A multidimensional measure of perceived online service quality was developed based on consumers' comments about their experiences with online retailers. These comments were organized and compared to the SERVQUAL scale. A survey was administered to adults who had made online purchases or role-played the experience. While reflective of the SERVQUAL dimensions, the new measures became less reliant on interpersonal interactions and more technologically relevant. A new dimension also emerged that reflects consumers' concerns for the geographic distance and facelessness of their experience. The study points to areas of improvement for online service quality.
As individuals age, many begin to perceive a loss of control in their personal and social lives. To regain some of that control, individuals are buying computers and going on the Internet. The authors suggest that individuals who go on the Internet are empowering themselves because they are participating with others in a community and increasing personal control over their lives. They discuss potential empowerment themes developed from a convenience sample of older individuals (i.e., 50 or older) by analyzing their comments on how the Internet has influenced their personal and social lives. Emerging empowerment themes include the power of change, information, guilt, and how the Internet has enriched lives and expanded worldviews. What respondents told the authors has implications for funding and development of public policy including health and quality-of-life issues.
A practical method of sample recruitment, data collection, and database development for Internet consumers is described. The method proved successful in identifying, recruiting, and tracking respondents drawn from a small segment of the general population. To illustrate the method, the authors focus on a case history of a survey research project involving older consumers who are active on the Internet. Along with the data collected for that specific research project, a database was developed containing demographic, psychographic, and personal characteristics that will be helpful for future research projects. This practical research approach allows researchers to accurately track each respondent, insuring more accurate records and a better understanding of the individuals who make up the sample.
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