THE WALLACE E. CARROLL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
MD850: Advanced Topics in IT: e-Service Operations
Spring 2002

MD850 Home
Week 12
e-Service Quality: Measuring and Managing e-Service Quality, Improving e-Service Operations, Customer Efficiency Management

Assigned Readings

Keeney, R., “The Value of Internet Commerce to the Customer,” Management Science, Vol. 45, No. 4, April 1999.
Field, J.M., G.R. Heim, and K.K. Sinha, "A Framework for Managing Quality in the E-Service System," working paper, March 2002.
Sun Microsystems, "The Next Wave: Architecture to the Rescue," "Built to Last" Designing for Systemic Qualities," Dot-Com & Beyond, p. 67-109.
E-SERV, Chapter 8: “Use Posttransactional and Real Time Web Surveys,” p. 175-176
E-SERV, Chapter 12: A Seven-Lesson Crash Course in E-Service Improvement
CRM, Chapter 12: Why Does Your Company Need CRM?, p. 247-251
CRM, Appendix B: Customer Lifetime Value


Class Discussion Assignment
Visit the web sites of: www.bizrate.com,  www.gomezadvisors.com,  and www.epubliceye.com.  Each of these web sites provides “expert shopper” and/or “customer” evaluations of customers’ perceptions of the quality/customer satisfaction of electronic transactions for a wide variety of e-Service companies. 

Examine the content of the evaluation methodologies of each of these sites, and compare the three approaches, considering: 
1. The content and analysis methods of the three methodologies for evaluating the quality of electronic transactions.
2. Usefulness -- how can the three methods be applied to manage the full scope of transactions in an e-Service business?
3. Completeness/Comprehensiveness -- are there any important e-Service attributes that these sites have overlooked? Are there any quality dimensions that you feel should be added or removed to have a comprehensive set of quality metrics for managing your "generic" e-Service?
4. Advantages/Risks -- Are there any benefits from employing such services, outside of the ability to measure and manage e-Service quality? Are there any potential risks in employing -- or just due to the existence of -- such services?

Come to class ready to discuss the above issues.

Team Web-Based Assignment
None.
Keyword Legend
E-SERV = E-Service: 24 Ways to Keep Your Customers …
CRM = CRM at the Speed of Light: Capturing and Keeping Customers …
FUL = E-Commerce Logistics and Fulfillment: Delivering the Goods

Related Readings: For Further Information

Zeithmal, V.A., “Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality and Value: A Means-End Model and Synthesis of Evidence”, Journal of Marketing, 52, 1988, p. 2-7, 13.

Schwartz, M., “Constructive Web Critics,” Computerworld, May 22, 2000
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO45111,00.html

“E-Commerce Crusader: Bizrate.Com's Farhad Mohit Sees Himself At The Forefront Of An E-Tailing Revolution,” Business Week, June 5, 2000.
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_23/b3684047.htm

Melymuka, K., “Ensuring E-Quality,” Computerworld, January 29, 2001
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO56986,00.html

Anthes, G.H., “The Quest for E-Quality,” Computerworld, December 13, 1999
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO37833,00.html

Alter, A., “It’s Time We Made Quality An E-Word,” Computerworld, October 11, 1999
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO37201,00.html

Alexander, S., “Business Metrics,” Computerworld, June 12, 2000
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO45781,00.html

Hanson, W., “Customer Support and Online Quality (Chapter 6),” in Internet Marketing, South-Western College Publishing, 2000.

Reichheld, F.F., and P. Schefter, "E-Loyalty" Harvard Business Review, July-August, 2000, p. 105-113.
http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/prod_detail.asp?R00410

Collins, A., “Customer Service Counts,” Business 2.0, March 21, 2001
http://www.business2.com/content/channels/ebusiness/2001/03/21/28747

Philosophe.com – A thoughtful approach to web site quality
http://www.philosophe.com/

Netscape’s Website Testing Links – Quality and Capacity
http://directory.netscape.com/Computers/Programming/Software_Testing/E-Commerce_Testing

WWW Quality Ranking Sites
BizRate.com - http://www.bizrate.com/
e-Wonders’ (ewonders.com) Rating Wonders - http://www.ratingwonders.com/
Gomez - http://www.gomezadvisors.com/
Gomez Networks – site performance evaluation service - http://www.gomeznetworks.com/
Gomez Advisors Scorecard Methodology
http://www.gomez.com/about/releases.asp?art_id=5068&subSect=methodology&topcat_id=0
Gomez Advisors Merchant Certification Program – Certification Criteria
http://www.gomez.com/Certification/signup.cfm
Forrester Research Power Rankings
http://www.forrester.com/ER/PowerRankings/0,2141,0,FF.html
AC Nielsen e-Ratings.com: Quality of Advertising Exposure - http://www.eratings.com/
World Best Websites – Quality Criteria for Website Excellence Awards - http://www.worldbestwebsites.com/criteria.htm
Apple’s Mac-Friendly Ratings - http://ireview.mac.com/
Consumer Reports Online, E-Ratings: Online Shopping Guide - 
http://www.consumerreports.org/Eratings/
WebWatchdog - http://www.webwatchdog.com/
OpinionLab.com - http://www.opinionlab.com/
The Watchfire Quality Index Methodology (a quality of conformance tool)
http://www.watchfire.com/resources/quality/methodology.asp

Related Readings: Traditional (Person-to-Person) Services

Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons, Service Management: Operations, Strategy, and Information Technology, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2001, Chapter 3 ("Service Quality"), Chapter 18 ("Productivity and Quality Improvement")

Haksever, et al., Service Management and Operations, Prentice Hall, 2000, Chapter 8, p. 191-192 ("Designing Quality and Value"), Chapter 12 ("Service Quality and Continuous Improvement"), Chapter 13 ("Service Productivity and Measurement of Performance")