Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Service Timing: Designing and Executing Service in a Dynamic Environment

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Service Science, Volume II

Abstract

Service managers and researchers have long recognized that service timing is critical. Studies of how waiting time and reliability are important to customers and service firms began more than 50 years ago. Current research explores how customer engagement, co-production and co-creation unfold over time. This article reviews prior research and models of the dynamics of service timing that have emerged. It argues that service timing and its nuances are neglected by managers and researchers. Notably, customer service experiences are often embedded in rich social and emotional contexts, mediated by technology, and evolving across different service channels, platforms and locations over time in ways that are not well understood. Fortunately, rich individual-level business-to-customer and customer-to-customer data offer exciting opportunities to advance our knowledge of the dynamics of service experiences. This chapter reviews what is known (and unknown) about service timing and suggest specific research questions, opportunities and challenges.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahearne, M., Bhattacharya, C.B. and Gruen, T. 2005. Antecedents and consequences of customer-company identification: expanding the role of relationship marketing. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(3), 574-585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aksin, Z., Armony, M. and Mehrotra, V., 2007. The modern call center: A multi-disciplinary perspective on operations management research. Production and Operations Management, 16(6), 665-688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antony, J. 2006. Six sigma for service processes. Business Process Management Journal, 12(2), 234-248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R.P. & Dholakia, U., 1999. Goal setting and goal striving in consumer behavior. Journal of Marketing, 63 (Special Issue), 19-32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F. 2002. Yielding to temptation: Self-control failure, impulsive purchasing, and consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(4), 670-676.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bendapudi, N. & Leone, R. P. 2003. Psychological implications of customer participation in co-production. Journal of Marketing, 67(1), 14-28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacharya, C.B. & Sen, S., 2003. Consumer-company identification: A framework for understanding consumers’ relationships with companies. Journal of Marketing, 67(2), 76-88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biyalogorsky, E., Boulding, W. & Staelin, R. 2006. Stuck in the past: Why managers persist with new product failures. Journal of Marketing, 70(2), 108-121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Block, R. A. & Harper, D. R. 1991. Overconfidence in estimation: Testing the anchoring-and-adjustment hypothesis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 49(2), 188-207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, L. E. & Reed, A. 2004. Sticky priors: The perseverance of identity effects on judgment. Journal of Marketing Research, 41(4), 397-410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. 2016. Service Excellence: Creating Customer Experiences that Build Relationships. Business Expert Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. 1998. A dynamic model of the duration of the customer’s relationship with a continuous service provider: The role of satisfaction. Marketing Science, 17(1), 45-65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. & Drew, J. H. 1991. A longitudinal analysis of the impact of service changes on customer attitudes. Journal of Marketing, 55(1), 1-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. and Drew, J. H. 1992. Mitigating the effect of service encounters. Marketing Letters, 3(1), 57-70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. & Lemon, K. N. 1999. A dynamic model of customers’ usage of services: Usage as an antecedent and consequence of satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research, 36(2), 171-186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. & Saxena-Iyer, S. 2009. Interactive services: a framework, synthesis and research directions. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 23(1), 91-104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N., Lemon, K. N. & Bramlett, M. D. 2006. The effect of service experiences over time on a supplier’s retention of business customers. Management Science, 52(12), 1811-1823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N., Lemon, K. N. & Verhoef P. C. 2008. Expanding business-to-business customer relationships: Modeling the customer’s upgrade decision. Journal of Marketing, 72(1), 46-64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N., Parasuraman, A., Hoefnagels, A., Migchels, N., Kabadayi, S., Gruber, T., Komarova Loureiro, Y. & Solnet, D. 2013. Understanding GenerationY and their use of social media: a review and research agenda. Journal of Service Management, 24(3), 245-267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R., Gustafsson, A., McColl-Kennedy, J., Sirianni, J. N., Tse, D. K., 2014. Small details that make big differences: a radical approach to consumption experience as a firm’s differentiating strategy. Journal of Service Management, 25(2), 253-274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boulding, W., Kalra, A. & Staelin, R. 1999. The quality double whammy. Marketing Science, 