Abstract:
The world has become a global village and more and more firms are now competing
for the attention and action of the same customer. This exposes the customer to
hundreds of promotions a day. To survive and grow in this hostile business
environment, firms attempt to capture the attention of potential customers through
their marketing communication efforts. Service firms use a variety of promotional
tools including servicescapes to reach potential consumers. As a result of the variety
of promotional tools being used and the sheer volume of information being sent out, it
becomes difficult for service firms to effectively integrate and coordinate these
messages. This results in conflicting images and promises. Sometimes, they (Service
Firms) over promise or exaggerate their services to win customers. The study was
therefore designed to determine how firm level communication influence service
quality perceptions, and the impact that inconsistencies between firm level
communication and service delivery have on service quality perceptions. In a survey,
three sets of questionnaires were designed and administered on a sample of
customers, management and front line staff of various hotels in Accra. It was
established in the study that customer perception of service quality is shaped to a large
extent by customer expectations, which itself is influenced by firm level
communication. Several hotels are making conscious efforts to integrate and
coordinate all aspects of their firm level communication ensuring that their messages
are both believable and deliverable. Service encounter emerged as the most important
factor that influenced customer perception of service quality in a given service
experience. Given the increasingly hostile nature of the business environment, the
importance of service quality as a means of differentiating one service firm from
another cannot be over emphasized. However, because service quality perception is a
subjective cognitive activity, influenced by firm level communication and customer
expectations, it is important that firms integrate and coordinate their promotional
efforts and make only claims and promises that they can adequately fulfill.
