Are rural service firms getting it right? A case-study comparing service quality priorities of providers and users

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

In this study we revisit the service quality elements which we developed for rural service users in southwest Scotland (Moyes, 2012). Through the lens of one service provider, an equestrian centre in the West of Scotland, we examine the delivery priorities of the owner and contrast those with the key evaluation criteria of users. Through a series of in depth interviews with the owner and the application of the Critical Incident Technique (Flanagan, 1954) with customers, we gain insights into their respective service quality priorities. We contrast these with those developed in our earlier study to gain further insights into rural customer loyalty behaviour. We also ask whether Lean quality principles are appropriate for a rural small business seeking to improve service quality within very constrained resources. We conclude that responsiveness to the customer needs built onto a strong foundation of reliability is a major factor in achieving customer satisfaction. We conclude that Lean manufacturing provides the underpinning conditions upon which service quality can be achieved.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Event16th Toulon-Verona (ICQSS) Conference “Excellence in Services” - Ljubljana, Slovenia
Duration: 29 Aug 201330 Aug 2013

Conference

Conference16th Toulon-Verona (ICQSS) Conference “Excellence in Services”
Country/TerritorySlovenia
CityLjubljana
Period29/08/1330/08/13

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