dissatisfaction in each case?
This question allows students to see the variety of ways service encounters occur and how different
7. Describe an “encounter cascade” for an airplane flight. In your opinion, what are the most
important encounters in this cascade for determining your overall impression of the quality of the
airline?
Using the format in Figure 4.4, an airline encounter cascade could be described as:
order tickets via phone
receive tickets in the mail
At any point in this encounter cascade, the passenger may interact with airline personnel; thus, each
This can be followed with a more positive approach to the question:
8. Why did the gentleman described in Exhibit 4.1 leave his bank after thirty years? What were the
underlying causes of his dissatisfaction in that instance, and why would that cause him to leave the
bank?
The true story related in Exhibit 4.1 always engenders a good (short) discussion and makes a lasting
impression on students. The story illustrates how sometimes just one service encounter can make a
profound difference in a customer’s perceptions of a firm. In this case the impression was negative
9. Assume you are a manager of a health club. Discuss general strategies you might use to maximize
customers’ positive perceptions of your club. How would you know if you were successful?
Most students are very familiar with health clubs so this context is a good one for getting them to
think about customer satisfaction strategies. Two sections of the chapter can be particularly useful
here. First, the students could build a strategy around the concepts shown in Figure 4.1 and the
It is important to note here that monitoring customer perceptions will be critical to knowing if the
strategy is successful. Chapter 5 will provide specifics on how and what to measure.