Assessing the Cumulative Effect of Service Errors on Customer Perceptions

Abstract

To decrease the possibility of customer defections, service managers need to track the cumulative effect of service errors on customer perceptions. Despite this need, past research in the service management literature does not provide managers with comprehensive methodologies tailored to this problem. Most previous research views service error as either a technical issue which can be addressed via reliability tools commonly used in manufacturing or as a dimension of service quality which can be assessed via customer feedback a single point in time. This paper will integrate concepts from both of these approaches to propose a methodology for analyzing the cumulative effect of service errors on customer perceptions. The methodology will also include a framework for classifying service error.