Crisis of confidence : re-narrating the consumer-professional discourse

Abstract

The professional-consumer relationship in professional services has undergone unprecedented change. Relationships which were traditionally dominated by respect for professional status are in flux as increasingly educated consumers challenge the professional establishment. This paper considers the nature of the professional service consumer and the implications for professional service encounters. Based on qualitative interviews we identify four patterns of consumer-professional interaction, compliant, collaborative, confirmatory, and consumerist, which reflect the nature of the discourse between consumer and professiona