The Impact of Health Service Provider Agreeableness on Care Quality Variation

Variation of customer‐perceived care quality may trigger customer complaints, negative word of mouth, and reduced revisit behavior; for health services especially, this area warrants additional research. This study investigates whether health service provider agreeableness is related to the variation of customer‐perceived care quality. Questionnaires were sent to health service providers and customers in two medical centers. In total, 411 sets of responses were collected, with each one comprising the responses of a health service provider and three customers. Data were analyzed using regression analyses. Agreeableness was negatively related to the variation of customer‐perceived care quality in terms of reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. Therefore, health service managers should enhance personnel agreeableness by providing on‐the‐job training courses and role models.