Negative evaluations of service quality ‐ a framework for identification and response

The management of the enhancement of the quality of service delivery is often primarily focused on minimising negative responses to product offerings, rather than maximising positive responses. To date there has been little debate on the negative aspects of quality. This paper reviews the origins and use of the concepts dissatisfaction, dissonance, disconfirmation and disaffection which are variously explored in a diverse collection of literature spanning service quality, the service experience and marketing. A framework is proposed that places these four concepts on a grid on the basis of whether the term applies to one incident, or many, and the action that is likely to be taken by customers as a result of experiencing each of these. This grid can be used to better understand the relationship between the various approaches that are used to provide organisations with feedback on customer perceptions of their service quality, such as complaints procedures, surveys, suggestion boxes, focus groups and representation and consultation.