Ch 13: Smartbook
In delivery of a service, one of the most important early steps is addressing the knowledge gap, or the ability to understand
consumer expectations
A continuing dilemma for marketers of services is to understand buyers' ______ . which means to understand in advance what they think will be delivered based on their previous experiences and knowledge.
expectations
Customers' expectations of the type of service they will receive is primarily based on their knowledge and
experiences
The ______ gap shows the difference between a customer's expectations and what the company thinks the customer expects.
knowledge
The marketing manager needs to communicate with customers and employees on an ongoing basis in order to understand buyers' expectations and to reduce the _____ gap
knowledge
A deed, performance, or effort that cannot be physically possessed is called a(n)
service
When setting and explaining service goals during employee training, it is most important that the goals be
specific
A customer's expectations for a single service provider might vary substantially based on the
specific situation
______ is a customer's perception of the benefits received compared to the costs.
Distributive fairness
How can a salesperson manage customer expectations regarding the delivery of a service?
Coordinate the order with those responsible for the delivery
The zone of tolerance refers to
the area between customers' desired expectations and the minimum level of acceptable service
A grocery store is at the product-dominant side of the Service-Product Continuum since most items are selected self-service from the shelves; however,
the firm can still view service as a viable competitive advantage
A customer with a complaint about the way in which a washing machine repair was made will become increasingly more annoyed with the service provider
the longer it takes to get an answer from the firm
Procedural fairness is defined as
the perceived fairness of the process used to solve complaints
When using zone of tolerance marketing metrics, the five scores assigned to service quality dimensions will always total
100%
Match each explanation (on the right) with the marketing metric or approach to gathering customer feedback that it explains (on the left). Instructions
Customer complaint behavior: Analyzes the unfulfilled needs of customers in regards to their perceptions of the performed service used to modify future performance Point-of-purchase surveys: Inexpensively collects customer's service perceptions in the process of exchange Zone of tolerance: Identifies the area between the desired and minimum standard of acceptable service based on five service dimensions Voice-of-customer program: Systematically collects customer inputs and integrates them into managerial decisions
What are some common problems caused by the use of technology in a service setting? (Choose every correct answer.) Customers dislike replacing humans with machines. The technology is less efficient than a human. The technology does not perform adequately. Customers do not understand how to use the technology.
Customers dislike replacing humans with machines. The technology does not perform adequately. Customers do not understand how to use the technology.
True or False: Service providers that have high customer satisfaction ratings this year are unlikely to achieve the same level of satisfaction next year.
False
What type of support is provided by retailers who feature in-store computer displays for their customer service employees?
Instrumental
Susie decided to try a weight-loss program by Extreme Fit Foods that promised she could lose 15 pounds her first week. Susie followed the guidelines exactly and only lost 1 pound the first week. She is planning on canceling her membership and telling her other friends not to try Extreme Fit Foods. What mistake did Extreme Fit Foods make?
It needs to communicate accurate results information to meet customers' expectations.
Joe owns a large retail company and wants to find out more about his customers' service expectations. Which one of the following is the best way for Joe to gain this insight? Joe should primarily use information gathered through the Internet on his industry. Joe should choose a time to watch his customers interact with services and workers in the store and make his best educated guess. Joe needs to ask others in the industry what they know about customers' expectations. Joe needs to engage in structured market research on his industry and brand.
Joe needs to engage in structured market research on his industry and brand.
Match each type of service gap (on the left) with the corresponding way of achieving closure (on the right). Instructions
Knowledge gap: Conduct research to better understand what customers want Standards gap: Set appropriate service goals and measure service performance Delivery gap: Improve employee performance through support, incentives, and the use of technology Communications gap: Be realistic in telling potential buyers about the services that can be provided and manage those customer expectations effectively
Match each type of service gap (on the left) with its definition (on the right). Instructions
Knowledge gap: The difference between customer expectations and what the firm perceives the customer to expect Standards gap: The difference between the firm's perceptions of customers expectations and the service standards it sets Delivery gap: The difference between the firm's service standards and the actual service it provides to customers Communications gap: The difference between actual service provided to customers and the service that the firm's promotion program promises
Which of the following best illustrates a specific service standard that is directly measurable? Multiple choice question. Make eye contact with every customer and greet them with a smile. Do your best to give the customers what they want in a short amount of time. Be nice to every customer no matter what. Leave each customer with a positive feeling.
