1. Consumer Behavior in Services

2. Search, Experience and Credence Properties
Search qualities
Attributes that a consumer can determine before purchasing a product
Color, style, price, fit, hardness, smell
Experience qualities
Attributes that can be discerned only after purchase or during consumption
Vacations, meals
Credence qualities
Characteristics that the consumer may find impossible to evaluate even after purchase and consumption
Legal services, TV repair, Auto repair, Medical diagnosis

3. Continuum evaluation for different types of products

4. Stages in consumer decision making process
Information Search
Need Recognition
Information Search
Evaluation of Alternatives
Purchase
Post experience evaluation
Consumer Experience

5. Information Search Non - Personal sources Personal sources
Use of Personal sources higher
Capabilities of Mass and selective media can convey experience quality
Limited non personal sources
Many service provider are local and independent
Influence of word of mouth

6. Perceived risk Higher Non standardized nature
Warranties and guarantees
Lack of knowledge possessed by customers (technical/ specialized)
Over come strategies
Guarantees, more tangible (UPS, FedEx),
Offering free or reduced cost trail

7. Evaluation of Alternatives
Limited alternatives (Saloon, Banks) as Single brand in offer
Proximity of service provider
Difficulty of obtaining pre purchase information
Internet’s role: airlines, hotels
Performing themselves or out sourcing

8. Service Purchase Goods fully produced before purchase
Purchased and produced simultaneously
E.g: restaurant
Pay partly/ fully before produced
E.g: vacation, construction, long term contracts
Inherent risk minimize strategies
Free/ deeply discounted service
Service level agreements

9. Consumer Experience Services as processes
- sequence of steps, actions e.g medical care
Service performances: Walt Disney, circus, drama
Service roles (air hostess, waiter) and scripts (logical sequence of events expected by a customer)
Compatibility of service customer: over crowding, behavior, beliefs
Customer co production: education, outsourcing, consulting

10. Post Experience Evaluation
Word of mouth communication
Attribution of dissatisfaction
Positive or negative biases
Remembrance, influence, weightage
+ve bias for service
Brand loyalty
Depends on cost of changing brand (switching cost)
Availability of substitutes
Social ties to the company
The perceived risk associated with the purchase
Satisfaction obtained in the past