Introduction to Marketing Essentials

Professor Ashis Mishra

Service Differentiation

The following are the different service differentiation parameters.

1. Ordering ease: Ordering ease refers to the ease, with which the customer can
place an order with the company. Companies have call centres to aid their
customer in this regard.

2. Delivery: This parameter indicates how well the product or service is brought
to the customer. It includes speed, accuracy and care throughout the process.
The companies like Dominos have used this attribute as ‘differentiator’ by
ensuring that they keep up the promise of delivering Pizzas within 30 minutes.

3. Installation: This refers to the ease of making the product usable once
purchased. Ease of installation is a true selling point for buyers of complex
products like heavy equipment.

4. Customer training: Training the customer refers to educating them about the
effective usage of the product or service. For example: If you buy a camera, you
would expect the seller to demonstrate the usage of its features.
For some products it is important that companies provide training or
demonstration on how to use the product. For example, GE not only sells and
installs expensive X-ray equipment in hospitals, it also gives extensive training
to users.

5. Customer consulting: Customer consulting is another ‘differentiator’. It

includes advice services the seller offers to buyers. However, this is mainly used
in B2B transactions.

6. Maintenance and repair. If there is in-sufficient ‘after sales service’ from

sellers, the bitterness of the customer might spread and reduce the good will
of the company that exists. Annual maintenance contracts are a part of this
parameter. This is used as a ‘differentiator’ to communicate, the strength of the
‘maintenance’ service.

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