E- Service Quality Dimensions

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Online service quality dimensionsand their relationships with

satisfactionA content analysis of customer reviews of

securities brokerage services

Zhilin YangDepartment of Marketing, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon,

Hong Kong, and

Xiang FangDepartment of Marketing, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Keywords Electronic commence, Internet, Servicing, Customer satisfaction, Securities markets

AbstractThis exploratory research intends to extend our understanding of service quality andcustomer satisfaction within the setting of online securities brokerage services. Based uponconceptual frameworks from the areas of services marketing and information systemsmanagement, the authors uncovered 52 items across 16 major service quality dimensions bycontent analysis of 740 customer reviews. The results indicate that primary service qualitydimensions leading to online customer satisfaction, with the exception of ease of use, are closelyrelated to traditional services while key factors leading to dissatisfaction are tied to information

systems quality. In addition, major drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction are identified at thesub-dimensional level. Theoretical contribution and managerial implications of the findings arefurther discussed.

At least once a week its impossible to logon, get real-time quotes, or have my portfolio quotesdisplayed. In some instances, I couldnt execute trades or check under key shortfalls for thiscompany . . . (Quote from one online investors comment at www.gomez.com).

Web-based services (hereinafter online services or e-services) offer customers apanoply of benefits such as enhanced control, ease of use, and reduced transactioncharges (Scullion and Nicholas, 2001; Unsal and Movassaghi, 2001; Zeithaml, 2002).Consequently, online services have grown rapidly and have emerged as the leadingedge of the service industry. For instance, in the USA, the number of online investorstotaled 17.4 million as of the year 2001; and this user level is predicted to reach 32.4million by 2004 (eMarketer, 2002). To accommodate this growth, not only have dozens

of Internet-only service providers materialized, but also significant numbers ofconventional suppliers have utilized the Internet to furnish online services. Theconsequence of this phenomenon has been the appearance of ferocious competitionamong online suppliers.

The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-4233.htm

The first author gratefully acknowledges a research grant from the City University of HongKong (SMA Project No. 9030907). The authors would like to express our thanks to Nancy Wong,Wing Yeung, and Yue Shen for their research assistance.

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International Journal of ServiceIndustry ManagementVol. 15 No. 3, 2004pp. 302-326q Emerald Group Publishing Limited0956-4233DOI 10.1108/09564230410540953
http://www.gomez.com/http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisterhttp://www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-4233.htmhttp://www.emeraldinsight.com/0956-4233.htmhttp://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisterhttp://www.gomez.com/


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One effective means of achieving competitive advantage and differentiatingstrategies involves superior service quality. Superior service quality measurablyincreases a firms overall profitability, its price premium, and its perceived and actualmarket share (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Most online service providers (particularly

securities brokers), however, have encountered substantial problems and challenges infurnishing online service quality. As confirmed by Goldberg (2000, p. 42):

Many investors had difficulty making trades because Web sites crashed or were glaciallyslow. Clients with problems or questions were kept on perpetual hold. E-mails werentanswered.

The primary reasons for these difficulties reside in service providers lack of experiencein streamlining operations of this fairly recent channel and their limited understandingof online customers usage behaviors. Moreover, as online firms often possess limitedresources, priorities must therefore be determined among alternative service attributeswhen making investment decisions related to achievement of superior services(Brandt, 1997). As such, it is desirable for online service providers to uncover whatattributes consumers utilize in their assessment of overall service quality andsatisfaction and which attributes are more important.

From the theoretical perspective, research in e-services is still in its early stagesalthough e-commerce has experienced explosive growth during the past decade. Onlinefirms operate in an environment consisting of Web-based technologies (e.g. browsers,search engines, encryption, and databases), network systems, and digital information.This unique feature of online services has motivated us to re-examine whethertraditional service quality dimensions and their content are truly applicable toInternet-based services and to explore new quality dimensions (Cox and Dale, 2001).Few scholarly studies, to date, have been undertaken to identify quality dimensionsand detailed aspects of online services and their relationships with customer

satisfaction (Zeithaml, 2002, Zeithaml and Bitner, 2003). Moreover, in current studies ofonline service quality, scholars too often move directly from the generation of items tofactor analysis, thus giving limited considerations to how consumers categorize andthink about their experiences (Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2002, p. 4).

Thus, our exploratory research intends to extend the body of existing knowledgerelating to service quality and customer satisfaction in multiple ways. First, weestablish a conceptual framework by integrating two major aspects of online services

customer service quality and information systems quality. Based upon theconceptual framework, we employ a content analysis of customer reviews on onlinesecurities brokerage services and then identify 16 major quality dimensions of onlineservices. We further uncover 52 sub-dimensions or items within all major dimensions.Third, we examine primary service quality dimensions leading to satisfaction and

dissatisfaction respectively. The results suggest that primary drivers of satisfactionare closely related to traditional service quality dimensions with the exception of easeof use, and key drivers of dissatisfaction are tied to information systems quality. Inaddition, we extend Johnstons (1995) classification of satisfiers and dissatisfiers to thesub-dimensional level and identify the major drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.Fourth, we utilize a new approach, content analysis of 740 online customer reviews,which enables us to identify relative comprehensive service quality dimensions andsub-dimensions and to investigate their relationships with satisfaction. Finally, our

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research has been conducted in the context of online securities brokerage to whichvirtually no empirical research, to the best of our knowledge, has been directed.

Conceptual developmentOur conceptual framework has been developed on the basis of two importantcharacteristics of online services. First, online services invariably share some commonterritory in relation to traditional interpersonal services. Second, Web-basedtechnologies have been used to automate product distribution and customerservices, including transaction and payment systems, call centers, customerrelationship management systems, as well as the underlying analytics, reporting,and operations of these systems. In this sense, Web sites are functioning aswell-defined information systems. These two aspects are indeed overarching; theyinteract with each other. Customer services may be delivered partially or even fullythrough the Internet while maintaining information systems quality often requires theaid of human beings. In line with this reasoning, we briefly review major literature on

traditional customer services quality, information systems quality applicable to onlineservices, and a combination of the two (i.e. online service quality).

