The Customer As A Productive Resource: A Pilot Study and Strategic Implications

Abstract

Service delivery is an interactive process in which customers are often vitalparticipants, with the level of participation varying among individual consumers.Using a service setting (i.e., YMCA), a pilot study examines differences inorganizational socialization of customers and outcomes experienced by customersfor three levels of customer participation. The findings indicate that thereare significant differences in the (a) degree of organizational socializationacross customers and (b) perceptions of service quality for the different levels ofcustomer participation. Specifically, organizational socialization and perceptionsof service quality increase as customers become more active participantsin service delivery. Strategic implications are considered.