Service Provider Type As a Predictor of the Relationship Between Sociality and Customer Satisfaction‪.‬

This study examined the relationship between service providers' sociality usage and customer satisfaction with the service provider. The Service Provider Sociality Scale (SPSS) was administered to 250 undergraduate students enrolled in a small, mid-western college and 194 residents from locales near the college. Whether it was a professional (doctor, hairdresser) or nonprofessional (convenience store clerk, fast-food employee) service provider, regression analyses revealed that "courteous expressions" and "personal connection" socialities were positive for both occupational groups; however, a stronger relationship existed for professional service providers. Nevertheless, regardless of service provider occupational type, courteous expressions explained significantly more unique variance in customer satisfaction than did personal connection socialities. Therefore, the communicative actions of service providers may influence customer perceptions of commitment and affect economic prosperity across service entities. Keywords: service provider; customer; sociality; communication; customer satisfaction