Reality or Perception?

Abstract

The extent to which actual (rather than perceived) performance influences customer satisfaction has received limited attention by researchers, yet it is important for managers to understand the extent to which customer perceptions and behavioral intentions are associated with actual service performance. This study investigates the links between actual and perceived performance, customer standards, attributions, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. The results suggest that actual performance is a significant predictor of customer satisfaction, separate from its indirect association via perceived performance. Customers' comparison standards are also suggested to affect satisfaction both directly and indirectly. Customer attributions, in contrast, do not appear to influence performance judgments but are significantly associated with satisfaction levels. Customer experience is shown to be associated with satisfaction via an interaction effect and also to be significantly associated with behavioral intentions. The implications for research and management are discussed.