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Consumer Satisfaction for Internet Service Providers: An Analysis of Underlying Processes

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Abstract

A key managerial challenge, of interest to academics and practitioners alike, is the assessment and management of customer satisfaction. In this paper, we examine the underlying processes involving consumer satisfaction and switching patterns among ISPs using different satisfaction models, including the expectations-disconfirmation model, the attribution model, and an affective model. Our results indicate that the satisfaction levels of ISP consumers are generally relatively low, despite the fact that consumer expectations of ISPs are also low, reflecting “mediocrity” in the marketplace. In addition, consumers attribute their dissatisfaction to ISP indifference and believe that managing dissatisfaction is within the control of the ISP. Moreover, “affective” factors play an important role in satisfaction processes and switching behavior. Customer service including technical support and responsiveness of service staff is an important “determinant” factor in ISP selection. We suggest that as the ISP market matures, service providers that pay attention to affective factors and to building “relationships” with their customers will have a competitive advantage in the marketplace of the future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Belk College of Business, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA

    Sunil Erevelles

  2. The Anderson School of Management, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    Shuba Srinivasan & Steven Rangel

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  1. Sunil Erevelles
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  2. Shuba Srinivasan
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  3. Steven Rangel
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Erevelles, S., Srinivasan, S. & Rangel, S. Consumer Satisfaction for Internet Service Providers: An Analysis of Underlying Processes. Information Technology and Management 4, 69–89 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021828517151

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