Marketing Ch. 13
True or False: Delivery gaps always result in a service failure.
True
Customer service is best represented by which of the following statements? Customer service ______. A. adds to marketing efforts by helping to meet the customers' needs and wants B. defines the task of marketing an intangible or primarily intangible item C. ensures that customers become lifelong customers D. mandates that all customer needs must be met
A
For the marketing manager to be able to deliver consistent quality service, it is imperative to set ______. A. measurable goals that are based on customer expectations B. general goals based on employee feedback C. high employee-to-customer ratios D. high prices to impart high quality
A
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. A. incentives B. pensions C. better benefits D. more hours
A
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? A. Reliability B. Tangibles C. Empathy D. Assurance
A
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. A. standards B. knowledge C. communication D. delivery
A
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. A. Service Gaps B. Knowledge C. Service Recovery D. Intangibility
A
One of the problems in using customer complaint behavior to assess buyers' service expectations is that ______. A. managers often are more concerned with resolving the complaint than analyzing the essence of the problem B. it is extremely time consuming and is essentially dated by the time it is processed C. managers usually do not respond to customer complaints so there is no record of the information D. it is very costly to collect and process given the value of the information
A
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 ______. A. perishability B. inseparability C. infinity D. intangibility
A
Which of the following products or services is considered perishable in the sense that it cannot be stockpiled? A. A dental exam B. A box of candles C. A package of gum D. A pair of shoes
A
Which of the following are benefits that a service provider receives from engaging in effective service recovery? (Check all that apply.) A. Improved word of mouth B. Increased purchase intention C. Higher levels of customer satisfaction than prior to the service failure D. Lower service costs
A, B
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.) A. Empower employees to work in the customer's best interest B. Implement self-service technologies C. Provide incentives and support for service providers D. Ask each customer what level of service he or she expects when he or she enters the business
A, B, C
What are some common problems caused by the use of technology in a service setting? (Choose every correct answer.) A. The technology does not perform adequately. B. The technology is less efficient than a human. C. Customers dislike replacing humans with machines. D. Customers do not understand how to use the technology.
A, C, D
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. A. Knowledge B. Standards C. Delivery D. Communication 1. Diners at a restaurant think the portions are too small, but the manager is unaware of this complaint. 2. Management believes that customers in a restaurant think the service is very slow, however, management allows servers to stand around and chat. 3. 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. 4. 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.
A1, B2, C4, D3
Match each of the five dimensions of service quality with its definition. A. Reliability B. Responsiveness C. Assurance D. Empathy E. Tangibles 1. Knowledge and courtesy by employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence 2. Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service 3. Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials 4. Ability to perform the service dependably and accurately 5. Caring, individualized attention provided to customers
A4, B2, C1, D5, E3
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. A. price differential B. heterogeneity C. intangibility D. perishability
B
One of the most important factors for adequate service recovery is for the provider to ______. A. find a solution that costs the company the least amount of money possible B. respond to the customer and resolve the problem quickly C. guarantee that all problems will eventually be resolved in the order in which they occur D. allow the customer to solve the problem on his or her own
B
What problem might occur if a grocery store decides to install self-checkout devices? A. The technology will be less accurate in counting money than human employees. B. The technology will be too challenging for some customers. C. The technology will be more expensive in the long run than paying human employees D. The technology will lead to customers purchasing fewer items.
B
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 ______. A. offer the customers who complain the most an equivalent number of nights free on a future stay B. find a solution that seems fair to all customers C. offer the most frequent customers an equivalent number of nights free on a future stay D. ask each customer who complains what they feel would be equitable
B
Which of the following characteristics is NOT one that distinguishes services from products? A. Heterogeneity B. Volatility C. Perishability D. Intangibility E. Inseparability
B
Which of the following are characteristics that make marketing services different from product marketing? (Choose every correct answer.) A. Profitability B. Perishability C. Heterogeneity D. Intangibility
B, C, D
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? A. Mary did not find a parking spot that was as close as she wanted to the store. B. Mary had trouble finding the coffee aisle because the signs were unclear. C. Mary had to wait a long time in the checkout line because the clerk kept making errors using the cash register. D. It took Mary a little longer to find what she needed since they recently remodeled the store.
C
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. A. perishable B. intangible C. inseparable D. infinite
C
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. A. reduce prices for B. ignore C. listen to D. reward
C
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. A. repetition B. repositioning C. recovery D. recognition
C
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. A. knowledge B. standards C. communication D. delivery
C
The most fundamental difference between services and goods is that services are ______. A. homogeneous B. incentives C. intangible D. cheaper
C
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 ______. A. reduce the price of courses to all students in order to overcome the anger and anxiety many students are experiencing B. record the complaints and analyze all data in the future after all parties involved have subdued their emotions C. honestly listen to students' complaints and use their messages to build a committed relationship D. inform students that the problem cannot be fixed during the current term but their complaints will be used to address the issue in the next semester
C
Which of the following is most likely to lead to high levels of customer loyalty? A. High levels of customer dissonance B. Intangible compensation for service failures C. High customer satisfaction ratings D. Low prices
C
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 ______. A. as the perceived fairness of the process increases B. the longer the service provider listens to his or her complaint C. as the compensation becomes more tangible D. the longer it takes to get an answer from the firm
D
An effective method to assess customer service expectations is to analyze customer ______ behavior in which management is told by buyers what dissatisfies them. A. loyalty B. buying C. exit D. complaint
D
Despite having to deal with difficult guests, the service provider can be motivated to provide "service with a smile" when the firm ______. A. does not deal with unruly customers and removes them from the service list B. establishes a policy for the firm that the customer is NOT always right C. provides frequent training programs for employees D. provides support and incentives to motivate quality service
D
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 ______. A. intangibility B. perishability C. heterogeneity D. inseparability
D
The primary reason there is greater heterogeneity in services than in products is because ______. A. of unknown outcomes on the buyer's part B. of the increasing use of technology in delivering services C. cost inequities generate differences D. human inputs generate differences
D
Which of the following is NOT a method to reduce delivery gaps? A. Empower employees B. Use technology to minimize errors D. Provide support and incentives D. Threaten to terminate employees
D
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
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
____ refers to human or mechanical activities undertaken by firms to help satisfy their customers' needs and wants.
customer service
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
Services are ____, which means that they cannot be touched, tasted, or seen.
intangible
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.
knowledge
Lisa will only let André do her pedicure. She has tried other manicurists, but she knows from experience that André makes her toenails look perfect every time. For Lisa, ________ is the most important of the five service quality dimensions.
reliability
The old cliché "Service with a smile" recognizes the fact that smiling is contagious. services are perishable but a smile is forever. service providers need to be pleasant even if the customer is not. service providers should smile and not think. life is too short to be ugly.
service providers need to be pleasant even if the customer is not.
