Social and Equity Inferences in Customers' Evaluation of Services

Abstract

Evaluations and inferences generated from observations of other's service transactions are important. Published literature shows that customers evaluate service experiences based on their previous service transactions and observations of other customers' transactions. A proposed inference-based model of attitude toward a service program suggests two intermediate assessments: an evaluation of the other customer and an evaluation of the distributive justice of the service transaction. Experimental findings suggest that both attitude toward other customers and perceived equity for the other customer's transaction influence the perceived justice of the service program, which in turn influences attitude toward the service.