Traditional service quality dimensionsOnline customers still demand many services available through traditional channelseven if they choose pure Internet-based suppliers with basic customer services.Numerous studies have sought to uncover the global attributes of services thatcontribute most significantly to relevant quality assessments in the traditional serviceenvironment (e.g. Hedvall and Paltschik, 1989; Kettinger and Lee, 1997; Parasuramanet al., 1985, 1988; Paulin and Perrien, 1996; Pitt et al., 1999; Sasser et al., 1978). Amongthem, two exploratory studies are regarded as the most appropriate frameworks for thecurrent research. Parasuraman et al.s (1985) reveals ten detailed dimensions through

focus group studies: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, communication, credibility,security, competence, courtesy, understanding the customer, and access. Later, theseten dimensions were further purified and distilled to five: tangibles, reliability,responsibility, assurance, and empathy, which constitute the base of a globalmeasurement for service quality, SERVQUAL(Parasuraman et al., 1988). Anotheruseful study conducted by Johnston (1995) provides 18 service dimensions and theirdefinitions: access, aesthetics, attentiveness, availability, care, cleanliness/tidiness,comfort, commitment, communication, competence, courtesy, flexibility, friendliness,functionality, integrity, reliability, responsiveness, and security. These two studiesoffer particularly robust service quality dimensions for measuring traditional servicesand could serve as a good starting point for the current exploratory research.

Information systems quality dimensionsThe second stream of research relevant to e-service quality is from informationsystems literature. Since the Internet is still a relatively new information technology,research in information systems along with technology adoption provides usefulinsights into identifying some important dimensions in e-service quality.

According to the technology adoption model (TAM), users decisions to adopt a newinformation technology are principally determined by their attitudes toward twooverarching factors related to the technology: ease of use; and usefulness (Davis, 1989;

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Davis et al., 1989). Perceived ease of use refers to the degree to which a person believesthat using a particular system would be free of effort, and perceived usefulness refersto the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhancehis or her job performance (Davis, 1989, p. 320). The model has been extensively

researched and been duly verified in a number of studies (Adams et al., 1992; Davis,1989; Davis et al., 1989; Hendrickson and Collins, 1996; Igbaria et al., 1997). Sinceconsumers use of Internet-based services can be viewed as similar to the adoption ofnew technology, ease of use and usefulness are important factors in evaluating onlineservice quality. Lin and Wu (2002) have employed the TAM to examine the impact ofonline service quality on portal site usage. They have found that several keydimensions of online service quality such as information content, customization,reliability, and response have significant effects on perceived ease of use and perceivedusefulness, which in turn influence attitude toward using the portal site, behavioralintention to reuse portal sites, and actual portal site use. More importantly, theirfindings have indicated that perceived ease of use is more important than perceivedusefulness.

Online customers are end-users of both information and networked systems(DeLone and McLean, 1992; Stockdale and Standing, 2002). With the intent ofmeasuring end-users satisfaction with information systems, Doll and Torkzadeh(1988) devised a 12-item scale that assesses five quality dimensions that have beendetermined to influence end-user satisfaction. The five dimensions are content,accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness. The reliability and validity of thisscale have been verified in several studies (Doll et al., 1994; Hendrickson andCollins, 1996).

The quality attributes employed in the two aforementioned streams of research canconstitute a workable, preliminary framework for assessing online services. To gainmore insights into recent development of online service quality research, we further

review major studies in this arena.

Online service quality dimensionsWe categorize the extant research on online service quality into studies focusing on:online retailing services (e.g. Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2002. For more comprehensivereview, see Zeithaml et al., 2002; Yang and Jun, 2002); Web site design quality; andnarrowly defined online services other than retailing (e.g. portal services, online travelservices). These studies reflect various aspects of online service quality, whichfacilitate the development of the coding scheme in our study. Table I summarizes keyliterature relevant to online services.

Online retailing service quality. Drawing upon the traditional SERVQUAL scale,Zeithaml et al. (2001, 2002) have developed e-SERVQUAL for measuring e-service

quality. In a series of focus group interviews, Zeithaml et al. (2001) have identifiedeleven dimensions of online service quality: access, ease of navigation, efficiency,flexibility, reliability, personalization, security/privacy, responsiveness,assurance/trust, site aesthetics, and price knowledge. The further comparison ofe-service quality and traditional service quality indicates that consumers use somecommon dimensions such as reliability, responsiveness, access, and assurance toevaluate both traditional service quality and e-service quality. The study, however,was based on consumer experience of online retailing services. In the same vein,


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Authors MethodsKey dimensionsuncovered/discussed Main focus

Parasuraman

et al. (1985)

Personal

interviews withexecutives and 12customerfocus-groupinterviews

Reliability, responsiveness,

competence, access, courtesy,communication, credibility,security, understanding thecustomer, and tangibles

Traditional service quality

Johnston (1995) Based on feedbackof 431 bankcustomers andusing criticalincident technique

Access, aesthetics,attentiveness, availability,care, cleanliness/tidiness,comfort, commitment,communication, competence,courtesy, flexibility,friendliness, functionality,integrity, reliability,responsiveness, and security

Traditional servicedimensions and theirdefinitions

Davis (1989) A total of 152 users

and fourapplicationprograms

Ease of use and usefulness User acceptance of

information technology

Doll et al. (1994) 409 end-users from18 organizations

Content, accuracy, format,ease of use, and timeliness

End-user satisfaction withinformation and networksystems

Liu and Arnett(2000)

Survey of 122Webmasters of

Fortune 1,000companies

Quality of information andservice, system use,playfulness, and systemdesign quality

Web site design quality

Yoo and Donthu(2001)

Survey 141students toevaluate fouronline retailersWeb sites

Ease of use, aesthetic design,processing speed, security

Evaluation of online retailersWeb site usability

Loiacono et al.(2002)

Survey 847undergraduatestudents

Information fit to task,interaction, trust, responsetime, design, intuitiveness,visual appeal, innovativeness,flow, integratedcommunication, businessprocess, and substitutability

WEBQUAL (Web quality)

Zeithaml et al.(2002)

Literature review Efficiency, reliability,fulfillment, privacy,responsiveness,compensation, and contact

Service quality in general

Wolfinbargerand Gilly (2002)

Focus groupstudies and surveyof 1013 panelmembers

Web site design, reliability,privacy/security, customerservice

Online retailing servicequality

Zeithaml et al.(2001)

Six focus groupinterviews

Access, ease of navigation,efficiency, flexibility,reliability, personalization,security/privacy,responsiveness,assurance/trust, siteaesthetics, price knowledge


(continued)

Table I.Selected service qualityliterature relevant toonline services

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Wolfinbarger and Gilly (2002), through focus group interviews and an online survey,

have uncovered four online retailing experience factors: Web site design, reliability,privacy/security, and customer service. Yang and Jun (2002) have uncovered sixprominent factors reliability, access, ease of use, personalization, security, andcredibility employed by Internet purchasers to evaluate e-tailers service quality andseven principal service attributes security, responsiveness, ease of use, reliability,availability, personalization, and access that could prevent visitors from purchasing.These retailing services oriented studies have certain limitations in terms of thegeneralization of their findings to other settings.