18(4), 463-484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brady, M. K. & Cronin Jr., J. J. 2001. Some new thoughts on conceptualizing perceived service quality: a hierarchical approach. Journal of Marketing, 65(3), 34-49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brimicombe, A. and Li, Y., 2006. Mobile Space-Time Envelopes for Location-Based Services. Transactions in GIS, 10(1), 5-23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brodie, R. J., Ilic, A. Juric, B. & Hollebeek, L. (2013). Consumer Engagement in a Virtual Brand community: An Exploratory Analysis, Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 105-114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, G. S. & Nakamoto, K. 1989. Consumer preference formation and pioneering advantage. Journal of Marketing Research, 26(3), 285-298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, K. W., Yim, C. K. & Lam, S. S. 2010. Is customer participation in value creation a double-edged sword? Evidence from professional financial services across cultures. Journal of Marketing, 74(3), 48-64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epley, N. & Gilovich, T. 2006. The anchoring-and-adjustment heuristic: Why the adjustments are insufficient. Psychological Science, 17(4), 311-318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, D., Fombelle, P. and Bolton, R. (2017). How Peers’ Social Identities and Relationship Characteristics Influence Membership Length and Donations in Nonprofit Settings. Working Paper, Arizona State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebeloff, R. 2017. Generation grumpy: why you may be unhappy if you’re around 50. New York Times, November 30, 2017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golder, P. N., Mitra, D. & Moorman, C. 2012. What is quality? An integrative framework of processes and states. Journal of Marketing, 76(4), 1-23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grönroos, C., 1998. Marketing services: the case of a missing product. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 13(4/5), 322-338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch, S. J. & Loewenstein, G. F. 1991. Time-inconsistent preferences and consumer self-control. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 492-507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., Koschate, N. & Hoyer, W. D. 2006. The role of cognition and affect in the formation of customer satisfaction: a dynamic perspective. Journal of Marketing, 70(3), 21-31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., Jan Wieseke, & Hoyer, W. D. (2009). Social Identity and the Service–Profit Chain. Journal of Marketing, 73(2), 38-54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer, W. T., Shoshani, A., Agarwal, D. A., Draney, B. R., Jin, G., Butler, G. F. & Hules, J. A. 2004. Deep scientific computing requires deep data. IBM Journal of Research and Development, 48(2), 209-232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, J., Szybillo, G. J. & Berning, C. K. 1976. Time and consumer behavior: An interdisciplinary overview. Journal of Consumer Research, 2(4), 320-339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaBarbera, P. A. & Mazursky, D. 1983. A longitudinal assessment of consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction: the dynamic aspect of the cognitive process. Journal of Marketing Research, 20(4), 393-404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamberton, C. & Stephen, A. T. (2016), “A Thematic Exploration of Digital, Social Media, and Mobile Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 80 (6), 146-172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, K. N., White, T. B. & Winer, R. S. 2002. Dynamic customer relationship management: Incorporating future considerations into the service retention decision. Journal of Marketing, 66(1), 1-14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, K. N. & Verhoef, P. C. 2016. Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey, Journal of Marketing, 80(November), 69-96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, I. P., Gaeth, G. J., Schreiber, J. & Lauriola, M. 2002. A new look at framing effects: Distribution of effect sizes, individual differences, and independence of types of effects. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 88(1), 411-429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindenberg, S. & Steg, L. 2007. Normative, gain and hedonic goal frames guiding environmental behavior. Journal of Social issues, 63(1), 117-137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lohse, G. L., Bellman, S. & Johnson, E. J. 2000. Consumer buying behavior on the Internet: Findings from panel data. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 14(1), 15-29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lusch, R. F. & Vargo, S. L. 2006. Service-dominant logic: reactions, reflections and refinements. Marketing Theory, 6(3), 281-288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mael, F., & B. E. Ashforth 1992. Alumni and their Alma Mater: a partial test of the reformulated model of organizational identification, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(2), 103–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maxham III, J. G. & Netemeyer, R. G. 2002. A longitudinal study of complaining customers’ evaluations of multiple service failures and recovery efforts. Journal of Marketing, 66(4), 57-71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehra, A., Kumar, S. & Raju, J. S. 2017. Competitive Strategies for Brick-and-Mortar Stores to Counter “Showrooming”. Management Science, forthcoming. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2764

