Exam 12: Services: The Intangible Product

Bob's Motel shows photos of a wide,sandy beach on its website,leading visitors to assume the motel is located on or near the beach.However,in reality Bob's Model is located half a mile from the beach.Which of the service quality gaps does this demonstrate?

Listening to the customer is the first step in service recovery.

Bank of America uses a complex polling system coupled with a customer response measurement system to assess consumers' responses to new products and services.Bank of America is using a __________ program to improve service quality and service offerings.

__________ means allowing employees to make decisions about how service is provided to customers.

Many services marketers use training and standardization to reduce service perishability.

Nicole knows her restaurant is understaffed today.She is hoping to get through the day without falling below her customers' __________,the difference between what her customers want and what they will accept before going elsewhere.

When marketers say that services are __________,they are referring to the fact that services cannot be touched,tasted,or seen,like a pure product can.

A service is any intangible offering that involves a deed,performance,or effort that:

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

In services marketing,the saying,"where the rubber meets the road" refers to whether or not a __________ gap exists.

The Crystal Beach Resort has a five-star rating and wants to keep it that way.The resort has specific standards for service and has trained its employees to deliver service according to these standards,but even one unhappy customer could endanger the resort's reputation.What can the manager do to ensure that frontline employees offer consistent,excellent service to every visitor?

Dopson's Hardware was in bad financial shape.They owed so much money that vendors put the store on a cash-only delivery basis.As a result,the store had a dwindling inventory of goods to sell.Whenever a customer asked about an unavailable item,the owner directed the sales staff to say that it was on back order and would be in stock next week.When the customer returned,the item was still unavailable.The owner's policy created a __________ gap.

By setting appropriate service standards and measuring service performance,firms can attempt to close a __________ gap.

The building blocks of service quality are reliability,responsiveness,assurance,empathy and tangibles.

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.

Many states have enacted "lemon" laws providing rights to consumers who purchase cars that need an excessive number of repairs.Service departments at auto dealerships quickly figure out which new models are going to create problems and often what the problems will be.If you were the service manager at a dealership what would you do to address service problems like these?

Effective service recovery entails all of the following EXCEPT:

Saltdust Grill is known as the premier restaurant in town.With their 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 __________ gap in service quality.

Randall arrived at the hotel to find that,although he had a guaranteed reservation,the hotel had no rooms available.He became angry when the hotel made him a reservation at a more expensive hotel but refused to pay the difference in room rates.Randall was upset because,in his opinion,the hotel's solution did not incorporate:

The knowledge gap is where "the rubber meets the road," where the customer directly interacts with the service provider.