2.1. Research on Multi-Channel Service Quality
According to Sousa (2006), this paper concludes that multi-channel service quality includes offline RSSQ, online ESQ and MCISQ between offline and online.
Scholars from Northern Europe proposed the concept of service quality. They defined service quality as the gap between the expectation of service and real experience. Parasuraman (1985) later proposed the service quality model and it became a hot issue in marketing-related research. The most representative model is the service quality gap model, proposed by PBZ. Later, SERVQUAL scale was widely applied, including five dimensions, namely, tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.
2.1.2. E-Service Quality (ESQ)
In the age of the Internet, e-channel has become an important distribution channel of enterprises. It can attract potential customers and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and bring long-term profit. The service ability of e-channel is defined as the ability to promote customers to buy and obtain products in an efficient way. In the e-channel, service quality extends to all interactions between the retailer and customers, including information search before the deal, interaction during the negotiation and after-sale service.
2.1.3. Multi-Channel Integration Service Quality (MCISQ)
Sousa (2006) constructed a multi-channel integration service framework of multi-channel integration service, including channel-service configuration and integrated interactions; channel-service configuration has two dimensions, namely breadth of channel choice and transparency of channel service configuration. Integrated interactions have two dimensions, namely content consistency and process consistency. Breadth of channel choice refers to that customers have the freedom to choose different channels and complete the purchase. Transparency of channel service configuration refers to those customers’ understanding and knowledge about channels available and all these channels. Content consistency refers to the consistency of information acquired from different channels. Process consistency refers to the consistency of service in different channels, such as service attitude, waiting time, service price, etc. MCISQ is defined as that customers can enjoy high quality same and coordinated service from all channels, is it offline store or e-channel.