Make eye contact with every customer and greet them with a smile.
Which of the following is an example of a service? Pair of boots Cup of coffee Book Massage
Massage
An athletic equipment store offers customers a free shoe-fitting service in which the customer's foot size, stride length, and gait are analyzed to determine the best athletic shoe for his or her needs. Recognizing that not all customers will be happy with their results, the store offers a 30-day trial period, during which the customer can return the shoes and receive a 10% discount on his or her next purchase. What is this an example of?
Procedural fairness
During the busy holiday shopping season, a cashier accidentally under charges the customer $1. The customer offers to wait while the cashier rings the item again. With many customers waiting in line, the cashier forgoes company guidelines and lets the customer keep the item at the price she was charged. What is this an example of?
Procedural fairness
Which of the following is NOT a method by which managers can provide rewards and incentives to employees? Designating an employee of the month parking spot Recognizing them in company newsletters Providing technology and instrumental support at the facility Providing bonuses based on performance
Providing technology and instrumental support at the facility
Lilly went to the Yummy Fork for lunch, and when her food arrived, it was not what she ordered. She later posted a negative comment about the Yummy Fork on a blog. Which one of the five service dimensions was used by Lilly to determine she did not like the service by the Yummy Fork? Empathy Assurance Tangibles Reliability
Reliability
Which of the following are potential sources of heterogeneity of service quality at a hair salon? (Choose every correct answer.) The same hair stylist working at different times of the day, week, or month Stylists using the same equipment every day Haircuts being priced the same for all customers Two different hair stylists working at the same location
The same hair stylist working at different times of the day, week, or month Two different hair stylists working at the same location
Marissa works for a local restaurant. Each time a customer reports a compliment to a manager about an employee, the employee receives a star pin to wear. What is the advantage of the "star pin" to the restaurant and Marissa?
The star pin is a reward that reinforces the provision of excellent customer service and makes the employee feel recognized.
Jane has multiple managers at her retail job. It is company policy that customers cannot return items without a receipt, but sometimes managers will allow customers to receive store credit for their returns. One day a customer was irate that Jane would not allow a return for store credit because the manager on duty adhered to the company policy. The customer wrote a complaint about Jane to the corporate office. What needs to change about this situation?
The support that managers provide must be consistent and coherent throughout the organization.
What problem might occur if a grocery store decides to install self-checkout devices?
The technology will be too challenging for some customers.
Which of the following is NOT a method to reduce delivery gaps? Threaten to terminate employees Empower employees Provide support and incentives Use technology to minimize errors
Threaten to terminate employees
What is the purpose of the "management by walking around" strategy? (Choose every correct answer.) To discourage customers from making complaints To have managers understand what their service providers face each day To provide opportunities for managers to interact with customers directly To intimidate employees into providing better service
To have managers understand what their service providers face each day To provide opportunities for managers to interact with customers directly
True or False: Delivery gaps always result in a service failure.
True
True or False: To assess service quality, it is necessary to understand both customers' perceptions and their expectations.
True
Heterogeneity in service delivery at a restaurant can result from all of the following EXCEPT Blank______. a manager who designs a specific way for all hostesses to accept reservations over the phone each server performing the service in his or her own particular way a mix of inexperienced and experienced servers a server who is usually efficient but sometimes comes to work distracted and in a bad mood
a manager who designs a specific way for all hostesses to accept reservations over the phone
Customer service is best represented by which of the following statements? Customer service
adds to marketing efforts by helping to meet the customers' needs and wants
One of the side benefits of listening to customers' complaints is that
airing the complaint can be very therapeutic for the buyer
If the Americana Hotel has successfully closed the standards gap, the knowledge gap, and the delivery gap in providing customers with service, it is still necessary to close the ______ gap.
