Concepts, Contribution & reasons for the growthof services sector, Difference in goods and service in marketing, Myths aboutservices, Characteristics of Services, Concept of service marketing triangle,Service marketing mix, GAP models of service quality. Marketing challengesin service industry.
Consumer behaviour in services: Search, Experience and Credenceproperty, Customer expectation of services, Two levels of expectation, Zoneof tolerance, Factors influencing customer expectation of services.Customer perception of services- Factors that influence customerperception of service, Service encounters, Customer satisfaction, Strategiesfor influencing customer perception.
Key reasons for GAP 1, Using marketing research to understand customerexpectation, Types of service research, Building customer relationshipthrough retention strategies Relationship marketing, Evaluation of customerrelationships, Benefits of customer relationship, levels of retention strategies,Market segmentation-Basis & targeting in services.
Customer defined service standards: “Hard” & “Soft” standards, Processfor developing customer defined standards.Leadership & Measurement system for market driven serviceperformance- Key reasons for GAP 2- service leadership- Creation ofservice vision and implementation, Service quality as profit strategy, Role ofservice quality in offensive and defensive marketing.Service design and Positioning – Challenges of service design, New servicedevelopment – types, stages. Service blue printing- Using & reading blueprints. Service positioning – positioning on the five dimensions of servicequality, Service Recovery.
Employee role in service designing: Importance of service employee,Boundary spanning roles, Emotional labour, Source of conflict, Quality –productivity trade off, Strategies for closing GAP 3.Customer’s role in service delivery- Importance of customer & customersrole in service delivery, Strategies for enhancing- Customer participation,Delivery through intermediaries- Key intermediaries for service delivery,Intermediary control strategies.
Lack of inventory capability,Understanding demand patterns, Strategies & Tools for matching capacityand demand, coping with fluctuating demand, Waiting line strategies.
Role of marketing communication – Key reasons for GAP 4 involvingcommunication, Four categories of strategies to match service promises withdelivery, Methodology to exceed customer expectation.Pricing of services- Role of price and value in provider GAP 4, Role of nonmonitory cost, Price as an indicator of service quality Approaches to pricingservices, pricing strategies.
Physical evidence in services: Types of service scapes, Role of servicescapes, Frame work for understand service scapes & its effect on behaviour,Guidance for physical evidence strategies. (6 Hours) Case studies in Indian context only (5 Hours)