When does the service process matter? A test of two competing theories

Abstract

This article examines the interactive effect of process quality and outcome quality on service evaluation. Experiment 1 shows that the interaction between the two types of quality follows a pattern predicted by two-factor theory. In contrast, experiment 2 demonstrates that when consumers feel uncertain about the service outcome prior to consumption, they will use process quality as a heuristic substitute in their assessment of the trustworthiness of the service provider. The resulting interaction between the types of quality then follows a pattern predicted by fairness heuristic theory.