Effects of Customer Service on Sales: An Analysis of Historical Data

Before distribution managers can effectively manage customer service, they must be able to determine how sales respond to various levels of service. The potential for customer service to contribute to a company's sales is generally acknowledged and has received considerable attention in the literature over the past several years. Much of the work, however, has been of a theoretical nature. Empirical studies have been confined largely to analyses of data collected by surveys which measure respondents' opinions regarding varying levels of logistics service. Hence, conclusions are based on sales expectations or purchase intentions of sellers and buyers, respectively. It is not suggested that respondents would misrepresent their concern for service levels, but little work has been done to confirm the proposed sales‐service relationships through analysis of historical data. If expectations and/or intentions indeed become actions, the impact should be observable in sales patterns over time.