Ingratiation and Assertiveness in the Service Provider–Customer Dyad

Abstract

This study examined influence tactics used in the service encounter in relation to organizational service climate, on one hand, and customer satisfaction with the quality of service, on the other. Questionnaires were administered to 115 service provider–customer dyads, and the data were analyzed with structural equation modeling. The results show that both the organizational service climate and the customer’s behavior affect the influence tactics employed by the service provider. The customer’s satisfaction with the quality of the service is increased by ingratiation and decreased by the assertive behavior of the service provider. The results are discussed with regard to the role of influence processes in the service encounter.