Lecture Three: Focus on the Customer and the Gaps Model

A comprehensive set of 150 fill-in-the-blank flashcards covering the Gaps Model of Service Quality, consumer behavior in services, and customer expectations from the lecture notes.

The central focus of the gaps model is the ________ gap.

customer

The customer gap is the difference between customer ________ and perceptions.

expectations

To satisfy customers and build long-term relationships, firms need to close the gap between what customers expect and ________.

receive

To close the customer gap, the model suggests that ________ other provider gaps need to be closed.

$$4$$

Gap $1$ is known as the ________ gap.

KNOWLEDGE

The Knowledge Gap is defined as not knowing what ________.

customers expect

Gap $2$ is known as the ________ gap.

STANDARDS

The Standards Gap results from not having the right service designs and ________.

standards

Gap $3$ is known as the ________ gap.

DELIVERY

The Delivery Gap is defined as not delivering to ________.

service standards

Gap $4$ is known as the ________ gap.

COMMUNICATION

The Communication Gap occurs when there is a failure to match delivery to ________.

promises

One reason for Provider Gap $1$ is an inadequate ________ research orientation.

marketing

A lack of ________ communication from employees to management can lead to Provider Gap $1$.

upward

Insufficient ________ focus, which includes a lack of market segmentation, contributes to Provider Gap $1$.

relationship

Inadequate ________ recovery, or the failure to make amends after a service failure, is a factor in Gap $1$.

service

Provider Gap $2$ can be caused by ________ service design, including vague or undefined services.

poor

The absence of ________ standards is a key factor leading to Provider Gap $2$.

customer-driven

Provider Gap $2$ involves inappropriate ________ evidence and the servicescape.

physical

Deficiencies in ________ resource policies, such as ineffective recruitment, lead to Provider Gap $3$.

human

Role ________ and role conflict among employees contribute to the Service Performance Gap.

ambiguity

When there is a poor employee-technology job ________, Provider Gap $3$ may widen.

fit

Provider Gap $3$ can occur when ________ do not fulfill their roles or lack knowledge of their responsibilities.

customers

Problems with service ________, such as channel conflict or difficulty controlling quality, affect Gap $3$.

intermediaries

A failure to match supply and ________, like failing to smooth peaks of demand, contributes to Gap $3$.

demand

Provider Gap $4$ is caused by a lack of ________ services marketing communications.

integrated

Ineffective management of customer ________ through all forms of communication leads to Gap $4$.

expectations

The tendency to view each external communication as ________ contributes to the Communication Gap.

independent

________ in advertising, personal selling, or physical evidence cues causes Gap $4$.

Overpromising

Inadequate ________ communications between sales and operations is a factor in Provider Gap $4$.

horizontal

Inappropriate ________, such as high costs that raise expectations without tied value, leads to Gap $4$.

pricing

If perceived service ________ expectations, customers will be not only satisfied but delighted.

exceeds

If perceived service falls short of expectations, customers are left disappointed and ________.

dissatisfied

Closing the ________ gap is the key to closing the customer gap.

provider gaps

The Gaps Model serves as a ________ for service organizations attempting to improve quality.

framework

The four types of consumer buying behavior are Routine Response, Limited Decision Making, Extensive Decision Making, and ________ buying.

Impulse

________ buying involves low-cost, frequently purchased items with little search effort.

Routine Response

Soft drinks and snack foods are examples of ________ behavior.

Routine Response

________ decision making is used when buying a product occasionally or needing info on an unfamiliar brand in a familiar category.