communication
One way for a firm to reduce the ______ gap is to ensure that the sales force does not make promises the firm cannot keep.
communication
Ryanair advertised the lowest rates in Europe with fares of $12 between Paris and Munich. However, when Bill arrived at the airport, he had to pay $28 in taxes, $25 for one small carry-on bag, $6 for a non-alcoholic beverage, and $2.50 to use the restroom on the plane. Between Ryanair and the customer there is a ______ gap
communication
The ______ gap refers to the difference between the service a company provides to customers and the service that it promises to provide in its advertisements.
communication
Since service delivery is not always uniform, it is important for the provider to be sure to close the ______ gap and not promise more in their messages to buyers than they can deliver on a regular basis.
communications
A straightforward and inexpensive method that marketing managers can employ to collect information about buyers' service quality perceptions is to ask them at the point of sale. A problem with this method, however, is that
customers are often reluctant to provide negative feedback to the employee who provided the service
Service quality is defined as
customers' perceptions of how well a service meets or exceeds their expectations
One of the distinct advantages of heterogeneity of services is that it enables the provider to ______ the service and not deliver a standardized, cookie-cutter approach uniformly to every buyer.
customize
The ______ gap is the difference between a company's standards and the actual service it provides to customers.
delivery
Janet had to deal with a very difficult customer who wanted to be given complimentary services such as free flights and upgrades on future flights when he very vocally complained in the airport about delays and lost luggage. He screamed at Janet and was very offensive. Her supervisor made Janet feel a little better about the unsettling experience by offering ______ support and commending her on how she handled the difficult passenger.
emotional
An airline employee is able to make a decision at the moment of assigning a passenger a seat at the gate when it is obvious the flier is in a wheel chair. The firm has ______ the employee by allowing him to move the passenger to first-class seating.
empowered
When a firm such as Ruth's Chris Steak House tells servers to "use your best judgment" in serving a customer who is not satisfied with his or her $40 steak, it is allowing the server to make decisions at the point of delivery. This is called
empowerment
A restaurant is facing a problem in service delivery on a night when there are twice as many customers dining as usual. An integral part of recovery of the service dilemma is to provide both distributive and procedural ______ in resolving the delays in getting all customers served.
fairness
When a hotel has a service delivery problem such as a broken air conditioning system on a very hot weekend, one critical element of service recovery is to
find a solution that seems fair to all customers
The failure of a service to meet the customer's expectations is known as a service
gap
Services often are perceived as riskier purchases because the customer
has less chance to sample the service before purchase and cannot return it after purchase
Jane has realized that she does not enjoy taking a taxi to work because there is substantial ______ in the delivery of the service depending on who is driving her cab that day.
heterogeneity
Three of the dermatologist's patients have very different skin problems. Because of the ______ of services, the doctor needs to customize each patient's diagnosis and treatment.
heterogeneity
When many students are complaining about a problem at an online university, one of the best things the university can do to better serve its students is to
honestly listen to students' complaints and use their messages to build a committed relationship
The primary reason there is greater heterogeneity in services than in products is because
human inputs generate differences
In addition to providing service employees with emotional and instrumental support, management should offer the staff ______ that reward them for providing customers with good service.
incentives
Buying a service such as a haircut, a medical treatment, or a lawyer's advice is perceived as more risky to the consumer, because of the service characteristic of ______ since the service cannot really be sampled in advance nor experienced without the provider.
inseparability
One difference between products and services is demonstrated by a hair salon, where the stylist delivers the service at the same time the customer receives it. This is called
inseparability
One of the basic ways in which services differ from products is that production and consumption are ______ from each other. Consequently, service providers often include options for the customer to become more involved in the production of the service, which usually results in greater customer satisfaction.
inseparable
Sally is having trouble deciding which college to attend. While the physical aspects of the schools—their buildings, classrooms, and libraries—are easy to judge, the quality of learning they offer is much more difficult to evaluate. It is this ______ of the purchase that makes marketing the service, a college education, complicated.
