Page 191 - DMGT510_SERVICES_MARKETING

Services Marketing

Notes Most faux pas occur in this role, when the service personnel end up interacting with customers
without being fully aware of the management objectives and strategic goals. Customer
relationship building becomes, then, one of the most important skills for these categories of
employees.
Influencers: These role players are typically senior personnel who have planned and devised
strategies but have very infrequent contact with customers. It is in their involvement with
different marketing activities like marketing research, strategy, product development, and
marketing communication that they influence the service firm.

A competent influencer is one who has the potential to develop customer responsiveness amongst
his peers and subordinates. The entire objective and goal of influencers should revolve around
developing customer orientation amongst the work groups and the organisation.
Isolated: These role players perform support functions like data processing, back office
operations, maintenance, purchasing, etc. They do not interact with customers, nor are they
deeply involved with the usual marketing activities. Nevertheless, their functions are critical to
the effectiveness of the service firm.

Their isolation makes such service personnel insensitive to the needs and demands of both the
internal and external customers. The bane of bureaucracy is due to this group. Not appreciating
the organisational objectives and the overall vision (lacking a bird’s eye view, as it’s usually
called); they tend to display minimum customer responsiveness.

Task Study motivation levels of any public sector bank’s employees. Compare them
with that of new private banks and foreign banks. Find out ways and means to increase the
intrepreneurial qualities, which would lead to enhanced competitiveness.


Nordstrom Uses People Profitably
Case Study
henever customer service is discussed, department store Nordstrom is always
quoted. This Seattle, US-based chain has over 60 stores in Washington, Utah,
WOregon, Illinois, California, Alaska and Virginia. It is now a legend in having
created a culture of the highest standards in customer service, and is the most respected
amongst fashion retailers, – and highly profitable. It has been able to develop very high
loyalty amongst its customer base due to its highly motivated sales force and no-questions-
asked returns policy. This case details the ‘Nordstrom way’ in developing customer service
as a highly effective marketing mix and examines the possibilities of Indian firms emulating
them for differentiation, profitability as well as a decisive competitive advantage.
There are many legendary stories of Nordstrom’s depth of customer service. In one, a lady
customer demanded that Nordstrom replace her car tyres. When the customer associate
enquired about the problem she pointed out to him the slogan of the store ‘We take back
goods. No questions asked’ and refused any further explanation. The customer service
associate referred back to the store manager who took the decision to replace the tyres
with brand new ones. Funny thing was Nordstrom never sold that brand of tyres. When
the top management heard of the incident, they did not admonish its manager for

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