Measuring and Investigating Pretrial Multi-Expectations of Service Quality Within the Higher Education Context

Understanding what consumers expect from a service provider prior to consumption is necessary for marketers because expectations provide a standard of comparison against which consumers judge the performance of that service provider. This study is an in-depth investigation into consumers' pretrial multi-expectations of service quality within a higher education context using Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman's (1993) multi-expectations standards framework. It examines students' pretrial multi-expectations towards three different universities and tests the validity of measuring pretrial expectations using SERVQUAL dimensions. This study also empirically identifies which typical information sources influence students' pretrial multi-expectations of service quality. Results indicate that students use two levels of service quality expectations (desired and predicted) prior to consumption, confirming the applicability of Zeithaml et al.'s (1993) multi-expectations standards model within a higher education context. The findings also suggest that measuring and understanding both levels of pretrial service quality expectations and the sources of these expectations provides insightful information for higher education service marketers.