Characteristics of Services

An Investigation Into Four Characteristics of Services
Russell Wolak, Stavros Kalafatis and Patricia Harris*
Kingston Business School Kingston Hill Kingston upon Thames Surrey KT2 7LB Phone [phone] Fax [phone] E-mail [e-mail] ABSTRACT
This study replicates US-based research by Hartman and Lindgren on the extent to which consumers differentiate between products and services. In addition, Hartman and Lindgren investigated the importance of four characteristics of services to consumers; intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability. Hartman and Lindgren did not find that these four service characteristics were used by consumers when distinguishing between goods and services. We find that 1) consumers in the UK classify services and products in a consistent way to that found by Hartman and Lindgren; and 2) UK consumers employ a similar set of underlying factors to the four characteristics proposed in the services marketing literature. Our results challenge those of Hartman and Lindgren and our findings support the continued use of intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability as frameworks for the study of services buyer behaviour and for the development of services marketing strategies.

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INTRODUCTION
The services literature highlights differences in the nature of services versus products which are believed to create special challenges for services marketers and for consumers buying services. To help understand these differences a number of characteristics that describe the unique nature of services have been proposed. These characteristics were first discussed in the early services marketing literature and are generally summarised as intangibility, inseparability, heterogeneity and perishability (Regan, 1963; Rathmell, 1966; Shostack, 1977; and Zeithaml et al 1985).

Although there has been debate on the

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