Consumer Perceptions of the Efficacy of Price as an Index of Professional Service Quality
- 1 July 2001
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Services Marketing Quarterly
- Vol. 22 (2) , 29-48
- https://doi.org/10.1300/j396v22n02_03
Abstract
The study reported focuses on the price-quality perception for four professional Services-physicians, dentists, optometrists, and lawyers. Cluster analysis was performed to dis cover possible differences among consumers in the strength of the price-quality be lief. In addition, the impact that perceived service complexity, variability of procedures, and stress may have on propensity to believe price is an indicator of Service quality was in vestigated. Over all, a strong price-quality perception was found for all four profes sions. How ever, respondents differed significantly in the strength of the perception, with younger respondents living in smaller cities most likely to hold strong price-quality be liefs. Only weak Relationships were found be tween price-quality and complexity, pro cedures, and stress.Keywords
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