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mende, M. & Bolton, R. N. (2011), “Why attachment security matters: How customers’ attachment styles influence their relationships with service firms and service employees,” Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 285-301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mende, M., Bolton, R. N. & Bitner, M. J. 2013. Decoding customer–firm relationships: how attachment styles help explain customers’ preferences for closeness, repurchase intentions, and changes in relationship breadth. Journal of Marketing Research, 50(1), 125-142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mittal, V., Katrichis, J. M. & Kumar, P. 2001. Attribute performance and customer satisfaction over time: evidence from two field studies. Journal of Services Marketing, 15(5), 343-356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muniz, A. M., and T. C. O’Guinn (2001). Brand Community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412-432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niedrich, R. W. & Swain, S. D. 2003. The influence of pioneer status and experience order on consumer brand preference: A mediated-effects model. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(4), 468-480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, C. W., Iyer, E. S. & Smith, D. C. 1989. The effects of situational factors on in-store grocery shopping behavior: The role of store environment and time available for shopping. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(4), 422-433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C.K. & Ramaswamy, V., 2000. Co-opting customer competence. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 79-90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C.K. & Ramaswamy, V., 2004. Co-creation experiences: The next practice in value creation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(3), 5-14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reinartz, W., Krafft, M. and Hoyer, W.D. 2004. The customer relationship management process: Its measurement and impact on performance. Journal of Marketing Research, 41(3), 293-305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, W. T. & Simonson, I. 1991. Evaluations of pairs of experiences: A preference for happy endings. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 4(4), 273-282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheibehenne, B., Greifeneder, R. & Todd, P. M. 2010. Can there ever be too many options? A meta-analytic review of choice overload. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(3), 409-425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlosser, A.E. (2005), Posting versus lurking: communication in a multiple audience context. Journal of Consumer Research, 32(2), 260-265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shankar, V. 2011. Shopper marketing. Cambridge, MA: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shao, G., 2009. Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: a uses and gratification perspective. Internet Research, 19(1), 7-25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheth, J. N. & Venkatesan, M. 1968. Risk-reduction processes in repetitive consumer behavior. Journal of Marketing Research, 5(3), 307-310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sivakumar, K., Li, M. & Dong, B. 2014. Service quality: The impact of frequency, timing, proximity, and sequence of failures and delights. Journal of Marketing, 78(1), 41-58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slovic, P. 1995. The construction of preference. American Psychologist, 50(5), 364-71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarasi, C. O., Bolton, R. N., Hutt, M. D. & Walker, B. A. 2011. Balancing risk and return in a customer portfolio. Journal of Marketing, 75(3), 1-17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarasi, C. O., Bolton, R. N., Gustafsson, A. & Walker, B. A. 2013. Relationship characteristics and cash flow variability: implications for satisfaction, loyalty, and customer portfolio management. Journal of Service Research, 16(2), 121-137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarasi, C. O., Bolton, R. N., Gustafsson, A. and Witell, L. 2017. How Goals, Emotions and Touchpoints Moderate Customers’ Responses to Service Encounters: A Meta-Analytic Approach. Working Paper, Arizona State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trzesniewski, K. H. & Donnellan, M. B. 2010. Rethinking “Generation Me”: A study of cohort effects from 1976–2006. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(1), 58-75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Twenge, J. M., Konrath, S., Foster, J. D., Keith Campbell, W. and Bushman, B. J. 2008. Egos inflating over time: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality, 76(4), 875-902.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Doorn, J., Lemon, K. N., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P. & Verhoef, P. C. 2010. Customer engagement behavior: Theoretical foundations and research directions. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 253-266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhoef, P. C., Spring, P. N., Hoekstra, J. C. & Leeflang, P. S. 2003. The commercial use of segmentation and predictive modeling techniques for database marketing in the Netherlands. Decision Support Systems, 34(4), 471-481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wedel, M. and Kannan, P. K. (2016), “Marketing Analytics for Data-Rich Environments,” Journal of Marketing, 80 (6), 97–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, K., MacDonnell, R. & Dahl, D. W. 2011. It’s the mind-set that matters: The role of construal level and message framing in influencing consumer efficacy and conservation behaviors. Journal of Marketing Research, 48(3), 472-485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, E.O., 1999. Consilience: The unity of knowledge (Vol. 31). Vintage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yadav, M. S. 1994. How buyers evaluate product bundles: A model of anchoring and adjustment. Journal of Consumer Research, 21(2), 342-353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Service Leadership, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Ruth N. Bolton

Authors
  1. Ruth N. Bolton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruth N. Bolton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA

    Paul P. Maglio

  2. IBM Research—Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    Cheryl A. Kieliszewski

  3. IBM Cognitive Opentech, Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    James C. Spohrer

  4. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kelly Lyons

  5. INESCTEC and Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Lia Patrício

  6. Graduate School of Management, Nagoya University of Commerce and Business Business School, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Yuriko Sawatani

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Bolton, R.N. (2019). Service Timing: Designing and Executing Service in a Dynamic Environment. In: Maglio, P.P., Kieliszewski, C.A., Spohrer, J.C., Lyons, K., Patrício, L., Sawatani, Y. (eds) Handbook of Service Science, Volume II. Service Science: Research and Innovations in the Service Economy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98512-1_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation