special topics chap 11

provider gap 3

service performance gap

key factors leading to service performance gap

• deficiencies in HR policies

• customers not fulfilling roles

• problems with service intermediaries

• failure to match supply and demand

service culture

a culture where an appreciation for good service exists, and where giving good service to internal as well as ultimate, external customers, is considered a natural way of life and one of the most important norms by everyone- Christian Gronroos

frontline service employees are…

• theservice

• the org

• the brand

• marketers

the importance of frontline service employees is evident in

• the service marketing triangle

• the service profit chain

• the effect of employee behavior on service quality dimensions

the service marketing triangle

company, customers , and providers

internal marketing

enabling the promise; carried out between providers and company

external marketing

making the promise; carried between company and customers

interactive marketing

delivering the promise; carried out between customers and providers

aligning the triangle

organizations that seek to provide consistently high levels of service excellence will continously work to align the three sides of the triangle : making promises, enabling promises, and keeping promises

making promises : external marketing

develops customers expectations about what is to be delivered and can include anyone or anything that communicated to the customer before service delivery

keeping promises : interactive marketing

promises kept or broken by firms employees, subcontractors, or agents

promises not kept create…

customer dissatisfaction, and customers leave (eventually)

enabling promises: internal marketing

service employees must be able and willing to deliver on promises made; includes recruting, training, motivating, rewarding, and providing equipment and technology

reliability

delivering the service as promised is often completely within the control of frontline employees

responsiveness

frontline employees may exhibit a range of responses in terms of promptness and willingness to help

assurance

highly dependent on employees’ ability to communicate their credibility and inspire trust

empathy

implies that employees will pay attention, listen, adapt, and be flexible in delivering what individual customer needs

tangibles

includes employee appearance and dress among other factors

boundary spanners

provide a critical link between the external customer environment and the interal operations of the organization

emotional labor

the labor that goes beyond the physical or mental skills needed to deliver quality service, often requires suppression of true feelings

hire the right people

compete for the best people, hire for service competencies and service inclination, be preferred employee

develop people to deliver service quality

train for technical and interactive skills, empower employees, promote teamwork

provide needed support systems

measure internal service quality, develop service-oriented internal processes, provide supportive tech and equipment

retain the best people

include employees in the companys vision, treat employees and customers, measure and reward strong service performers

deficiencies in HR policies

ineffective recruritment, role conflict, poor employee-tech job fit, lack of empowerwent, percieved control

customers not fulfilling roles

lack of knowledge of their roles and responsibilities and their negative impact on eachother

problems with service intermediaries

channel conflict over objectives and performance, channel conflict over costs and rewards, tension

failure to match supply and demand

failure to smooth the peaks and valleys of demand, inappropriate customer mix, and overreliance on price to smooth demand

service profit chain

superior internal service quality leads to higher employee satisfaction

external service value

a result of increased employee retention and productivity

external value results in…

customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, revenue growth, and profits