intangibility
A brand like Google will invest resources in creating a simple, attractive site that has interesting images and icons, such as the daily updates to the Google logo for holidays and special events, in order to better communicate the ______ element of their service and image to users.
intangible
Consumers can see and touch a product, such as a laptop computer, but cannot touch the financing program used to purchase the laptop. Services cannot be touched, tasted, or seen; they are
intangible
One of the first steps in service recovery is that the firm needs to allow the customer to air his grievance and for the firm to ______ him
listen to
Effective service recovery for an airline when facing a problem, such as a huge snowstorm that shut downs all flights for three days, includes resolving the dilemmas quickly, responding fairly, and ______ customers and their complaints.
listening to
A tool that is increasingly used by service providers to minimize the heterogeneity between those who deliver the service is to employ
machines, such as ATMs and service kiosks
The delivery of quality service is the task of everyone in the firm, but the commitment to quality service is established and illustrated best by ______, which establishes policy and sets examples for the entire company.
management
One of the problems in using customer complaint behavior to assess buyers' service expectations is that
managers often are more concerned with resolving the complaint than analyzing the essence of the problem
For the marketing manager to be able to deliver consistent quality service, it is imperative to set
measurable goals that are based on customer expectations
Service providers cannot inventory or stockpile things like haircuts during slow times to "sell" later when the facility is busy. This characteristic of services is called
perishability
The perceived equity of the process used to resolve complaints is called
procedural fairness
Despite having to deal with difficult guests, the service provider can be motivated to provide "service with a smile" when the firm
provides support and incentives to motivate quality service
Service providers provide instrumental support to their staff by
providing systems and equipment to do the job properly
Poor service delivery can be converted into a positive interaction through service ______ an effort that resolves the problem fairly and shows the buyer that the firm is listening to the complaint.
recovery
Firms are able to gain a better understanding of customers' service expectations by using quantitative and qualitative market ______ which can be extensive and expensive.
research
One of the most important factors for adequate service recovery is for the provider to
respond to the customer and resolve the problem quickly
McDonald's has a policy that, in addition to ketchup, mustard, and onions, all burgers must have two pickles. This contributes to efforts to reduce the ______ gap and provide measurable service quality based on expectations.
standards
The ______ gap is the difference between the company's perceptions of the customer's expectations and the service standards it sets.
standards
The manager of a four-star hotel learns that the bathrooms in the hotel are receiving complaints for being dirty. He believes that hotel guests are being too picky and he decides not to instruct housekeeping to clean the bathrooms more thoroughly. Because the hotel does not change the cleaning policy, there is a ______ gap.
standards
Service providers, such as seaside hotels and restaurants, have a greater problem matching ______ than product manufacturers do.
supply and demand
A restaurant delivers particularly bad service at lunch one Tuesday. One of the biggest problems with the marketing of such services is that the restaurant service providers cannot
undo "bad" service and often are unaware of the extent of the problem until the buyer complains
A systematic program that collects customer inputs and integrates them into managerial decisions is a(n) ______ of-customer program.
voice
A financial advisement company knows that it takes approximately six months to improve a customer's credit score. Whereas some customers improve their score in as little as three months, others take up to a year. Which of the following promises will help attract customers while also reducing the firm's communications gap?
"Improve your credit score in one year or less!"
Which of the following is an example of a high tech, high human effort service interaction? Multiple choice question. An autonomous robot transporting goods through a warehouse A customer getting a rain check for a sold-out item at an automated kiosk A brain surgeon using a minuscule robot to make microscopic incisions A customer chatting with a customer service representative over instant message
A brain surgeon using a minuscule robot to make microscopic incisions
Empowerment of employees would be most important in which of the following service situations?
A bride is unhappy with the hair style the stylist has created on the morning of her wedding.
Which of the following products or services is considered perishable in the sense that it cannot be stockpiled? A dental exam A box of candles A package of gum A pair of shoes
A dental exam
__________ fairness refers to customers' desire to be compensated a fair amount to correct a perceived loss that resulted from a service failure.
Distributive
Which of the following is an example of tangible restitution?
