Service Research that Matters

Roland RustUniversity of Maryland

Outline of Talk

• Overview of my research program• 11 recommendations• Summary• Q&A

Overview of My Research Program in Service Research

• Financial impact of service• Understanding customer satisfaction• Customer-oriented strategy• Customer Equity• E-Service

Financial Impact

• Patient satisfaction (JHCM 1992 with Nelson, Zahorik & others)

• Financial impact (JR 1993 with Zahorik) – best article award

• Return on Quality (Book 1994 with Zahorik & Keiningham)

Financial Impact, cont.

• Return on Quality (JM 1995 with Zahorik & Keiningham) – Alpha Kappa Psi Foundation Award

• Indirect financial benefits (QMJ 1996 with Danaher)

• Customer satisfaction, productivity & profitability (Mktg Sci 1997 with Anderson & Fornell) – Best Services Article Award, Finalist for John D.C. Little Award

Financial Impact, cont.

• ROQ at Chase Manhattan Bank (Interfaces 1999 with Keiningham, Clemens & Zahorik)

• Quasi-experiments (JMR 2000 with Simester, Hauser & Wernerfelt)

• Service quality data for competitive marketing decisions (IJSIM 2000 with Danaher & Varki)

• Getting returns from service quality (under review, with Moorman & Dickson)

Understanding Customer Satisfaction

• Customer delight (JR 1997 with R.L. Oliver & Varki) – second place for best article

• Customer expectation distributions (Mktg Sci 1999 with Inman, Jia & Zahorik)

• Should We Delight the Customer? (JAMS 2000 with R.L. Oliver)

Customer-Oriented Strategy

• Complaint management (Mktg Mgmt 1992 with Subramanian & Wells)

• Improving quality (CMR 1993 with Kordupleski & Zahorik)

• Technology & optimal segment size (Mktg Letters 1998 with Varki)

Customer-Oriented Strategy, cont.

• The Role of Marketing (JM 1999 with Moorman & Dickson)

• Core competence vs. customer responsiveness (HBR 2002)

• The Locus of Customer Focus (under review, with Moorman & Dickson)

Customer Equity

• Driving Customer Equity (Book 2000 with Zeithaml & Lemon)

• Customer Equity drivers (Mktg Mgmt 2001 with Lemon & Zeithaml)

• Customer pyramid (CMR 2001 with Zeithaml & Lemon)

Customer Equity, cont.

• Resource allocation (Mktg Mgmt 2001 with Lemon & Zeithaml)

• CE technical paper (under review, with Lemon & Zeithaml)

E-Service

• Video dial tone (JSM 1994 with R.W. Oliver)

• The Death of Advertising (JA 1994 with R.W. Oliver)

• The Dawn of Computer Behavior (Mktg Mgmt 1997)

• Real-time marketing (Mktg Mgmt 1998 with R.W. Oliver & Varki)

E-Service, cont.

• E-service & the Consumer (IJEC 2000 with Lemon)

• E-Service (Book 2002 with Kannan)• Internet privacy (JAMS 2002 with Kannan

& Peng)

And Now 11 Unsolicited Pieces of Advice

1. Follow the Technology

• Computing technology• Internet

Examples

• DSS – ROQ & Customer Equity• E-Service

2. Think Broadly

• Tie to other functions & disciplines

Examples

• Bayesian model of customer expectation updating

• ROQ• Customer Equity

3. Abandon Yesterday’s News

• Best paper is one that starts a new research area

4. Develop Technical Skills

• Experimental design• Econometrics• Psychometrics

5. Niche, niche, niche

• Be the best.

Examples

• E-service• Customer equity

6. Be Provocative

• Challenge a sacred cow• Make someone mad!

Examples

• ROQ• Customer Equity

7. Find Co-Authors with Complementary Skills

• Compensate for your weaknesses

Examples

• Psychology – Rich Oliver• Experimental Design – Jeff Inman• Managerial Research – Chris Moorman

8. Talk to Managers

• Centers• Executive programs• Consulting• Managerial conferences

Examples

• Customer Equity• Customer-oriented strategy

9. Ignore Boundaries

• “This is not service.”• “This is not marketing.”• “This is not business.”

10. Believe in Yourself

• The review process• Learning and growing

11. Sell Your Ideas

• Conferences (academic & managerial)• Send out papers (reprints)• Think like a marketer

Summary

• Follow the technology

• Think broadly• Abandon yesterday’s

news• Develop technical

skills• Niche, niche, niche• Be provocative

• Find co-authors with complementary skills

• Talk to managers• Ignore boundaries• Believe in yourself• Sell your ideas