Customer Perceived Risk in Service Purchase and Its Scale Development: An Empirical Study in Travel Agency Setting in China

摘要

Customer perceived risk is one of the key variables for service purchase decision-making, though there has not been an agreement on its dimensions and measurements. Based on literature review and panel discussions, this paper has developed an instrument for measuring perceived risk in service purchase, testing it through a survey after collecting data in travel agencies in China. In consequence,it has been discovered that customer does not have perceived performance risk before service purchase, and that customer perceived psychological risk has common load-factor with perceived social risk. Therefore the four dimensions have been identified for perceived risk before service purchase, which are perceived financial risk, psycho-social risk, time risk and physical risk. Additionally, some guidance for service marketing and management has also been provided.