Exam 13: Customers Roles in Service Delivery

New Bedford College requires all students who live in its dormitories to buy a meal ticket. The meal ticket is to be used in the cafeteria for all breakfasts, dinners and five lunches every week for each week the college is in session. Students do not like to go to the cafeteria. They think it is unfriendly and institutional. All who can afford it eat off-campus unless the weather is bad. On bad-weather days, the cafeteria is busy with students, faculty and staff. By the end of the day, it is also very messy because the cafeteria patrons do not clean up after themselves. Spilled food is on the floor and the tables. The cafeteria supervisor thinks that if the cafeteria patrons could be made to perform their role in service delivery that everyone would benefit. Suggest some possible strategies to enhance patron participation.

When Alicia went to talk to a cleaning service about having the carpets in her apartment shampooed, she was told that if she would rent the service's equipment and do it herself, it would cost her 50 percent less and be done much sooner because the service's personnel were booked solid for the next two weeks. The cleaning service is:

Discover Card has an automated inquiry system that enables card members to obtain their current balance, available credit and payment information via telephone without speaking to an account representative. By increasing customer participation in the service process with its automated inquiry system, Discover Card is:

When Brendan changes the oil in his truck, he is acting as a service competitor to the maintenance department at a car dealership.

Restaurants with salad bars view customers as productive resources.

Lorenzo attended his first antique auction last night. When he asked about bidding, he was told to get a bidder's number and that no bid would be accepted unless it was made by raising the card with the number on it. What kind of on-site orientation was Lorenzo being given?

The first step in enhancing customer participation in service delivery is to manage the customer mix, beginning with an assessment of the compatibility of segments.

In which of the following service situations would customers have the highest level of participation?

Ravela does not want to use the self-checkout lane at the supermarket because it "just seems too complicated". What factor primarily has determined her reluctance to try the new self-service technology?

Whether a household or a firm chooses to produce a particular service for itself or contract externally for the service depends upon a non-economic factor that is referred to as:

Virginia wanted to skydive from an airplane for her birthday. She paid $125 to attend a 30-minute ground school the process and her role in the jump. She was then taken up in an airplane, where she was strapped to a skydiving instructor and they did a tandem dive. She enjoyed the view and the instructor pulled the cord to open the parachute. Which customer roles did Virginia play in this service encounter?

Customers who understand the service system or the process of delivery will typically slow down the service process and negatively affect their own as well as other customers' outcome.

Hyatt Hotels has installed automated check-in machines at hotels in Atlanta and Chicago. To check in and get a room key, guests insert a credit card into the machine. A guest using Hyatt Hotel's automated check-in machine is playing the role of a:

Each year representatives of college activities boards throughout the U.S. gather at regional National Association of College Activities (NACA) conventions to listen, talk to and hire acts for the upcoming school year. Auburn Moon from Philadelphia is one of the agencies that attends the NACA conventions. The owner of this agency prepares a CD that contains two or three songs by each of the acts she represents and gives them out to students at the conventions. Students can listen to the CDs at their leisure and share the music with other decision makers on campus. With the CDs, Auburn Moon is _____ about its entertainers and their abilities.

Landis was pleasantly surprised to find a "No Smoking" sign at his favorite pub. He had to limit his visits because he is allergic to cigarette smoke. Now he can visit as often and for as long as he likes. Landis was afraid the sign might hurt the pub's business, but he was pleased to discover how many of the pub's regulars felt the same way he did. The "No Smoking" sign served to:

Which of the following companies has had the greatest success with SSTs? A. Old Navy stores B. Domino's pizza C. Ford Motor Company D. HYPERLINK "http://www.ebay.com/" EBay.com E. A landscaping company

When Tim got in line to pay for his groceries, he picked the line in which he was required to scan the prices of his groceries and bag them himself. He was pleased with the use of ____ because it would allow him to get his eggs home unbroken without some store bagger dropping a melon on top of them.

Compatibility management:

The process of managing multiple and sometimes conflicting market segments is known as yield management.

On the military base where Micah is stationed, there is a large, well-stocked garage where he can take his car to do necessary maintenance. The garage charges modest space and tool rental fees. Micah really enjoys tinkering with the engine, but he's not very knowledgeable. That's why he's glad that there is a trained mechanic on duty at the garage. The mechanic will answer Micah's questions and check his work to make sure that he has done nothing to damage his car's engine. Micah was especially proud of himself when he replaced his carburetor recently. Which of the following service delivery roles is Micah, the customer, performing?