What do we know about the service experiences of Australian ISP customers and the quality of services provided by their ISP?

A key challenge, of interest to researchers and practitioners in the ISP (Internet Service Provider) industry is the assessment and management of customer experiences. Majority of past research in networking area on quality of services is system oriented and minor attention is paid to user level service quality issues. This paper presents the justification for the need to not just measure network operational parameters from regulatory viewpoint, but also consider the end users perception of quality of services provided by their ISPs. This is influenced by various factors that lie outside the ISP network such as complaints handling, responsiveness and empathy. This paper is aimed towards providing a better understanding of the sparse knowledge about customer experiences in ISP context. It also clarifies a number of past findings on customer experiences and that there are no theoretically founded, academic research that has so far examined the relationship between service experiences (technical and non-technical) of ISP customers and the quality of services provided by their ISP. The main contribution of this paper is that it has identified the gap in ISP service environment which has heavily focused on technical side and not on functional aspects. The initial research review has helped us to identify that the customer experiences have an impact on the evaluation of quality of the services provided by their ISP. The technical experiences in ISP context involves inherent quality aspects of the ISP network and non-technical experiences involve the service quality aspects of the ISP

A study of Australian Internet service provider industry stakeholder collaboration : implications for functional service quality practices

Customer Service (CS) and Complaints Handling (CH) referred to as Functional Service Quality (FSQ) are the top two Internet service issues that have drawn the serious attention of the telecommunications industry regulator and the ombudsman following poor FSQ performance of the Australian Internet industry. FSQ is the quality of services delivered to customers. This paper analyses the recent collaborative efforts of the Australian Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry stakeholders to address systemic problems related to CS and CH. Eleven senior executives from key ISP industry stakeholder organizations were interviewed. Using institutional theory lens, this study found that the institutional forces (regulatory, customer and competition pressures) played a pivotal role in bringing all stakeholders together to address FSQ deficiencies in the old Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code 2007. This led to significant changes to the CS/CH practices detailed in the revised TCP Code 2012. The study findings revealed that frequent and fateful collaborations between central institutional actors has led to the emergence of organizational fields. The actors identified in the emerging fields actively influence the FSQ practices and the subsequent implementation of the practices in ISPs. Such ‘emerging’ fields can transform into ‘mature’ fields and inform future FSQ practices of the ISP industry

A study of internet service provider industry stakeholder collaboration in Australia : an institutional perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine institutional influences on the customer service (CS) and complaints handling (CH) practices of the Australian Internet industry. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a qualitative research methodology using semi-structured interview as a research method. The study was informed by constructivist/interpretive research paradigm approaches to knowledge. Eleven senior executives from key Internet industry stakeholder organizations were interviewed. Findings – Using the neo-institutional theory lens, this study found that the institutional forces (regulatory, customer and competition pressures) played a pivotal role in bringing all Internet industry stakeholders together to address CS/CH shortcomings in the old Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code 2007. This led to significant changes to the CS/CH practices detailed in the revised TCP Code 2012. The study findings revealed that frequent and fateful collaborations between central institutional actors have led to the emergence of organizational fields. The actors identified in the emerging organizational fields actively influence the CS/CH practices and the subsequent implementation of the practices in vLISPs. Research limitations/implications – The study focused on the functional aspects of service quality (SQ). Technical aspects of SQ is equally important, and future research needs to consider both aspects of SQ when assessing overall performance of vLISPs. Practical implications – The study findings encourage vLISP managers to continue collaboration with external stakeholders and develop customer-friendly practices that deliver desirable CS/CH outcomes. Social implications – The study findings revealed that when all vLISP industry stakeholders collaborate with each other on a focal issue, there is noticeable progress towards development of CS practices that will contribute to a better CS experience. Originality/value – An evidence-based approach was used towards understanding and explaining how and why institutional actors of technology-based service organizations act together. A significant contribution arising from this study is the identification and discussion of emerging organizational fields comprising the central actors in the Internet industry. These emerging organizational fields have the potential to develop into mature organizational fields and inform future CS/CH practices and consumer protection policies in the Australian Internet industry