A voucher for a free night in a hotel
How much time should a service provider give to a customer who wants to file a complaint?
As long as it takes for the customer to say everything he or she has to say
Which of the following situations best illustrates how a firm can offer employees emotional support and stand behind the employees' actions?
At a copy center, part-time employees are encouraged to turn over any unhappy customer to the supervisor immediately.
What are some ways in which customers' expectations can be managed when a service is delivered? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. Automated messages telling customers calling customer service how long they will be on hold Retailers warning customers when supplies of sale items are limited Notifications informing online customers when items are out of stock Service providers promising same-day delivery of all orders, no matter what
Automated messages telling customers calling customer service how long they will be on hold Retailers warning customers when supplies of sale items are limited Notifications informing online customers when items are out of stock
Which of the following are examples of problems associated with collecting customers' perceptions of service at the time of sale? (Choose every correct answer.) The process is expensive and time consuming. Customers may need more time to accurately evaluate the service. Customers may not want to share negative feedback directly. Information may not filter up to key decision makers.
Customers may need more time to accurately evaluate the service. Customers may not want to share negative feedback directly. Information may not filter up to key decision makers.
A travel agency has made several major mistakes in booking a trip to Greece and wants to make amends and try to retain customer loyalty. Which of the following would NOT be a good way for the travel agency to address the problem?
Delaying the resolution of the problems until all managers at the agency can meet to agree on an approach
Lisa is a manager at a customer service call center for a footwear manufacturer. One of the customer service representatives, Mark, is upset because he just finished a call in which the customer berated him for the poor quality of a pair of shoes. Mark is worried that he may be punished for offering the customer a refund and a 20% discount on her next pair of shoes, but Lisa reassures him that he made the right decision and tells a few jokes to get his spirits up. What type of support has Lisa provided?
Emotional
Which of the following is an effective method marketers often use to promote services that cannot be shown directly to customers? Elaborate demonstrations Evocative symbols and images Attack ads aimed at competitors Lengthy explanations by notable figures
Evocative symbols and images
True or False: The zone of tolerance is a program that collects customer inputs and integrates them into managerial decisions.
False
True or False: It is easier to fix bad service experiences than it is to fix bad product experiences.
False Reason: Whereas a bad product can be replaced or recalled, inferior service cannot be undone.
According to the Service Gaps Model, which of the following is NOT one of the gaps that might be encountered by a service provider in meeting the customer's needs? Financial Communication Delivery Standards Knowledge
Financial
One of the best methods to ensure that guests at Hilton Hotels receive quality service is to solicit suggestions and feedback from whom? (Choose every correct answer.) Community leaders Guests Employees Competing hotels
Guests Employees
Which of the following is most likely to lead to high levels of customer loyalty? High customer satisfaction ratings High levels of customer dissonance Intangible compensation for service failures Low prices
High customer satisfaction ratings
A business that experiences service delivery gaps can use which of the following methods to improve the quality of its service? (Choose every correct answer.) Implement self-service technologies Ask each customer what level of service he or she expects when he or she enters the business Empower employees to work in the customer's best interest Provide incentives and support for service providers
Implement self-service technologies Empower employees to work in the customer's best interest Provide incentives and support for service providers
First Local Bank customers have raised a number of complaints about the amount of time and effort it takes to receive certain services from the bank's tellers and customer service representatives. Which of the following is a method First Local Bank could use to give customers greater control over the bank's services?
Incorporate technology such as automated teller machines or online banking
Which of the following are benefits that a service provider receives from engaging in effective service recovery? (Check all that apply.) Multiple select question. Increased purchase intention Lower service costs Improved word of mouth Higher levels of customer satisfaction than prior to the service failure
Increased purchase intention Improved word of mouth
What are the benefits for service providers of using technology? (Choose every correct answer.) It creates less heterogeneity than human service providers do. It offers customers access to a wider variety of services and information. It gives customers increased control over the service. It provides a more focused, narrower array of services.
It creates less heterogeneity than human service providers do. It offers customers access to a wider variety of services and information. It gives customers increased control over the service.
