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Services Marketing
Notes
Example: Adaptability include providing overdrafts on bank accounts, adjusting course
schedules as per students needs, offering special diet to patients on a flight journey, etc.
Customers assess quality of service in terms of flexibility of the service delivery system
and that of the employees of a service provider in delivering the service. Such flexibility
influences customers to have a favourable perception of the service.
3. Spontaneity: Spontaneity is the unsought or voluntary action of employees in delivering
a service.
Example: Spontaneity includes responding quickly to emergencies, and voluntarily
bending rules to accommodate the special needs of a customer.
Voluntary behaviour of employees to help customers will increase customer satisfaction.
On the other hand, customers are dissatisfied if service employees ignore them, show
discrimination, or behave rudely with them. Spontaneity of a service provider gives rise
to a favourable perception about his service.
4. Coping: Coping is the process of how employees manage problem customers and situations
effectively.
Example: Of coping situations include having to pacify agitated and disturbed customers
and handling their unreasonable demands.
Such situations may arise when customers themselves are responsible for their
dissatisfaction and fail to cooperate with the service provider and with other customers,
law, or industry regulations. Employees find it difficult to please customers in such
situations. In such situations, the service firm should show empathy. Firms should tell the
customers that they identify with their feelings and care about them.
Service Evidence
Service evidence is another factor that influences customers perception about a service. The
intangibility characteristic of services makes customers look for evidences of the service in
every interaction with the service provider. Therefore, service providers must manage even the
minute tangible clues associated with their service, as customers will have certain perceptions
about the evidence of the service on the basis of these clues.
!
Caution If a service provider fails to manage the service evidence, then there is a
possibility that he may unintentionally convey the wrong message to his customers,
which will have a negative effect on customer perceptions.
Service Personnel
They play an important role in defining the quality of a service encounter in the mind of the
customers. The ability of the personnel to be enthusiastic, friendly, and spontaneous will make
the service experience a pleasant one for customers.
Example: Fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds make their service tangible, by hiring
people who are friendly and have a pleasing appearance, to serve customers.
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