Rationality is Service Receiver’s Trait

Abstract

Purpose: The article constitutes the expansion of authorial research on rationality from a service provider point of view. This time, it is from a service receiver's standpoint. The research's main goal is to identify factors that positively affect a rational choice of healthcare or transport services and allow a consumer to evince a trait of rationality. Design/Methodology/Approach: Chi-square tests and empirical significance level tests in statistics were performed. It was verified whether there is a correlation between a social group and the proportion of answers. A cross-functional analysis was done in different social groups. Findings: A statistically significant test result indicated that particular social groups differed in terms of the frequency of pointing out a given answer. The research results that are presented cover the situations in which a consumer evinces rational behavior. The findings also highlight factors that influence a consumer's decision while buying a service. They clearly show that, in both service categories, high quality and efficiency are the factors that decide while making a final decision. Moreover, employed people and students stress the importance of an office in healthcare or the appearance of a service provider in transportation. Retired people appreciate the convenient location of a service facility in both categories. Practical implications: the analysis of the variable distribution showed that it was possible to create a list of service providers' recommendations. Thanks to recognizing factors that determine the choices of service receivers, the providers will be able to arrange a service offer betteradequately to market needs. Originality/Value: Rationality, from a service perspective, is a scarce subject. Raising it is original and makes the research unique, attested by the opinion comparison between three social groupsstudents, employed people, and pensioners. The analysis processes enabled the creation of action strategies for service receivers with regard to the future of selected service categories.