A cosmetics store has a list of service goals for its employees. One of the goals is to "give every customer as much attention as they need." What is the problem with this goal?
It is neither specific nor measurable.
The Service Gaps Model can be very useful to improve the delivery of services. Match each of the following gaps with an example of that gap. Instructions
Knowledge: Diners at a restaurant think the portions are too small, but the manager is unaware of this complaint. Standards: Management believes that customers in a restaurant think the service is very slow, however, management allows servers to stand around and chat Delivery: A restaurant usually serves fresh bread made on the premises, but at the end of the day the ovens are shut down early and only cold loaves are available. Communication: A restaurant advertises they are open for breakfast, but when guests arrive on Sunday morning, there is a sign on the door indicating they only open for brunch at 11:00.
The self-checkout counter at a local grocery store is which type of technological service interaction?
Low technology, low human effort
Mary went to the local supermarket, where she shopped regularly, to purchase her groceries for the week. Which of the following was a delivery gap that resulted in a service failure by the grocery store?
Mary had to wait a long time in the checkout line because the clerk kept making errors using the cash register.
Mike is the manager of a sandwich shop and received a complaint from a customer unhappy because it took too long to get his food. Mike apologized to the customer and sent him a coupon for a free sandwich for the next time he visited. Why is it important for Mike to listen to the customer and provide feedback?
Mike is able to identify a way to improve service; he can schedule labor appropriately and set benchmarks.
When is empowering employees most important?
When the service is individualized
What does the Service-Product Continuum reveal about what businesses are able to provide to customers?
Most firms combine both goods and services in their offerings.
A customer who is dissatisfied with a restaurant's service delivery and finds it to be quite different from what was promised in the advertising is very likely to do which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. Not return to the restaurant Communicate the negative experience via word of mouth Recommend the restaurant to others Communicate the negative experience via the Internet
Not return to the restaurant Communicate the negative experience via word of mouth Communicate the negative experience via the Internet
Which of the following are characteristics that make marketing services different from product marketing? (Choose every correct answer.) Perishability Profitability Intangibility Heterogeneity
Perishability Intangibility Heterogeneity
Match each of the five dimensions of service quality (on the left) with its definition (on the right). Instructions
Reliability: Ability to perform the service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy by employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention provided to customers Tangibles: Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials
An interior design consulting firm offers a $100 gift card to the employee with the highest customer satisfaction scores at the end of each month. Which method of eliminating the delivery gap is this an example of?
Rewards and incentives
A golf course manager is concerned about the quality of service the staff is providing to guests and wants to implement some changes. What is the best way to ensure that employees buy into the plan?
Seek employee input when setting goals
One of the most effective methods to assess how well a firm is delivering adequate service to consumers is to employ the ______ Model to evaluate their service provision.
Service Gaps
In which one of the following examples has the service provider worked to fairly successfully close the communications gap? Target store advertises no more than three people waiting in line or additional registers will be opened immediately. Dallas Fitness Center communicates that "you can lose ten pounds and get into shape in one week with us." United Airlines advertises it is the most on-time airline of the top five carriers. Regal Hotels advertises the "Sweetest Night's Sleep" achievable away from home
Target store advertises no more than three people waiting in line or additional registers will be opened immediately.
Which of the following businesses would face the biggest challenge in matching supply to consumer demand? Sporting goods store Hardware store Shoe retailer Tax accounting firm
Tax accounting firm
How do automated kiosks help service providers limit the problems associated with variability? They free up employees to focus on more complicated service requests. They automate store services such as gift registry management or rain checks. They recognize poor service as it is happening and intervene to make things right. They provide routine customer service in a consistent manner.
They free up employees to focus on more complicated service requests. They automate store services such as gift registry management or rain checks. They provide routine customer service in a consistent manner.
Which of the following characteristics is NOT one that distinguishes services from products? Heterogeneity Volatility Perishability Inseparability Intangibility
Volatility
Is providing rewards to employees for excellent services a key part of customer service program? Why or why not?
