Exam 13: Services: the Intangible Product

When Dr.Horton checked in at the Ritz-Carlton,it was 3 a.m.He had been traveling for over 12 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

Because services like cruises and car rentals are perishable,many marketers use

Although firms such as restaurants have difficulty controlling service quality from day to day,they do have control over

Most retail stores in the United States do 60 percent or more of their business in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.What can these stores do to get sales staff to provide "service with a smile" during this stressful part of the year?

When marketers state that services are ____________,they are referring to the fact that services are not always of the same quality from one time period to another or from one service provider to another.

When there is a significant difference between the service customers receive and the service the firm promotes,the firm has a _______ gap.

Physicians regularly overstate the expected recovery time from surgery,knowing that managing patients' expectations will reduce the __________ gap associated with their service.

The ___________ gap can be closed by getting employees to meet or exceed service standards when the service is being delivered by empowering service providers,providing support and incentives,and using technology where appropriate

A(n)__________ gap exists when a firm knows what it needs to do to meet customers' service expectations,but sometimes fails to do it.

Name three ways a firm can evaluate service quality,and give examples of each.

David's marketing research returned the finding that customers were staying away from his bookstore because of a lack of services like gift cards,return policies,and special orders.David was shocked."Nobody ever asks about that stuff! If it were that important,people would ask about it." David is likely suffering from a(n)________ gap.

The school Brenda attends has an advising and registration day where students go to a large hall to sign up for classes.The school Taylor attends assigns each student to an individual faculty member who advises each student through their course of study.Taylor's school is most likely emphasizing which of the five dimensions of service quality?

Because services like airline flights and hotel beds are _________,many marketers attempt to match demand with supply using pricing strategies.

Latosha was employee of the month at Jersey Mike's Subs,primarily because she provided excellent customer service by serving food quickly.This relates to the reliability service dimension.

A delivery gap always results in a service failure.

Along the service-product continuum,which of the following would be considered the most product dominant?

Saltdust Grill is known as the premier restaurant in town.With its 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.

Which of the following refers to variability in a service's quality?

Debbie spoke to the customer service representative at Sprint Cellular and was told her text messages would be unlimited on her plan.However,when she got her bill,she had been charged extra for text messages.She called the company back and was told that since she didn't record the conversation,they couldn't verify what she was told and she'd have to pay the bill.Explain which service gap(s)occurred in this instance.

The new hotel manager asked the chef,"Are you sure you know how to cook Beef Wellington?" Which of the service dimensions was the hotel manager expressing concern about?