Process factors in service delivery: What employee effort means to customers

This study examines customer perceptions of a seemingly important process factor in service delivery: the amount of effort exerted by the employee during the service encounter. Qualitative analyses were conducted to explore how customers think about employee effort. Customer descriptions of particularly satisfying and dissatisfying service encounters were analyzed to find the specific behaviors customers use to determine employee effort, what employee effort means to the customer, whether effort is judged differently in different situations and whether employee effort affects customer satisfaction. The findings lead to suggestions for the management of service firms.