Reducing Perceived Risk Through Advertising Service Quality Cues

ABSTRACT Although the importance of delivering consistent service quality to consumers by service professionals has been widely studied, little research has focused on the advertising of professional services. Through actual ad exposure, this research examines the relationship between the encoding of service quality dimensions in a professional services advertisement and a consumer's perceptions of purchase risk. Findings indicate that four of the service quality dimensions decreased consumers' perceptions of risk. Discussion centers on the relationships and the managerial implications of these tics to a professional service advertiser.