BUS 346 Cal Poly - Chapter 13 Question Bank

For years, the Mogul Sheraton, a four-star hotel overlooking the Taj Mahal in India, offered free elephant and camel rides to hotel visitors. Few customers took advantage of this service. This is an example of a __________ gap in services marketing. a. standards b. delivery c. knowledge d. communication e. seniority

c. knowledge

Along the service-product continuum, which of the following would be considered the most service dominant? a. doctor b. grocery store c. restaurant d. bookstore e. apparel specialty store

a. doctor

Customers have a defined __________ when it comes to waiting in line at a retail checkout counter. The amount of time consumers are willing to wait varies with the type of store. a. tangibles gap b. zone of tolerance c. empowerment standard d. quality gap e. voice-of-customer quotient

b. zone of tolerance

If there is a difference between the firm's perceptions of customers' expectations and the service standards the firm has set, a __________ gap exists. a. communication b. knowledge c. seniority d. standards e. delivery

d. standards

One of the reasons service failures need to be addressed quickly is to a. avoid negative word-of-mouth from upset customers. b. keep management from finding out what happened. c. increase empowerment zones. d. avoid a situational ethics conflict. e. minimize the zone of tolerance.

a. avoid negative word-of-mouth from upset customers.

If there is a difference between the actual service provided to customers and the service the firm has promoted, a __________ gap exists. a. communication b. seniority c. standards d. knowledge e. delivery

a. communication

To meet or exceed customers' expectations, marketers must a. determine what those expectations are. b. empower customers to meet their own expectations. c. know how often consumers buy their products. d. know where customers live. e. recognize that expectations are tangible.

a. determine what those expectations are.

When Dr. Horton checked in at the Ritz-Carlton, it was 3 a.m. He had been traveling for over twelve hours and was exhausted. His suit, which he needed for a speech that morning, looked like he had slept in it. Karen, the night clerk, offered to find a 24-hour dry cleaner and have the suit cleaned while Dr. Horton got a few hours of sleep. Karen's actions are an example of a. empowering employees to meet customers' needs. b. procedural fairness. c. public relations to increase puffery. d. specific service standards. e. the variability associated with service quality performance.

a. empowering employees to meet customers' needs.

When __________ are authorized to make decisions to help their customers, service quality generally improves. a. frontline employees b. middle managers c. corporate executives d. consultants e. production control managers

a. frontline employees

Because customers have different needs and expectations, the key to distributive fairness in service recovery is to a. listen to the customer. b. contact a supervisor quickly. c. estimate the damage. d. resolve the problem quickly. e. provide a fair solution.

a. listen to the customer.

By setting appropriate service standards and measuring service performance, firms can attempt to close a __________ gap. a. standards b. communication c. delivery d. knowledge e. seniority

a. standards

Yolanda manages a Best Sleep Inn along an interstate highway. She knows from experience that five to ten last-minute customers will call after 8 p.m. each evening looking for a room and asking the price. Yolanda has empowered her staff to offer discounts when the motel is largely vacant and to quote the standard price when the motel is close to full. She knows her service is __________, meaning that if no one stays in the room, it generates no revenue that evening. a. durable b. perishable c. inseparable d. intangible e. variable

b. perishable

Service providers often encounter rude and unreasonable consumers. Services marketing managers can reduce the delivery gap, even for these customers, by a. forcing rude customers to use technology. b. providing support and incentives for their employees. c. directing zone of tolerance limits for employees. d. effective customer screening. e. empowering consumers.

b. providing support and incentives for their employees.

A(n) __________ gap exists when a firm knows what it needs to do to meet customers' service expectations but sometimes fails to do it. a. communication b. knowledge c. delivery d. empowerment e. standards

c. delivery

Saltdust Grill is known as the premier restaurant in town. With their elegant dining area, extensive wine list, and gourmet chef, residents and tourists flock to the restaurant. Recently, Trey took a large group to the Saltdust Grill and almost every diner sent their entrée back to the kitchen. The Saltdust Grill was experiencing a(n) __________ gap in service quality. a. empowerment b. knowledge c. communication d. delivery e. standards

d. delivery

Effective service recovery entails all of the following EXCEPT a. all of these are effective service recovery techniques. b. resolving the problem quickly. c. listening to the customer. d. estimating the damage. e. providing a fair solution.

d. estimating the damage.

One approach marketers are using to reduce service __________ is to replace people with machines whenever appropriate. a. spendability b. intangibility c. inseparability d. variability e. perishability

d. variability

Food preparation, lawn maintenance, and house cleaning services are all examples of a. services an aging population will decrease their demand for. b. the ability of empowerment to create tangible service products. c. the price elasticity effect on services demand. d. services shifted abroad because costs are lower in developing countries. e. household maintenance activities that people increasingly pay others to perform.

e. household maintenance activities that people increasingly pay others to perform.

Although firms such as restaurants have difficulty controlling service quality from day to day, they do have control over a. the attitudes of customers. b. the knowledge gap consumers create. c. the way customers view them compared to competitors. d. the price of ingredients. e. how they communicate the services they promise.

e. how they communicate the services they promise.

The new hotel manager asked the chef, "Are you sure you know how to cook a beef Wellington?" Which of the service dimensions was the hotel manager expressing concern about? a. responsiveness b. empathy c. tangibles d. assurance e. reliability

e. reliability

The concept of __________ refers to the area between customers' expectations regarding desired service and their minimum levels of acceptable service. a. voice-of-customer programs b. standards analysis c. empowerment d. quality gap analysis e. the zone of tolerance

e. the zone of tolerance

Many product-dominant firms use quality service a. as a way to minimize the cost of production. b. as a way to increase the perishability of their products. c. to support a standards gap. d. to install a voice of the customer program. e. to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.

e. to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.

When Jaime arrived at her hotel room and saw that the bed sheets had not been changed from the last hotel guest and there were cockroaches in the bathroom, she chose to go elsewhere. An undone, bug-infested room was not in Jaime's __________, which is the difference between what she really wants and what she will accept before looking for another hotel. a. patience zone b. service gap c. zone of tolerance d. delivery gap e. zone of intolerance

e. zone of intolerance