Exam 2: Conceptual Framework of the Book: the Gaps Model of Service Quality

Provider _____ is the difference between service delivery and the service provider's external communications.

Companies that emphasize acquiring new customers rather than retaining current customers are using _____ marketing.

Service companies can close provider gap 2 by doing all of the following EXCEPT:

Provider _____ is the difference between the development of customer-driven service standards and actual service performance by company employees.

Provider gap 1 is widened when the service provider promises delivery on Monday when in fact there is no way the service provider can deliver until the following Thursday.

Provider _____ is the difference between customer expectations of service and company understanding of those expectations.

The central focus of the gaps model of service quality is to close the gap between customer expectations and perceptions.

List two examples of sources of customer expectations over which the marketer has limited control.

The sources of customer expectations are market-controlled factors such as:

Sam Goody, a tape, compact disc and video store, has a frequent buyer program called Replay that rewards members a $15 gift certificate for every $150 in purchases made at Sam Goody. In addition, Replay members receive a coupon each month for a 20-25 percent discount on the purchase of an unlimited number of CDs and/or cassettes from a specific music category. By having a frequent buyer program, Sam Goody is using _____ marketing.

In order to get an accurate cholesterol reading, an individual must fast for at least eight hours before the test. When you schedule a cholesterol test at your doctor's office, you will receive a brochure that will explain the fasting and why it is so very necessary. Providing this sort of educational literature to patients is one way doctors try to narrow provider _____ of the gaps model of service quality.

Service companies can close provider gap 4 by:

Paul Hersford recently began teaching his tenth 2-hour wine-tasting seminar in the banquet hall of a restaurant that has a large and varied wine cellar. His class participants are complaining the class he is teaching is not what they expected. Some are leaving after the first hour without a word to Hersford. No participant has ever taken another one of Hersford's classes even though each class studies a different variety of wine. Which provider gap is causing Hersford the most difficulty? List some possible strategies Hersford can use to close or possibly eliminate this provider gap.

Yvonne and Ty were due to be wed last March when a tornado blew down the church where the wedding was to be held. Even though the wedding was postponed and they risked losing over one thousand dollars in deposits, they were not worried because they had purchased wedding insurance. The salesperson had guaranteed they would have a perfect wedding no matter what happened. When Ty called the insurance agent, he learned that the policy did not provide coverage if the wedding was postponed due to an act of nature such as a tornado. In this case, provider _____ of the gaps model of service quality was apparent as their "perfect wedding" did not happen as promised.

The _____ gap is the difference between customer perceptions and expectations.

To close the customer gap, the gaps model of service quality suggests the _____ gaps need to be closed.

Which of the following factors does NOT cause provider gap 3?

Customer _____ are the standards for performance against which service experiences are compared.

The sources of customer expectations are all controlled by the service provider.

Services marketing bridges the gap between what customers expect to get and what they perceive they actually got.