Some studies develop online service quality framework based on literature review.Cox and Dale (2001) have noted that traditional service quality dimensions, such ascompetence, courtesy, cleanliness, comfort, and friendliness, are not relevant to onlineretailing; whereas other factors, such as accessibility, communication, credibility, and

appearance, are critical to its success. Madu and Madu (2002) proposed the following15 dimensions of online service quality based on literature review: performance,features, structure, aesthetics, reliability, storage capacity, serviceability, security andsystem integrity, trust, responsiveness, product/service differentiation andcustomization, Web store policies, reputation, assurance, and empathy. Zeithamlet al. (2002) conducted a critical review of extant e-service quality literature andidentified seven dimensions for e-service quality efficiency, reliability, fulfillment,privacy, responsiveness, compensation, and contact. These seven dimensions were

Authors MethodsKey dimensionsuncovered/discussed Main focus

Cox and Dale(2001)

Literature review Accessibility,communication, credibility,understanding, appearance,availability


Yang and Jun(2002)

Survey 271 ISPsubscribers

Reliability, access, ease of use,personalization, security,credibility


Madu and Madu(2002)

Literature review Performance, features,structure, aesthetics,reliability, storage capacity,serviceability, security andsystem integrity, trust,responsiveness,product/servicedifferentiation andcustomization, Web store

policies, reputation,assurance, empathy


Kaynama andBlack (2000)

Criteriaestablished byevaluation sitesand literaturereview

Content and purpose,accessibility, navigation,design and presentation,responsiveness, background,personalization andcustomization

Online travel agenciesservices

Van Riel et al.(2001)

Interviews andsurvey 52 users ofa portal site

Core service, supportingservice, user interface

Portal site service

Table I.


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further classified into two categories: a core service scale for measuring the customersperceptions of e-tailers service quality when customers experience no problems withthe site (efficiency, reliability, fulfillment, and privacy) and a recovery service scale formeasuring e-tailers service recovery when problems occur (responsiveness,

compensation, and contact).Web site design quality. From the information systems perspective, Yoo and Donthu

(2001) have developed an instrument for measuring online retailers Web sites,SITEQUAL, with four dimensions: ease of use, aesthetic design, processing speed, andsecurity. Another highly cited instrument, WEBQUAL (Web quality) developed byLoiacono et al. (2002) consists of 12 dimensions: information fit to task, interaction,trust, response time, design, intuitiveness, visual appeal, innovativeness, flow,integrated communication, business process, and substitutability. Liu and Arnett(2000), through Web and e-mail surveys of 689 Webmasters of Fortune 1,000companies Web site, have discovered four major factors leading to the success of aWeb site, i.e. information and service quality, system use, playfulness, and system

design quality. These scales, however, have one major limitation as they are gearedtoward helping Web site designers to better design Web sites to affect the interactionperceptions of the users. Therefore, the scale is more pertinent to interface design thanservice quality measurement (Zeithaml et al., 2002, p. 366).

Other online service quality. Other studies have identified key dimensions of onlineservice quality in the context of narrowly defined online businesses, such as portalservices and travel agencies. In each of these online services, some different dimensionsemerged. For instance, Van Riel et al. (2001) have derived three key portal servicequality attributes affecting consumers overall satisfaction with the portal: core service,support service, and user interface. Kaynama and Black (2000) have identified thefollowing dimensions for online travel agencies: content and purpose, accessibility,

navigation, design and presentation, responsiveness, background, and personalizationand customization.

The foregoing literature review suggests that most of previous empirical studieshave focused either on service quality of retailing-oriented Web sites (e.g. Yang and

Jun, 2002; Zeithaml et al., 2002), or on the technical quality of Web site itself (e.g. Liuand Arnett, 2000; Loiacono et al., 2002). Little research has integrated models fromtraditional service quality and information systems quality; and consequently, theunique quality aspects of online services (particularly those from service-intensiveindustries) could not be fully reflected. In addition, the very few exploratory studies ononline service quality have utilized focus groups and personal interviews. Theseresearch methods usually have very limited numbers of participants, which prevents

them from uncovering more comprehensive dimensions and their sub-dimensions (e.g.Van Riel et al., 2001). These limitations have motivated us to conduct an exploratorystudy to address the following two fundamental questions:

RQ1. Which dimensions and sub-dimensions of online services assume vital rolesin influencing customers evaluation of service quality?

RQ2. Compared to traditional services, which service quality dimensions and/orsub-dimensions are considered specific to online services?

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Service quality dimensions and customer satisfactionResearchers have paid much attention to the close relationship between service qualityand customer satisfaction (e.g. Bitner et al., 1990; Parasuraman et al., 1988). Oliver(1993) suggests that service quality is a more specific judgment, which can lead to a

broad evaluation, customer satisfaction. The question is: how exactly will particularservice quality dimensions influence customer satisfaction formation? Johnston (1995)has found that the causes of dissatisfaction and satisfaction are not necessarily thesame. Some service quality attributes may not be critical for customer satisfaction butcan significantly lead to dissatisfaction when they are performed poorly. Drawingupon Herzberg et al.s (1995) research on work motivation, Johnston (1997) has furtherclassified all dimensions into enhancing (satisfiers), hygiene (dissatisfiers), and dualfactors. Enhancing factors are those which will lead to customer satisfaction if they aredelivered properly, but will not necessarily cause dissatisfaction if absent. In contrast,hygiene factors are those which will lead to customer dissatisfaction if they fail todeliver, but will not result in satisfaction if present. Dual factors are those that willhave an impact on both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Johnston (1995) identified

attentiveness, responsiveness, care, and friendliness as the main source of satisfactionin banking services, and integrity, reliability, responsiveness, availability, andfunctionality as the main source of dissatisfaction.

In addition, Mittal et al. (1998) have discovered that the positive performance of aservice quality attribute has less impact on overall consumer satisfaction than negativeperformance of that same attribute. This asymmetric effect suggests that it isnecessary to carefully investigate service quality attributes having both negative andpositive contributions, and to grant more attention to those salientnegatively-performed attributes to increase customer satisfaction. Is this asymmetriceffect applicable to online services? Are there any differences between online servicesand traditional services? Thus, the third key question we intend to address is:

RQ3. Among these identified service quality dimensions, which are principallyleading to online customer satisfaction (satisfiers) and which are leading toonline dissatisfaction (dissatisfiers)?

