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Service Encounters as a Sequence of Events

The Importance of Peak Experiences

Erasmus University, Verhoef{at}few.eur.nl

Gerrit Antonides

Wageningen University

Arnoud N. de Hoog

Mees Pierson Private Wealth Management (Curaçao) N.V.

A service encounter can be considered as a sequence of events. In the early service literature, it was assumed that firms should deliver a consistent performance during a service encounter. However, research in psychology states that this is not necessarily true. In addition to the average performance, the peaks in the performance are important. Likewise, some service researchers have stressed the importance of a happy ending. The authors test a model on how events contribute to the overall evaluation of a sequence of events. They show that the average performance during the encounter is important. However, their results also stress the importance of peak experiences for satisfaction formation. Thus, managers of service encounters should not only manage the overall performance of a service encounter. To further elevate satisfaction, they could also provide some positive peak experiences.

Key Words: sequence evaluation • satisfaction • call center • services

Journal of Service Research, Vol. 7, No. 1, 53-64 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1094670504266137


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