Automated
service provides a good opportunity for organizations to provide new models for
service design strategies and news service development (Henderson et al; 2003). A review of the current conceptualization
of automated service reveals that general automated service definitions include
specific reference to the internet but they negated the inclusion of other
important automated service dimensions such as telephone service and automated
service delivery outlets.
For example, Ruyter et al (2001, p186) defined automated service as interactive,
content – centered and internet-based customer service, driven by the customer and
integrated with related organizational customer support process and
technologies with the goal of strengthening the customer- service provider
relationship? Moreover, Surjadaja et al;
(2003) identify automated service as web-based service delivered through the
internet whereby the customer’s interaction or contact with the organization is
limited to the information and communication technology (ICT) Itself.
The
most recent study that has been done by parasuraman et al; (2005) is similar to these previous definitions. They refer
to automated service as a web sites-based customer service.
A
more holistic definition adopted for the purpose of this research, is that
which is proposed by Buckley (2003) who defines automated service as the
electronic provision of a service to customers. This definition is identified
as far more holistic as it allows for the inclusion and examination of other
service delivery channels beyond services through the internet.
AUTOMATED SERVICE QUALITY
Service quality, within the personal interaction
environment, has well established definitions in the literature, but it is only
recently that it has been applied to the e-commerce environment (Santos 2003).
To date, the automated service quality research has been limited to relationship
management rather than metrics of service quality (Buckely 2003).
Currently,
there exists a lack of comprehensive definition of automated service quality
within the literature. For example, parasuraman et al; (2005) only discus automated service quality within the
services that are delivered through web sites. Zeithaml (2002, p135) limits the
definition of automated service quality with specific reference to the internet
defining it as, the extent to which a web site facilitates efficient and effective
shopping, purchasing and delivery. For the purposes of this research, a
definition proposed by Santos (2003) has been adopted as it is recognized as
not only providing a more general definition of automated service quality but
one that extends beyond internet based dimensions.
Automated
service quality is defined by Santos (2003, p235) as “the consumers’ overall
evaluation and judgment of the excellence and quality of e- service offerings in
the virtual marketplace”. This definition seems to be the most appropriate fit
for this research, as the internet banking channel is not the only automated
service delivery channel that can be identified in the banking sector. In
addition to internet banking service quality, telephone banking and ATM service
quality need to be addressed within this particular service environment.
Research
on automated service is still in its infancy stage and there are no generally
accepted theoretical conceptualizations of automated services quality (Riel et al; 2001, Long & Mcmellon 2004). Two
predominant conceptualization approaches towards service quality have been
identified in the literature.
The
first is based on disconfirmation while the second is based on Cronin and
Taylor’s (1994) SERVPERF (Performance only) model. EXPECTATIONS seem to be of
lesser importance as a comparison standard in e-commerce and customers appear
to use experience-based norms Santos 2003). Yang and Jun’s (2002) study
revealed that the majority of consumers tended not to have a clear conception
of what expectations they help for online services. Consequently, this paper
focuses on a performance-only approach to measuring automated service quality.
MEASUREMENT MODELS IN THE AUTOMATED SERVICE
CONTEXT
Two
main approaches to developing measurement models of automated service quality
have been identified in the literature (Riel et al 2001, Santos 2003). The first approach utilizes the existing
service quality theory as a basis for developing a generally accepted model to
measure automated service quality. Supporters of this approach argue that past conceptualizations
of service quality need not be completely discarded but may instead be used as
a base to develop a theoretical description of automated service (Yang &
Jun 2002 Zeithaml 2002, long & Mcmellon 2004). The second approach focuses
on the technological interfaces and the quality of new categories of self-
service technology (Santos 2003). This approach has generated new categories
and measurement models of automated service (Riel et al; 2001). Advocates of this approach argue that the general
conceptualization of service quality, focused mainly on capturing the interpersonal
nature of service encounters, may not be enough to capture the specific nature
of customer interaction which electronic delivery channels (Joseph et al; 1999, Menter et al; 2000, Joseph & Stone 2003).
In
the first approach, most of the dimensions and items generated to measure automated
service quality are derived from traditional service quality literature. Riel et al; (2001) argue that the antecedents
of traditional service quality should be modified before they can be useful an
automated service context. Furthermore, advocates of this approach referred to
web-sites in order to conceptualize automated service quality (Yang & Jun
2002, Zeithaml 2002, Long & Mcmellon 2004). The internet is not the only
automated banking delivery channel. Other electronic channels are widely used by
banks in delivering services to consumers such as personal computers, the
telephone, and ATM (Hway-Boon & Yu 2003). This paper has adopted a broader
definition of automated service because of the increasing use of various
automated channels in banks (it way – Bonn & Yu 2003).
Therefore,
it is not possible to rely completely on current online- quality models to
conceptualise automated service quality.
Mols
(2000) argued that customer acceptance of the new automated channels of service
delivery in banks may bring a dramatic change in the way that retail banks build and maintain a close relationship
with their customers.
The
introduction of new automated channels of service delivery has made customer
participation more widely possible (Dabholkar 1994) and therefore, researchers
need to adopt new ways to conceptualize automated service quality, taking into
consideration the attributes of all electronic delivery channels (Dabholkar
1996, meuter et al; 2000, Szymaski
& Hise 2000). Advocates for the second approach have begun to study
different quality aspects of all automated service channels (Joseph et al; 1999, Joseph & stone 2003,
Meuter et al; 2000) and recommended
that amove is made away from looking at online service quality. While the
second approach takes into account more service delivery channels than the
first approach, it is recognized that the second approach only provides models
where all the channels are aggregated and the context is evaluated as a single composite
channel (Meuter et al; 2000, Szymaski
& Hise 2000, Joseph & Stone 2003). Every automated service delivery channel
has its own attributes (Dabholkar 1996) and consequently the main shortcoming
of this method is its failure to separate the particular attributes of every
delivery channel or other compounding factors that may affect customer
perception of automated service quality. Nevertheless, these two approaches agree
about the role of certain factors in shaping consumer perception of the
automated delivery channels quality. The two approaches have the following
common factors; reliability, ease of use, personalization, accessibility, accuracy,
security, and efficiency (Joseph et al;
1999, Meuter et al; 2000, Yang & Jun
2002, Zeithaml 2002, Joseph & Stone 2003, Long & Mcmellon 2004). As
such, some of these factors are incorporated, where appropriate, into the
measurement models proposed for each of the automated delivery channels
highlighted in this research. This will provide a more consistent picture of
customer perceptions of bank automated service quality.