Online securities brokerage service qualityWe choose the online securities brokerage services as our research setting for twoprimary reasons. First, online securities brokerage is a service-intensive and rapidlygrowing industry, which suits current research purposes quite well. Second, littleempirical research has been conducted on measuring service quality dimensions andcustomer satisfaction in the setting of online securities brokerage. One study by Linand Wei (1999) identified five dimensions that individual investors expect for securitiesbrokerage services personal touch, brand equity, tangibility, assurance, and efficacy.Their research, however, was conducted specifically for brick-and-mortar brokeragefirms, using the SERVQUAL framework (Parasuraman et al., 1988). On theprofessional side, some full-service brokers have conducted customer surveys tounderstand the reasons that customers adopt online trading channels. A FidelityInvestment survey, for instance, indicated that what appealed to customers tradingonline were independence, easy access to research, more control over their investments,lower commissions, and fast trade execution (Opiela, 2000). Some customer reviewWeb sites such as Gomez.com and epinions.com have established a set of criteria to


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gauge the service performance of various online brokers in order to provide a guidelinefor customers to choose a better, or best, provider. Gomez.com lists five criteria toevaluate brokerage firms, i.e. ease of use, customer confidence, on-site resources,relationship services, and overall cost. Similarly, in Kiplingers annual survey of online

brokers, brokers are ranked based on eight key measures commissions, researchquality, the savvy of telephone reps, brokers knowledge, research and Web site,cost-basis information, and conduct (Goldberg, 2000). Compared to what was identifiedfrom studies on other service industries, the quality dimensions of online securitiesbrokerage services incorporate both human-based and information systems services,such as knowledge of brokers and telephone representatives, ease of use, on-siteresources, Web site design, and controllability. The criteria used by the professionals,though broad and practical in nature, provide useful information for the current studyconcentrating on online service quality dimensions and their relationships withcustomer satisfaction.

Research methodConsumer feedback, e.g. complaints and compliments have long been employed assources of feedback on company performance. Essentially, customer feedback is anexception-reporting mechanism for identifying weaknesses to be corrected or strengthsto be reinforced. The fact that customers contribute time and effort for voicing theironline service experiences suggests that the attributes are salient in the post-useevaluation process (Cadotte and Turgeon, 1988). Although consumer comments are notlikely to reflect completely their entire experiences with suppliers, they do highlightthose dimensions and detailed attributes of service quality of greatest concern (Yang

and Peterson, 2002; Yang et al., 2001). Therefore, an analysis of consumer complimentsand complaints are particularly useful in exploring the rich aspects of customerperceived service quality (Yang and Peterson, 2003). Unfortunately, a review of theconsumer behavior literature reveals that consumers anecdotal feedback of onlineservices has not been carefully examined, and deserves more academic attention.

Our study, therefore, adopted the newly emerged netnography method byutilizing a content analysis of consumer reviews of online brokerage experiences toidentify key dimensions and their respective service features. The netnographyapproach is a qualitative research technique which employs an ethnographic researchmethod to study online customers (Kozinets, 2002). It uses the information publiclyavailable in online forums to identify and understand the needs and decision influencesof relevant online consumer groups (Kozinets, 2002, p. 62). Online content analysis is

part of netnography in the sense that it is based on content created by onlinecustomers and intends to understand their needs and wants. Compared to contentgenerated by traditional methods (e.g. focus groups and personal interviews),netnography is less-time consuming, less obtrusive, less costly; more timely, natural,and elaborate. The limitations of netnography draw from its more narrow focus ononline communities, the need for researcher interpretive skill, and the lack of informantidentifiers present in the online context that leads to difficulty generalizing communitysample (Kozinets, 2002, p. 62).

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SampleWe employed three steps to collect qualified customer reviews of brokerage services.The first step was to locate appropriate Web sites that provide customers with a hub toevaluate suppliers. By using multiple search sites (i.e. Google, Altavista, MSN search,

LookSmart, and Hotbot), we intensively reviewed the most prominent US-based Websites that offer online consumer reviews. Three principal criteria were set to selectappropriate sites: the site should be established by a party independent of productsuppliers; the site should have a review section on online securities brokerage services;and reviews should be written by customers who have used or are using the serviceand have been authorized to post their messages (Yang and Peterson, 2003). We thenfound that seven Web sites were relevant for this study bizrate.com, complaints.com,computingreview.com, consumerreports.org, epinions.com, gomez.com, and rateitall.com

The second step was to select qualified customer review sites. We established threeselection criteria to permit collection of the most representative samples: the number ofreviews written by online investors should be large; customers should be encouraged

to post both dissatisfied and satisfied reviews; and the reviews can be assessedpublicly or freely. Among the above-mentioned seven Web sites, five did not satisfyour criteria. Consumerreports.org did not allow visitors to view customer reviewsfreely. The number of customer reviews contributed by diversified participants inBizrate.com, rateitall.com, and computingreview.com was too small. Finally,Complaints.com had limited reviews of online brokers and exclusively consisted ofcomplaint messages. The remaining two Web sites, epinion.com, a leading onlineproduct review site, and gomez.com, a leading customer review site dedicated to onlinefinancial services, fully met the requirements.

The last step was to choose sample Internet securities brokers. Five of the mostinfluential online brokers were selected for study Fidelity Investment, CharlesSchwab, Ameritrade, TD Waterhouse, and E-Trade. These online brokers were rankedas the top five within 21 leading online brokers according to CNN (2001). WhileAmeritrade and E-Trade are Internet-only firms, the remaining three firms are hybrid(or click-and-brick) brokers.

Data collectionWe accessed the two online customer review Web sites, Gomez and Epinions, from

January 12 to 15, 2002, to secure a sufficient volume of anecdotes. All messages writtenfrom January 1, 2000, to January 11, 2002 were collected. We made every effort indeleting disqualified reviews, e.g. spamming messages, personal attacks, duplications,messages with empty text body and a meaningless title, promotional messages writtenby company insiders, and any messages irrelevant to online brokerage services. We

further identified multiple messages written by the same person for the same brokerand chose the message that best represented his/her viewpoints. As a result, a total of740 effective consumer anecdotes were selected. The average length of each anecdotewas 124 words.

Coding processOur coding procedure followed the guideline provided by Yang and Peterson (2002).All anecdotes were numbered, formatted, and imported to Ethnograph 5.0, a software


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package designed for coding qualitative data (Wazienski, 2000). Based on the first 100messages, two researchers collaborated in developing an initial 59 coding words, whichmade up the primary themes or facets of the overall quality of online services.Whenever possible, we grouped these coding words into relevant factors defined by

previous studies (e.g. Doll and Torkzadeh, 1988; Johnston, 1995; Parasuraman et al.,1988). Since some coding words could not be assigned to the factors uncovered bymajor extant studies, new dimensions were subsequently developed. The tworesearchers then independently coded the remaining anecdotes. Subsequent discussionidentified and resolved for all disagreements. Based on reviewers attitude, each servicequality dimension was classified into two categories: satisfied attributes (positiveperformance) and dissatisfied attributes (negative performance).

