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ModelsofCustomerExpectationsinConsultingServices
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-communication-keepingcustomersinformedinlanguagetheycanunderstand
andlisteningtothem.
Therearemanysourceswhichproofthatcustomersupdatetheirownexpecta-
tionsconcerningtheservice-processanditsoutcomeswhenonlytheyreceiverele-
vantinformation[1,3,5,6,12,13,16,20,25].Changesofexpectationstakeplace
undertheexternalinformation(frombehindthesystem:serviceprovider-cus-
tomer)aswellasundertheinternalinformation(forexample:asaresultofthe
influenceofadvisoryfirmsrepresentatives[4,24]).Thechangeofthefirstexpec-
tationscanhappenbeforeandduringtheserviceencounter(theserviceencounter
is-incaseofcomplicatedadvisoryservices-prolonged)[3].Changesofexpecta-
tions(e.g.socalledtheoccurrenceofthecreepexpectations)calloutseriousprob-
lems[15,28]formanagingstaffofconsultingfirms.
Theidentificationofcustomerexpectationsbyconsultingfirmshasacritical
meaningfortheformationofthehighqualityservice-product[23,30].Theservice
qualitydependsontherelationbetweenperceivedserviceandcustomerexpecta-
tions[9,17,22].Fivegapswereidentified[22]:
1.Betweencustomerexpectationandmanagement’sperceptionsofthoseexpecta-
tions,i.e.notknowingwhatcustomerexpect.
2.Betweenmanagement’sperceptionsofcustomerexpectationsandservicequali-
tyspecifications,i.e.thewrongservice-qualitystandards.
3.Betweenservicequalityspecificationsandservicedelivery,i.e.theserviceper-
formancegap.
4.Betweenservicedeliveryandexternalcommunicationstocustomersaboutser-
vicedelivery,i.e.whenpromisesdonotmatchdelivery.
5.Betweencustomerexpectationandperceivedservice(thetotaloftheotherfour
gaps).
Inmanycasesidentificationofcustomerexpectationsisnotdifficult,especially
whenatypical,andrepeatableadvisoryproblemissolved.Thereare,however,
situationsinwhichthisidentificationismadedifficultwhatisconnectedwithcon-
siderablenumberandcomplicatedstructureofexpectations,non-typicalcustomer
expectationsandwiththevariabilityoftheseexpectationsintime.Thefollowing
non-typicalcustomerexpectationswerelistedinthepaper[3]:incorrect,false,
concealed(passingoverinsilence),violatingethicaland/orlegalnorms,fuzzy,
unrealisticandcontradictory.Theadvisoryfirmsorientedtothemarketshould
fullyidentifyagivenkind,alevelandastructureoftheirowncustomerexpecta-
tions[2,7].
Theaimofthepresentpaperistopresenttheconceptideaofmodellingcus-
tomerexpectationsinconsultingfirms.Suchmodelsshouldassureidentificationof
expectations,theirlevel,thestructureandchangesintime.Thesefactsshouldin
turnservetotheimprovementofcustomerexpectationsmanagementinconsulting
firms.