Yes, rewards reinforce behavior that encourages employees to continually give great service.
A firm wants to understand customers' expectations for service and the minimal level of service they will accept before going elsewhere. Which marketing metric should the firm study? Zone of tolerance Customer effort score First contact resolution rate Customer satisfaction score
Zone of tolerance
An important element of offering emotional support to employees is to ______ when they have been empowered to make decisions in dealing with the customer.
avoid punishing them
A tire store finds that its business is heavily skewed to the weekend, and few customers arrive on Monday through Wednesday. Since rotating, balancing, and replacing tires is a service that cannot be stockpiled, one of the dilemmas facing the firm is
balancing supply and demand
In addition to empowering and rewarding service providers, as well as offering instrumental support, service managers are advised to ______.
be consistent and predictable in their support
Involving employees in setting service performance goals can be very instructive in helping a firm reduce the ______ gap as it increases their input into systematizing the expected output.
standards
A hotel advertises package deals that include tickets to a nearby theme park. When the customer asks for this offer, he is informed they are sold out as only a limited number of tickets were available. The customer experiences a ______ gap and is very unhappy.
communications
An effective method to assess customer service expectations is to analyze customer ______ behavior in which management is told by buyers what dissatisfies them.
complaint
Under normal conditions, the hotel never runs out of towels, but during Christmas vacation when the hotel is filled with families, there is a ______ gap and the hotel laundry cannot keep up with the linen usage.
delivery
One method to recover from a service delivery problem is to provide ______ fairness, by which customers perceive they are getting an equivalent return for the inconvenience they suffered when the service was not delivered as expected.
distributive
If a customer issues a complaint about poor service but is compensated in a way that he or she feels offsets the inconvenience of the service failure, the customer has received
distributive fairness
One of the characteristics that makes services different from product marketing is the fact there is tremendous ______ in delivery based on how the provider is performing the task at different times. The same waiter, for example, might provide excellent service one day, and the next day, when he is not feeling well, his delivered service might be terrible.
heterogeneity
Since humans' work output cannot be standardized to the same degree as the output of a machine, one substantial difference between the marketing of services and products is the ______ of service delivery.
heterogeneity
Services are ________ , which means that they cannot be touched, tasted, or seen.
intangible
The most fundamental difference between services and goods is that services are
intangible
A service provider offers many amenities that he believes the customer desires, but the delivered services are not what is expected by the customer. This is an example of a ______ gap.
knowledge
One of the best ways for managers to reduce the ______ gap is to conduct ongoing research and regularly talk with employees to explain what customers expect to get from the brand and the firm.
knowledge
The marketing manager needs to communicate with customers and employees on an ongoing basis in order to understand buyers' expectations and to reduce the ______ gap
knowledge
United Airlines flies a plane from Los Angeles to New York at 8 o'clock on Tuesday morning only 25% full. On Friday, the same flight is overbooked by 15%. One of the traits of service marketing is this quality of ______, in which the flights must be delivered on the day scheduled or it is lost.
perishability
After waiting in line over 2 hours to experience a new ride at an amusement park, the ride breaks. If everyone waiting is given a "rain check" with the sequential order of their line location enabling them to return in 4 hours and re-queue in order. Most guests will be satisfied, as they are experiencing
procedural fairness
Previously, retailers offered no-questions-asked returns but have changed policies in recent years due to customers who took advantage of the policy. Since most buyers appreciate ______ some stores have instead instituted a 90-day limit on returns, as that is a reasonable amount of time for a consumer to decide whether to keep the item.
procedural fairness
The employees at the Ritz-Carlton are renowned for delivering good-quality service to hotel guests. Their behavior is probably due to
seeing management treating customers well and following the behavior
Customers ______ refers to human or mechanical activities undertaken by firms to help satisfy their customers' needs and wants.
service
When there is a service failure, customers typically want some sort of material compensation that offsets their inconvenience or loss. In other words, they want
tangible restitution
The marketing metric used to evaluate if a firm is performing on the five service quality dimensions by finding the minimum level of acceptable service is
the Zone of Tolerance