The inter-judge reliability between the coders was calculated using the percentageagreement statistic. In turn, the inter-judge reliability was 88.5 percent for thesatisfying anecdotes and 84.3 percent for the dissatisfying anecdotes. These figures arerelatively high, given that the resulting classification scheme contained 16 categoriesaccording to standards normally employed for statistically assessing qualitative data

(Perreault and Leigh, 1989).

ResultsThe results of content analysis are reported in Tables I and II. We present findings inline with our three research questions. Whenever appropriate, illustrative anecdotesare quoted to explain the domain of service quality dimensions and sub-dimensions.

Identified service quality dimensions and their itemsOur first research question concerns customer perceived critical dimensions andsub-dimensions of online service quality. The content analysis has identified 16 servicequality dimensions and 52 sub-dimensions or items (see Table II). Among the 52 items,

34 are applicable to both traditional and Internet brokerage services and the remaining18 items are unique to the Internet channel. Compared to dimensions identified bymajor studies on global measures of service quality (Johnston, 1995; Parasuraman et al.,1985), this study uncovered two new dimensions, i.e. continuous improvement andservice portfolio, which are highly relevant to newly emerging online services such asonline trading. We also observed that online investors addressed almost every aspectof information and systems quality such as system reliability and quote accuracy.These findings are consistent with the viewpoint that service quality dimensions tendto be context- and industry-bounded (Bienstock, 1997; Mehta et al., 2000; Van Dykeet al., 1997).

The content analysis of customers critical incidents enables us to explore the richaspects of online service dimensions and sub-dimensions. The results thus embrace

almost all key online service quality factors proposed by previous studies. Moreover,we have uncovered multiple new factors relevant to the new service channel, e.g.system flexibility, timeliness, system reliability, and continuous improvement. Allthese major factors are applicable for online services beyond the current researchsetting. Only a few items within the major factors are specifically related to the onlinesecurities brokerage industry (e.g. research capacity, quote update, and fund hold-up).

Among the 16 service quality dimensions, eight factors most frequently mentionedin the reviews are reported in Table III, subdivided by satisfied and dissatisfied

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Dimension Hybrid itema Internet-specific item

Responsiveness Prompt response to phone callsQuick order execution

Prompt order confirmationPrompt services (others)

Prompt response to e-mails

Reliability Accurate order fulfillmentAccurate recordAccurate quoteAccuracy in billingAccurate calculation of commissionsKeep service promiseKeep promotion promise

Credibility ConfidenceCompany reputation

Competence Ability to solve problemsKnowledge to answer questionsResearch capacityQuickly solve problem

Access Phone accessPhysical branch access

Web site accessibilityE-mail access

CourtesyPolitenessCare and friendliness of contact personnel

Continueimprovement

Service improvement System improvementWeb site improvement

Communication Prompt warning (e.g. account liquidation andrestrictions)Prompt notification (e.g. margin requirementchanges)Old records

Service portfolio Research reportsInvestment tools;Content Information availability (market and services)

Information clarityInformation accuracy

Timeliness Account updateQuote update

Security Information privacyCustomer protectionTrade hold-upFund hold-up

Log off due to time-outLock-out from service

Aesthetic Attractive of Web sitesease of use Easy navigation

Easy use

Effective navigationFunctionalitySpeed

System reliability System shutdown or failuresSystem error

System flexibility Compatibility (with someoperation systems)

Note: a Items that are applicable to services over both traditional and Internet channels

Table II.Identified service quality

dimensions and items


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Dimension and item

Satisfied Dissatisfied Total

No. Pcta No. Pcta No. Pcta

1. Responsiveness Prompt response to phone calls0.0 118 11.5 118 9.7Prompt services (others) 22 11.8 64 6.2 86 7.1

Prompt response to e-mails 0.0 54 5.2 54 4.4Prompt order execution 39 20.9 66 6.4 105 8.6Prompt order confirmation 6 3.2 17 1.7 23 1.9Sub-total 67 35.8 319 31.0 386 31.7

2. Service reliabilty Accurate order fulfillment 12 6.4 62 6.0 74 6.1Accurate record 2 1.1 18 1.7 20 1.6Accurate quote 6 0.6 6 0.5Accuracy in billing 3 1.6 3 0.2Accurate calculation of commissions 3 0.3 3 0.2Keep service promise 27 2.6 27 2.2Keep promotion promise 7 0.7 7 0.6

Sub-total 17 9.1 123 12.0 140 11.53. Ease of use Easy navigation 4 2.1 11 1.1 15 1.2

Easy to use 8 4.3 6 0.6 14 1.2Effective navigation 5 0.5 5 0.4Functionality/interface 8 0.8 8 0.7Web site download speed 7 3.7 86 8.4 93 7.6Sub-total 19 10.2 116 11.3 135 11.1

4. Competence Ability to solve problems 17 9.1 39 3.8 56 4.6Knowledge to answer questions 5 2.7 27 2.6 32 2.6Research capacity 6 3.2 25 2.4 31 2.5Quickly solve problem 2 1.1 15 1.5 17 1.4Sub-total 30 16.0 106 10.3 136 11.2

5. Access Web site accessibility 65 6.3 65 5.3Phone access 29 2.8 29 2.4Local office access 6 3.2 6 0.5E-mail access 5 0.5 5 0.4Sub-total 6 3.2 99 9.6 105 8.6

6. System reliability System failure and shutdown 49 4.8 49 4.0System error 31 3.0 31 2.5Sub-total 0 0.0 80 7.8 80 6.6

7. Timeliness Account update 2 1.1 41 4.0 43 3.5Quote update 4 2.1 27 2.6 31 2.5Sub-total 6 3.2 68 6.6 74 6.1

8. Security Log off due to time-out 22 2.1 22 1.8Lock out from service 7 0.7 7 0.6Personal information privacy

4 0.4 4 0.3Customer protection 1 0.5 1 0.1Fund or trade hold-up 6 0.6 6 0.4Sub-total 1 0.5 39 3.8 40 3.3

Total (eight dimensions) 146 78.1 950 92.3 1096 90.1Grant total (16 dimensions) 187 100.0 1,029 100.0 1216 100.0

Note: a Percentage is calculated based upon a total of 1,216 comments (16 dimensions)

Table III.Frequencies of servicequality dimensions, bysatisfaction anddissatisfaction

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groups. They are: responsiveness (a mention quotient of 31.7 percent), servicereliability (11.5 percent), ease of use (11.1 percent), competence (11.2 percent), access(8.6 percent), system reliability (6.6 percent), timeliness (6.1 percent), andsecurity/privacy (3.3 percent). These eight factors account for 90.1 percent of

remarks while the remaining eight dimensions consist only of 9.9 percent. In the samevein, the top eight items or keywords customers mentioned are prompt response tophone calls (9.7 percent), prompt order execution (8.6 percent), Web site downloadspeed (7.6 percent), prompt customer services (7.1 percent), accurate order fulfillment(6.1 percent), Web site accessibility (5.3 percent), and representatives capability tosolve problems (4.6 percent).

The fact that the less-frequently mentioned eight factors appear in only about 10percent of remarks obtained deserves further explanation. If the reason for such a lownumber of citations is that the overall performance of these factors is in line withcustomers expectations and/or their performance deviation from the industrystandard is insignificant, the less-frequently mentioned attributes may still be criticalfor customer satisfaction. In this case maintaining high performance of these attributes

is a necessity for competition; but doing so may not gain competitive advantages. If, onthe other hand, the reason these factors are cited so infrequently is that they play a lessimportant role in customers evaluation of overall service performance, managementmay strategically maintain only acceptable quality levels of these attributes and devotemore effort and resources on the other eight attributes in order to achieve competitiveadvantages.

Dimensions and items specific to Internet-based servicesOur second research question is: which service quality dimensions and items areunique to online services? In Table II, we classified these dimensions into two groups:factors that apply to both traditional and Internet channels (hybrid factors); and factorswhich are unique to the Internet channel (Internet-specific factors). Thus, the answer tothe second research question resides in: Internet-specific items within hybrid factors;and Internet-specific factors (see Table III for more details).

Internet-specific items within hybrid factors. The five primary dual service qualitydimensions include responsiveness, reliability, competence, access, and security.Several items within these hybrid dimensions are critical for customers to evaluateservice quality and satisfaction. The first and foremost attribute is prompt orderexecution and confirmation (C1 and C2), which requires adequate system capacity aswell as staff support:

C1. Never ever execute a market order with them, because you could pay dearly.I lost $1,400 with such an order because it took hours for my order to execute.

C2. I placed a trade some time ago, didnt get confirmation for 15+ minutes. Bythe time I got it, the stock was already down costing me money.

The second important aspect is accuracy of the online trading system, includingaccurate order fulfillment, accurate quote, accurate record keeping (C3), and accuratecommission calculation (C4). This aspect, together with timely order execution andconfirmation, are especially vital in online securities brokerage services.

C3. Their records are so hard to read and usually wrong for days after trades.


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C4. It is very unfair for me to take the loss and pay twice the commission, (onceon the sell short and once on the buy back to cover) since it was not a tradingerror on my behalf but an execution error on your trading system.

The third important aspect is the accessibility of Web sites. Convenience is one ofcustomers major motives of trading through the Internet. Thus, investors expect afirms Web sites to be accessible and the trading system is workable all the time (C5):

C5. I cannot count the times I have tried to trade only to see the message Serviceunavailable or Unable to connect to site.

The fourth prominent aspect is e-mail response. Besides traditional communicationmeans such as phone call, online customers are particularly longing for promptresponses to their inquiries and prompt confirmation through e-mail (C6 and C7).They tend to become annoyed or even angry when receiving no responses fromfirms (C8):

C6. They respond to e-mails in reasonable time. They are reasonably efficient intaking care of problems which so far, for me, have been relatively minorones.

C7. They send prompt, well formatted regular mail trade confirmations (or youcan select secure e-mail confirmations, I believe).

C8. Ive emailed them twice since January with no response yet.

Finally, transaction security and personal information privacy are major concerns foronline customers (C9). Security, however, is a two-sided sword. Strict protectionmeasures may result in inconveniences. Clients, for example, are annoyed by frequentautomatic logoffs due to time-out while they are still visiting sections other than

transaction pages (C10). Thus, customers Web site usage behavior has to beunderstood before the installation of security measures:

C9. More than once I logged on and someone elses quotes were listed on thequotes page. That made me nervous . . . how secure is a site that confusesinvestors information!

C10. The site throws you out if not active for 20 minutes, or even if youre in theresearch area and attempt to back into the trading/quote area, after 20minutes youll have to log in all over again.

Internet-specific factors. Among eight most frequently mentioned dimensions, twodimensions, ease of use and system reliability, are specific to technology-based service

channels. As one of the primary determinants of customers intention to adopt onlinesecurities trading, ease of use mainly involves easy and effective navigation along withadequate functionality and speedy Web page download. The following complaintsreflect investors frustration:

C11. Time for movement between screens is extremely slow . . . place and order,take a nap, check to see if filled, take a nap, etc. . . . Its a bit frustrating if youare intending to be actively trading.

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C12. Their recent Web site redesign mysteriously did away with much of theconvenience present in their previous site. Earnings look-ups and advancedcharting now required several more steps.

The second factor is systems reliability. Customers expect to conduct transactionswithout worrying about the system being clogged. System failure and errors canseriously bring about damage, loss, and inconvenience for investors (C14 and C15):

C13. But most importantly it is very conscientious about their routine systemmaintenance, and I have never known their system to go down like otheronline brokers.

C14. They have constant outages. Almost everyone I know has lost large amountsof money because of these outages.

C15. I entered a sell order, was given an error message, re-entered the order andended up short 1000 shares. This is an IRA where I cannot be short. The Web

site needs fixing.In addition, there are other Internet-specific dimensions including system compatibilitywith various operating systems (C16), informative and accurate online content onfinancial markets (C17), timeliness of account record and stock quotes (C18and C19),and Web site aesthetics (C20):

C16. They upgraded their Web site which made the order area of the Web siteincompatible with AOL4.0 running Microsoft Explorer 3.something.

C17. They do not offer IPOs, they never had one since I was there. Also marketnews is lacking on the site.

C18. As accounts are not updated in a timely manner, I am unable to make the

best trading decision.

C19. Their real-time quotes are a joke. What good are real-time quotes when ittakes at least a couple of minutes to get the next quote?

C20. New site design is awful. Navigation is more difficult and the colors aresickening.

