Differentiating services and its implications for supplier selection The case of maintenance services for social rented housing

Abstract

The characteristics of business services provide useful information for supplier selection decisions. However, it is yet undetermined which characteristics are most relevant. In this paper, we propose to regard services from an end-customer perspective, since the degree of impact of services on end-customer satisfaction is expected to influence supplier selection decisions. We draw on a classification method based on a customer usage dimension for exploring the nature of this effect and its implications for supplier selection. The issue will be investigated in the specific context of maintenance services on dwellings as purchased by housing associations. These maintenance services do in a varying degree impact residential satisfaction, which should be reflected in supplier selection decisions in order to reach the desired level of service performance.