Chapter Discussion Questions

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Services

• In your own words, what are services?
• What is "good service"?
• What is the difference between "services" and "customer service"?
• Why should you study services marketing?
• What are differences in marketing goods versus services?  Be able to elaborate.
• What are the three "new" elements of the services marketing mix?
• Explain each of the three new P’s and provide an example of each.
• Why would a manufacturing firm be interested in services marketing?
• How is technology changing the nature of service?
   

• In one sentence, what is the "Gaps Model of Service Quality"?
• When might customer expectations differ from customer perceptions?
• What is the "customer gap"?
• Briefly describe Gaps 1, 2, 3, and 4, and be able to provide an example (other than what is in the text book) of what might cause each one.
• What is the point of looking at the four provider gaps?
   

Chapter 3 - Consumer Behavior in Services

• What is meant by search qualities? experience qualities? credence qualities?  Provide examples (other than those in the text book) of products high in each of these three categories.
• In your opinion, does the decision-making process for purchasing services differ from goods?  Defend your position.
• What service purchase decisions would you consider to be the most risky to you? Why?  Which are the least risky?  Why?
• Something to think about...What impact might a service guarantee have on the perceived risk customers experience in purchasing services?
• What is a service script?  Be prepared to provide an example of a service script for a service you use.
   

 Chapter 4 - Customer Expectations of Service

• What do we mean by the term service expectations?  
• What is the difference between desired service and adequate service?  Explain.
• Why would a services marketer need to understand both desired and adequate levels of expectations?
• What is a zone of tolerance? (Provide an example.)
• Why might the zone of tolerance differ from one customer to another for a service? (Provide an example.)
• Why might the zone of tolerance differ for one customer from one service to another? (Provide an example.)
• Why might the zone of tolerance differ for one customer for one service for different attributes or dimensions of the service? (Provide an example.)
• What factors influence customers’ expectations of service? Provide an example (other than one from the text book) of each factor you identify.
• Should service marketers always strive to delight their customers?  Why or why not?
   

 Chapter 5 - Customer Perceptions of Service

• What factors influence customer perceptions of service?
• What is customer satisfaction?
• What is service quality?
• How does customer satisfaction differ from service quality?
• How does process quality differ from outcome quality when customers are assessing service quality?  Which is more important?
• Be prepared to describe each of the five service quality dimensions.  Provide examples of each (other than those in the text book).
• Why is a service encounter often called the "moment of truth"?
• What service encounters might you have at a Detroit Pistons N.B.A. basketball game?
• What are four sources of pleasure (or displeasure) in service encounters?  Be prepared to give examples of each (your own service encounter journal could be helpful here).
• Why are the three additional P’s of the services marketing mix also called the "evidence of service"?  Explain.
   

Chapter 6 - Listening to Customers Through Research

• Why do marketing research?
• What types of marketing research are particularly valuable to service companies?  Pick three (and defend your selection) that you believe would be most helpful to a services marketing manager in an industry of your choice.
• What is the difference between qualitative research and quantitative research?  Why are both methods needed in a services marketing research program?
• Be prepared to discuss the Critical Incident Technique (also discussed in Chapter 5).  What are the advantages of using this particular methodology?
• What is SERVQUAL?  Describe how it might be used by a service firm.
• The chapter concludes with a discussion of "upward communication."  Why is this topic in a chapter on marketing research?
   

 Chapter 7 - Building Customer Relationships

• What is relationship marketing? How does this philosophy differ from the traditional emphasis in marketing?
• What are the goals of relationship marketing?
• Why is relationship marketing an appropriate topic for a services marketer?
• What are some of the benefits of customer retention? Explain.
• What do we mean by the "lifetime value of a customer"?  Why is this important to consider?
• Be prepared to argue for or against the statement: "The customer is always right."
• Why is customer compatibility an issue for service companies?
• What is the difference between financial bonds, social bonds, customization bonds, and structural bonds?  Be prepared to provide examples of each (other than those in the textbook).
   

Chapter 8 - Service Recovery

• What do we mean by "service recovery"?
• What is the "recovery paradox"?
• Why is good recovery so important to service providers? 
• In what ways do customers respond to service failures?
• Be able to describe at least four recovery strategies.
• Explain the logic behind these two quotes:

    "The customer who complains is your friend."
    "A complaint is a gift."

• When should a firm consider offering a service guarantee?
• What are characteristics of a good service guarantee?  Of a poor guarantee?
   

Chapter 9 - Service Development and Design

• Why is it challenging to design and develop services?
• What are some risks in trying to describe services using only words?
• What are the various types of "new" services?
• What is a service blueprint?
• What are the key components of a service blueprint?
• How might various groups of people in the organization use a service blueprint?  Explain.
   

Discussion questions not yet available.
 

• What is a servicescape?
• How can the servicescape affect the customer’s service experience?
• How can the servicescape affect the service employee?
• What are the various roles a servicescape can play?
• Besides the servicescape, what are other types of physical evidence that can affect the customer’s service experience?
• How might physical evidence be used to close Gap 2?
   

• What is "service culture" and why is it important?
• Why are service employees so critical to the success of a service organization?
• Explain what we mean by a "boundary-spanning" employee?
• What is emotional labor?  How is it different from physical labor?  from mental labor?
• Describe the different types of conflict boundary-spanners often experience.
• Be prepared to discuss each of the various human resource strategies depicted in Figure 12.6.
• What does it mean to "empower" an employee?
• Is empowerment always a good thing?  Why or why not?
   

• How can a customer enhance the service delivery process?  Provide an example.
• In what ways can "other customers" affect one’s service experience?  Be ready to provide an example of when another customer's behavior enhanced your service experience and an example of when another customer's behavior diminished your service experience.
• When might a service provider’s customers be considered their competitors?
• When is a customer more likely to "make" and not "buy" a service?
• For what services are customers most likely to be competitors of service firms?
• Be prepared to discuss various strategies for enhancing customers’ participation in service delivery.
   

• In services, what is an "intermediary"?
• What are some examples of intermediaries (other than those listed in the text)?
• Describe the problems that can occur when intermediaries are used to deliver services.
• Describe the problems that can occur when using electronic intermediaries to deliver services.
• What marketing strategies might be employed to address these issues?
• What services, other than those in the textbook, could be distributed through the Internet?
   

• Why is the lack of inventory capacity an issue for service providers?
• What are various "capacity" constraints in service companies?
• How can "demand" patterns influence a firm’s ability to deliver services effectively?
• What strategies might be used to match capacity and demand in service companies?
• Describe strategies that can be used when customers must wait for service to be delivered.