Dimensions leading to satisfaction and dissatisfactionOur third research question is: among those identified online service qualitydimensions, which attributes are principally leading to customer satisfaction andwhich are leading to dissatisfaction? In terms of frequency of mention, the most

often-cited service quality dimensions leading to satisfaction are: responsiveness (amention quotient of 35.8 percent), competence (16.0 percent), ease of use (10.2 percent),service reliability (9.1 percent), courtesy (7.5 percent), service portfolio (6.4 percent), andcontinuous improvement (6.4 percent). These drivers of satisfaction, except for ease ofuse, are closely related to traditional services. The finding suggests that the traditionalservice quality dimensions still play a vital role in determining customer satisfaction.Furthermore, consistent with the TAM, ease of use is a primary factor leading tocustomers adoption of and satisfaction with online services.


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On the other hand, the most often-mentioned service quality factors with negativeperformance are: responsiveness (31.0 percent), service reliability (12.0 percent), ease ofuse (11.3 percent), competence (10.3 percent), access (9.6 percent), system reliability (7.8percent), timeliness (6.6 percent), and security/privacy (3.8 percent). Except for service

reliability, all the factors are either directly related to (ease of use, access, systemreliability, timeliness and security/privacy) or partially involved with (responsivenessand competence) information and systems quality.

Figure 1 depicts the percentages of satisfied and dissatisfied comments of all 16dimensions. The results reveal only one exclusive determinant of satisfaction (i.e.continuous improvement) and four exclusive determinants of dissatisfaction: systemreliability (dissatisfaction); content (dissatisfaction); credibility (dissatisfaction); andsystem flexibility (dissatisfaction). All the dissatisfiers, except for credibility, arerelated to the quality of the information system employed by online services. In otherwords, underperformance of most information and systems quality attributes is themajor source of dissatisfaction within the online channel.

Across the satisfied and dissatisfied groups, the four dimensions of responsiveness,competence, service reliability, and ease of use are key determinants of bothsatisfaction and dissatisfaction (i.e. dual factors). The first three factors are moretraditionally service-oriented and have been considered as critical determinants oftraditional service quality dimensions (e.g. Berry et al., 1985; Johnston, 1995). The lastfactor, ease of use, is unique to Web-based services. Among the four factors, onlyresponsiveness falls within the list of dual factors uncovered by Johnston (1995).

A further comparison of the two groups indicates that the importance of eachoften-mentioned factor does differ somewhat in terms of their respective weights indetermining customers satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Superior performance of

Figure 1.The sources of satisfactionand dissatisfaction for all16 dimensions

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courtesy, service portfolio, and continuous improvement can please online investors;their poor performance, nevertheless, is not the major reason of complaints. Similarly,underperformance of access, system reliability, or timeliness tends to lead todissatisfaction: however, their adequate performance may not delight customers since

customers regarded these factors as necessities. The results are consistent withJohnstons (1997) finding that some determinants of service quality tend to lead tosatisfaction while others lead to dissatisfaction.

It is noteworthy that Johnston (1995) adopted the concept of satisfiers anddissatisfiers only at the level of service quality dimensions. Our content analysisenables us to take a further step in applying this notion to the sub-dimensional level ofquality dimensions. Figure 2 presents the satisfied and dissatisfied mention quotientsfor some important items (.1 percent) within four key service quality factors. Forservice reliability, accurate order fulfillment is the most frequently mentioned itemleading to both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. For competence, ability to solveproblems is the main cause of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. For the other two

factors, the major sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction are different. For instance,among all items of responsiveness, the mostly mentioned one for complaints is longwaiting for phone responses. However, prompt response to customer calls seems notto be the major contributor of customer compliments. The main source of satisfaction isprompt order execution. For ease of use, the main drivers of satisfaction is easy touse and the main source dissatisfaction is Web site download speed. This findingsuggests that examining what leads to customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction

Figure 2.The sources of satisfaction

and dissatisfaction forsome sub-dimensions

(percentage.1 percent)


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should be conducted at both dimensional- and sub-dimensional (item)-level in order togenerate more insightful results.

DiscussionListening to customer voicesListening to customer voices is the initial step in planning service quality improvementendeavors. In turn, identifying customer perceived service quality dimensions andtheir roles in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction provides a frame of reference foronline service providers to assess their service performance. Our online contentanalysis uncovers 16 dimensions and 52 related items concerned with the role of onlineservice firms in facilitating clients: choice of the right products by providing adequateand timely information; speedy and accurate completion of a transaction; andsatisfactory resolution of any problems incurred. Once this preliminary activity hasbeen satisfactorily completed, full-fledged improvement efforts can be initiated.

Ideally, management should focus attention on the full spectrum of 16 dimensions.

Given the constraints of organizational resources, priority, however, has to be grantedto the following key dimensions: responsiveness, service and system reliability, ease ofuse, timeliness, access, competence, and security, reflecting the mention frequency ofattributes with negative performance. These critical dimensions embrace factors fromboth traditional service quality and information systems quality, which is consistentwith the unique aspects of Internet-based services. In addition, incorporating the itemsspecific to the Internet has enriched the content of uncovered factors.

Integrating information systems quality with traditional services qualityThe integration of traditional services and information systems quality is essential foronline businesses such as securities brokerage services. For instance, in order toprovide responsive and reliable services, well-trained and technically competent

representatives are desirable. It is also critical to maintaining high levels of systemreliability and system responsiveness, including execution and Web page downloadspeed, service availability, accurate execution, accurate account records, and real-timetrade confirmations. To increase efficiency, the transaction process, from logging ontothe Web site, getting a quote, and taking every step to make a trade, to getting orderconfirmation, should go through smoothly and quickly. With vulnerable tradingsystems and technical failures so common, a human being has to standby to monitorand support virtual transactions closely as required.

When clients encounter problems and find mistakes in their accounts, they crave alive agent and human voice: I want a live human being at the end of the phone line.Problems have to be resolved promptly and effectively. The fastest way to reach arepresentative is by phone. Thus, the availability and promptness of phone services

cannot be neglected. To ease the workload of telephone representatives, managementshould focus on enhancing the capabilities of alternative communication channels (e.g.e-mail), improving frequently-ask-questions (FAQ) sources and facilitating thediversion of routine calls into these alternative channels by integration of callcenters and Web site-based communication systems. On the one hand, customersshould be educated on how to send emails to appropriate representatives and how tophone them. On the other hand, a company needs to judge priorities depending uponthe urgency of the problems and then assign customers to appropriate live agents. In

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this sense, online brokers should find a relatively accurate way to forecast the demandsof phone services and to allocate adequate numbers of representatives.

In the same vein, customers prefer multiple channels to make transactions and toaccess online service providers, including phone, email, and physical access, even if

they intend to execute most transactions over the Web site. A local office often addsflexibility and competitive advantage, as one investor commented: . . . there is nothingbetter than being able to walk into a local branch and ask a real person questions aboutyour accounts. Multi-channel delivery offers customers flexibility and security. Inaddition, clients expect such services as ease in reaching a support person and inplacing a trade over the phone if necessary. Thus, effective integration of multiplechannels is a crucial element in satisfying customers.

