How service quality and outcome confidence drive pre-outcome word-of-mouth

The results show that consumers with higher levels of outcome confidence are more willing than low-confidence consumers to transmit pre-outcome WOM. However, the study also finds that outcome confidence compensates for process quality such that the effect of process quality diminishes when outcome confidence is high. The key managerial implication of the study's finding is that managers can tactically use outcome confidence to compensate for low levels of process or employee service quality.