Customer evaluation of service employee's customer orientation: extension and application

Past research indicates that customer orientation is related to positive outcomes for the firm. Customer orientation has typically been measured by self-reports from service employees. Research indicates, however, that customers may not perceive employees to be as customer oriented as employees perceive themselves to be. This study extends past research by measuring perceptions of customer-oriented behaviors from the customer's perspective, not from the employee's perspective. Results from data gathered from 219 restaurant customers provide empirical evidence that perceptions of the contact employee's customer-oriented behaviors were positively related to two positive outcomes: (1) customer satisfaction with the service encounter and (2) customer commitment to the firm.