Limited

________ decision making involves high involvement, expensive, or infrequently bought products like homes or education.

Extensive

Extensive decision making carries a high degree of economic, performance, or ________ risk.

psychological

________ buying involves no conscious planning.

Impulse

________ qualities are attributes a consumer can determine prior to purchase.

Search

Clothing, jewelry, and furniture are high in ________ qualities.

search

________ qualities are attributes determined after purchase or during consumption.

Experience

Restaurant meals and haircuts are high in ________ qualities.

experience

________ qualities are characteristics that may be impossible to evaluate even after consumption.

Credence

Legal services and medical diagnoses are high in ________ qualities.

credence

Most goods fall on the side of the continuum high in ________ qualities.

search

Most services fall on the side of the continuum high in ________ qualities.

credence

The ________ process consists of five stages: need recognition, info search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase/consumption, and post-purchase evaluation.

purchase decision

The first stage of the decision process is ________.

problem or need recognition

A need can be recognized via ________ stimuli (ideal vs. actual situation) or external stimuli (marketing).

internal

Maslow's hierarchy includes physical, safety, social, self-esteem, and ________ needs.

self-actualization

________ search involves scanning one's memory for previous experiences.

Internal

________ search is used when past experience is insufficient or the risk of a wrong decision is high.

External

Personal sources of information include family, friends, and ________.

experts

________ sources include product-rating organizations like Consumer Reports.

Public

________ sources include advertising, websites, and salespeople.

Marketer-dominated

Consumers rely more on ________ sources when purchasing services because media cannot easily communicate experience qualities.

personal

Service providers are often ________, independent merchants with limited funds for advertising.

local

Professional associations ________ advertising for many years, leading to a resistance to its use.

banned

________ risk is perceived as higher for services because they are intangible and often lack guarantees.

Perceived

Firms use ________ of satisfaction to reduce perceived risk.

guarantees

Standardizing service through ________ is a strategy to reduce perceived risk.

automation

Factors affecting perceived risk include tangible evidence, buyer involvement, and personal risk ________.

tolerance

The ________ set is the group of brands a consumer considers acceptable options.

evoked

Evaluation of alternatives is a process of ________ reduction.

choice

Evaluative criteria include objective attributes and ________ factors like prestige.

subjective

The evoked set tends to be ________ for services than for goods.

smaller

For nonprofessional services, consumers often choose between performing the service themselves or ________ someone.

hiring

________ are transient feelings occurring at specific times, while emotions are more intense and stable.

Moods

Service provision as ________ uses the metaphor of a theater to analyze performance.

Drama

Service ________ are the employees whose routines and commitment are essential to delivery.

actors

The physical setting or ________ including smell and temperature affects service delivery.

stage

Service ________ are social cues that guide behavior in a given setting.

roles

A ________ is a logical sequence of events expected by the customer.

script

Deviations from the service script lead to ________ and dissatisfaction.

confusion

The ________ of other customers receiving service at the same time can affect the experience.

compatibility

Incompatibility between customers can be caused by differences in age, beliefs, or ________.

ability to pay

Unlike goods, services are purchased and produced ________.

simultaneously

Service providers often offer ________ trials to reduce risk in the final purchase decision.

free or discounted

Customer ________ involves perceiving customers as partners in the co-creation of services.

co-production

A Weight Watchers program is an example of customer ________.

co-production

Check-in kiosks at airports are ________ situations where co-production is relevant.

self-service

Moods and emotions can ________ experiences, making them more positive or negative.

amplify

________ evaluation involves comparing the product or service with expectations.

Post-purchase

________ is the feeling of post-purchase psychological tension or anxiety.

Cognitive dissonance

Negative post-experience evaluations significantly impact ________ communication.

word-of-mouth

The best way to get positive word-of-mouth is to create ________ service encounters.

memorable and positive

Attribution of dissatisfaction refers to whether the consumer blames the producer, retailer, or ________.

themselves

Because consumers participate in services, they may feel ________ responsible for dissatisfaction than with pure goods.

more

Innovation ________ rate depends on compatibility, relative advantage, divisibility, complexity, and communicability.

diffusion

Brand ________ is the degree to which consumers are committed to a particular brand.

loyalty

Consumers are more likely to be loyal to services because of high ________ costs and limited awareness of substitutes.

switching

The role of ________ is important because it affects how customers evaluate and use services and how employees interact.

culture

Elements of culture include verbal and non-verbal languages, manners, customs, and ________.

aesthetics

Customer ________ are beliefs about service delivery that serve as standards or reference points.

expectations

The highest level of expectation is ________ service, the level the customer hopes to receive.

desired

Desired service is a blend of what the customer believes 'can be' and ________.

'should be'