Page 250 - DMGT510_SERVICES_MARKETING
P. 250
Unit 13: Promotions and Servicescapes in Services
Management of impressions: Visual, aural, touch-and-feel factors and activities can Notes
be used effectively to leave lasting impressions.
Example: Housing companies have small models of their past, present and future projects
strewn across their office.
Servicescapes management is used effectively to create good impressions.
Example: Soft music was introduced by moribund public sector banks in an attempt to
imitate the atmospherics of foreign banks.
Inducing the customer to participate positively. Many service firms have inducted
the customers into their processes.
Example: Executive buffet lunch providers and shopping centres with self-service are
enduring examples.
2. Facilitation of quality assessment by the customer: Customers measure quality by their
expectations and their perception of service delivery. The service provider should
accordingly change his standard of measurement of service quality.
3. Making the service tangible: This can be done in the following ways:
Evaluative criteria: The service marketer (say, for example, a business school) can help
buyers determine what they are looking for (academic excellence, good faculty,
placement efforts, extra-curricular activities, industry interfaces, projects and training
etc.)
Comparative analysis: The buyer can be assisted on comparing the offer with other
services - direct, indirect or substitutes. The Internet has been most helpful for the
buyers. The latter are now in a position to compare features, benefits, add-ons, etc.
very quickly.
Differential advantages: Buyers can be made aware of the unique value effect of the
service offer.
4. Emphasis on the image of the organisation: More often than not, the customer equates the
image of the sales personnel with that of the firm. The service marketer should find out
the images of the generic service, firm and the sales representative held by the buyer and
communicate the relevant images to him.
5. Use of references from external sources: The service marketer should use satisfied customers
as sources of referral and a positive word-of-mouth publicity campaign. This will increase
the neutrality of the message.
6. Recognition of importance of customer-contact personnel: If different service providers
are meeting a customer in each of his encounters, the service firm loses an opportunity to
know him very well. This superficial knowledge will make the providers insensitive to
the customers in-depth needs, wants and expectations. There should be minimal contact
personnel interacting with a customer. The moments of truth concept has to be ingrained
in all service personnel.
7. Recognition of customer involvement during the service design process: The customers
feedback and other reactions are actually the starting point for new product development
of a service firm. Blueprints are made airtight by eliciting responses from the customer.
LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 245