Focusing on key information systems-related factorsOur results suggest that customers are concerned with three key factors closely relatedto information systems quality, i.e. ease of use, timeliness of information, and security.

Ease of use is the prominent determinant of customer adoption of the Internet-enabledservice channel. Well-organized user interfaces allow customers to locate their desiredinformation easily. Therefore, the organization and structure of online content shouldbe logical and easy to follow. The number of graphics and animated features on Webpages needs to be minimized because they are extremely time-consuming to downloadand are often the cause of computer slow-down. Additionally, adequate navigationfunctions such as site search engines and clear menus are critical factors in enhancingthe usability of a Web site.

One principal advantage of Internet-enabled businesses over traditional businessesis its power in furnishing customers sufficient, accurate, and timely information. Thisis particularly prominent in the online brokerage industry as valuable, currentinformation is essential for investors. Nevertheless, providing quality information

requires an effective, sound management system of content development andinformation selection. It demands managers involvement with quality control ofcontent and linkages of online resources. Furthermore, we observe that some investorscomplained about the lack of adequate information on a Web site while others pointedout their difficulty in handling too much information. Therefore, management needsto establish a balance between information completeness and depth. Simply uploadingall documents and data to the Web site will only create a headache for customers. Incontrast, careful editing and outlining key points of information can dramaticallyreduce customers burden in searching out useful information.

Online firms should also set up safety standards and systems equipped with avariety of online safety measures, including secure browsers, to ensure account andtransaction security. At the same time, firms should seek to minimize the negative

side-effects of these security measures such as excessive logons and logoffs within arelatively short timeframe.

Managing customer expectationsConsumers have various expectations of service quality that affect their evaluations ofonline service providers. Thus, managers should communicate effectively to theirusers what services they provide and also choose the right customers to serve. Forinstance, discount securities brokers can state clearly their limited services in such


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areas as access to institutional research, advisory services, business news, andhistorical financial data. Doing so can avoid unwanted customers who demand fullservices which could not be satisfied. In addition, firms can actively manage customerexpectations of certain service attributes and determine the appropriate levels to

maintain. The most effective way is to educate customers on how the market and thecompany works, and then explain reasons that cause delays in such services as tradereporting and real-time quotes. Firms may also advise customers of ways to minimizedelay in transaction execution.

Investigating factors leading to satisfaction and dissatisfactionOur results show that most key determinants of online service satisfaction areessentially within the domain of traditional service quality dimensions. The findingpartially explains the advantage of click-and-brick service providers over theirclick-and-click peers as the former already built a well-established platform to providequality traditional services to their customers. The only major factor unique to the

Internet setting is ease of use. Obviously, without user friendly Web sites, the distinctadvantages of e-commerce such as convenience and information availability wontmaterialize. Meanwhile, most factors leading to dissatisfaction are tied to informationand systems quality. The results indicate that, while excellent performance oninformation- and systems-related service quality dimensions may not lead to customerdelight, failure to do so will have adverse impacts on customer satisfaction.

For dual factors, our study reveals four salient service quality dimensions leading toboth satisfaction and dissatisfaction. They are: responsiveness, reliability, ease of use,and competence. Our results further demonstrate that even at the sub-dimensionallevel, the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction may be different in some factors,which suggest that it is constructive for firms to understand the cause of satisfactionand dissatisfaction at both dimensional- and sub-dimensional levels.

Limitations and further researchWeb-based customer review sites and discussion forums open a wide and feasibleavenue for managers and researchers to study customer perceived service quality andtheir satisfaction with various online services. While our sampled brokers andmessages are appropriate for an exploratory study, the nature of content analysis ofcustomer comments, however, determines two disadvantages of the research. The firstlies in self-selected samples, which are not necessarily statistically representative. Thepossibility of obtaining biased results, therefore, might be substantial. In turn, cautionshould be taken in generalizing our findings. Second, consumer compliments andcomplaints generally reflect extreme experiential satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Someneutral factors may not be revealed (Johnston, 1995). Moreover, in our sample,

customers comments are biased toward dissatisfied ones (1,029 vs 187 comments). Inother words, dissatisfied customers are more likely to voice their complaints. It will beinteresting to see whether that is the case for other highly involved online services suchas online banking.

Our study is exploratory in nature. The dimensions are not mutually exclusive. Forinstance, service reliability and system reliability may be further grouped as onebroader factor: reliability. Further studies can employ other research methods such asquestionnaire surveys to verify and purify the 16 identified dimensions by using

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confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, as the online trading industry strives forgreater maturity, a longitudinal study is desirable in monitoring the evolution ofcustomer expectations and perceived performance of salient service qualitydimensions.

ConclusionIn this study, we develop a broad conceptual framework integrating well-establishedmodels from the areas of service marketing and information systems. We then employthe newly emerged netnography method by content analysis of 740 anecdoteswritten by online customers. The method enables us to uncover 16 dimensions and 52related items, and their role in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The findingsprovide both theoretical contributions to the knowledge body of online service qualityand practical implications for online service providers.

Theoretically, this study extends the knowledge body of service quality andcustomer satisfaction by enriching the content of traditional service quality and

information systems quality dimensions applicable for Internet-enabled servicesand identifying multiple new factors. Compared to previous studies, thedimensions and their related items developed in this research comprise arelatively comprehensive pool of measures for assessing online services and canserve as building blocks for further studies in relationship marketing. We furtherreveal that major drivers of online service satisfaction are still strongly tied totraditional service quality dimensions (e.g. responsiveness, service reliability, andcompetence) although they contain some Internet-related contents. In contrast, theprimary determinants of dissatisfaction tend to relate to information and systemsquality dimensions. Among the factors unique to the Internet setting, ease of useis the only major driver of both customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

In practice, subtle differentiation of service quality levels has become a key driving

force in enhancing competitive advantages. If online providers understand whatdimensions customers utilize to judge quality and form their satisfaction, they will thenbe in a favorable position to monitor and improve company performance. In this sense,the service quality dimensions and sub-dimensions identified in this study canfacilitate firms in detection of the weaknesses and strengths of their online services.Management can thus devote valuable corporate resources to enhance performance ofsalient service quality attributes such as service reliability, responsiveness, ease of use,and competence identified by this study. Finally, while superior information andsystems quality may not delight customers, management still needs to maintainquality levels that adhere to industry standards and should remedy any failure of theseattributes to avoid detrimental effects on customer satisfaction.

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Documents

E- Service Quality Dimensions