A review of the emerging literature suggests that there appears to be relative consensus
among marketing researchers that service quality and customer satisfaction are separate
constructs which is unique and share a close relationship (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Oliver,
1993). Most researchers in the services field have maintained that these constructs are
distinct (Bitner, 1990; Carman, 1990; Boulding et al., 1993; Spreng and Mackoy, 1996).
Table 1 identifies a number of key elements that distinguish customer satisfaction from
service quality.