Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Challenge for service marketers is to understand how customers interact with service operations
Flowcharting clarifies how customer involvement in service encounters varies with type of process - see Fig. 2-1: People processing (e.g., motel stay): customer is physically involved throughout entire process Possession processing (e.g., DVD repair): involvement may be limited to drop off of physical item/description of problem and subsequent pick up Mental stimulus processing (e.g., weather forecast): involvement is mental, not physical; here customer simply receives output and acts on it Information processing (e.g., health insurance): involvement is mental specify information upfront and later receive documentation of coverage
High
N ur sing H om e
H a ir Cut
4 - Sta r H ote l
Re ta il Ba nk i ng M ote l
Dr y Cl ea ning
Fa st Food Movie Theater
Ca bl e TV
Internet-based Services
Low
Service success often rests on performance of junior contact personnel Must train, coach, role model desired behavior Thoughtless or badly behaved customers can cause problems for service personnel (and other customers) Must educate customers, clarify what
ZONE OF TOLERANCE
Desired Service Level: wished-for level of service quality that customer believes can and should be delivered Adequate Service Level: minimum acceptable level of service
Predicted Service Level: service level that customer believes firm will actually deliver
Zone of Tolerance: range within which customers are willing to accept variations in service delivery
INTANGIBLE ATTRIBUTES, VARIABILITY, AND QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEMS MAKE SERVICES HARD TO EVALUATE
Search attributes Tangible characteristics that allow customers to evaluate a product before purchase Experience attributes Characteristics that can be experienced when actually using the service Credence attributes Characteristics that are difficult to evaluate confidently even after consumption Goods tend to be higher in search attributes, services tend to be higher in experience and credence attributes Credence attributes force customers to trust that desired benefits have been delivered
Clothing
Restaurant meals
Computer repair
Haircut
Legal services
Complex surgery
Motor vehicle
Foods
Chair
Entertainment
Lawn fertilizer
Easy to evaluate
Difficult to evaluate
Progressive Insurance has found ways to positively surprise customers with customer-friendly innovations and extraordinary customer service
Includes service delivery (as above) and all other contacts between service firm and customers
Technical Core
Equipment
The Customer
Service People
Backstage (invisible)
Other Customers
SERVICE MARKETING SYSTEM: (2) LOW CONTACT SERVICE--E.G., CREDIT CARD Service Marketing System
Service Delivery System Service Operations System Other Contact Points
Advertising Mail Technical Core Self Service Equipment Phone, Fax, Web site etc.
Backstage (invisible) Front Stage (visible)
The Customer
Word of Mouth
SERVICE AS THEATER
All the worlds a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances and each man in his time plays many parts William Shakespeare As You Like It
Script: A sequence of behavior to be followed by employees and customers during service delivery
Some scripts (e.g. teeth cleaning) are routinized, others flexible Technology change may require a revised script Managers should reexamine existing scripts to find ways to improve delivery, increase productivity, enhance experiences