20MBAMM303 Services Marketing syllabus for MBA

Introduction to services

Reasons for the growth of services sector and its contribution; difference in goods and service marketing; characteristics of services; concept of service marketing triangle; service marketing mix; GAP models of service quality.

Consumer behaviour in services:

Search, Experience and Credence property, consumer expectation of services, two levels of expectation, Zone of tolerance, Factors influencing customer expectation of services. Customer perception of services-Factors influencing customer perception of service, Service encounters, Customer satisfaction, Strategies for influencing customer perception.

Market Research for Customer Expectation

Key reasons for gap using marketing research to understand customer expectation, Types of service research, Building customer relationship through retention strategies –Relationship marketing, Evaluation Of customer relationships, Benefits of customer relationship, levels of retention strategies, Market segmentation-Basis & targeting in services

Customer defined service standards

“Hard” & “Soft” standards, challenges of matching supply & demand in capacity, four common types of constraints facing services, optimum v/s maximum use of capacity, strategies for matching capacity & demand. Yield management-balancing capacity utilization, pricing. Waiting line strategies- four basic Waiting line strategies.

Leadership & Measurement system for market driven service performance-key reasons for GAP-2 service leadership- Creation of service vision and implementation, Service quality as profit strategy, Role of service quality In offensive and defensive marketing

Employee role in service designing and Delivery

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 & customer’s role in service delivery, Strategies for enhancing-Customer participation, Delivery through intermediaries-Key intermediaries for service delivery, Intermediary control strategies.

Role of services marketing communication

Role of services marketing communication- Key reasons for GAP 4 involving communication, four categories of strategies to match service promises with delivery. Pricing of services- Role of price and value in provider GAP 4, Role of non-monitory cost, Price as an indicator of service quality –Approaches to pricing services, pricing strategies, SERVQUAL Model.

Mini Project – On measuring SERVQUAL

Physical Evidence in Services

Physical evidence in services:

Importance of Physical Evidence, Elements of Physical Evidence, Physical Evidence Strategies, Guidelines for Physical Evidence.

Service scapes:

Types of service scapes-Objective and Goals of services capes Role of services capes, Approaches for understanding service scapes effects, Frame work for understanding services capes & its effect on behaviour-Guidance for physical evidence strategies.

Course outcomes:

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

1. Develop an understanding about the various concepts and importance of Services Marketing.

2. Enhance knowledge about emerging issues and trends in the service sector.

3. Learn to implement service strategies to meet new challenges.

Practical Component:

• Ask students to choose a service industry of their choice at the beginning of the semester
• Ask them to do an in-depth study of the industry and give a presentation at the end of the every Module relating the concepts to the particular industry(GAPS).
• Students can prepare service blueprints for any service of their choice.
• Identify any existing services, locate loopholes in the design and suggest modifications.
• Visit a service industry and analyze the role of customers in service delivery.

Question paper pattern:

The SEE question paper will be set for 100 marks and the marks scored will be proportionately reduced to 60.

• The question paper will have 8 full questions carrying equal marks.
• Each full question is for 20 marks.
• Each full question will have sub question covering all the topics under a Module.
• The students will have to answer five full questions; selecting four full question from question number one to seven and question number eight is compulsory.
• 100 percent theory in the SEE.

Textbooks

1 Services Marketing Valarie A Zeithmal & Mary Jo Bitner McGraw Hill 6/e 2018

2 Services Marketing Christopher Lovelock Pearson Education 2014

3 Services Marketing Rajendra Nargundkar McGraw Hill 2015

4 Marketing Research Kumar Sage Publications 4/e, 2018

Reference Books

1 Services Marketing Parasuraman Sage Publications 2018

2 Services Marketing Hoffman & Bateson Cengage Learning 2017

3 Services Marketing: Operation, Management and Strategy Strategy-Kenneth E Clow& David L. Kurtz Biztantra 2016