Ervices Arketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across The Firm

Copyright © 2013 by McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited. All rights reserved.
Valarie A Zeithaml | Mary Jo Bitner
6E
Dwayne D. Gremler | Ajay Pandit
Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm
SERVICES MARKETING
LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS
THROUGH RESEARCH
55
 Using Customer Research to Understand
Customer Expectations
 Elements in an Effective Service Marketing
Research Program
 Analyzing and Interpreting Customer
Research Findings
 Using Marketing Research Information
 Upward Communication
5-3
Provider Gap 1
Expected Service
CUSTOMER
COMPANY
Gap 1:
The Listening Gap Company
Perceptions of
Customer
Expectations
5-4
5-5
Key Factors Leading to Provider Gap 1
Objectives for Chapter 5:
Listening to Customers through Research
 Present the types of and guidelines for

customer research in services.
 Show how customer research information can
and should be used for services.
 Describe the strategies by which companies can
facilitate interaction and communication
between management and customers.
 Present ways that companies can and do
facilitate interaction between contact people
and management.
5-6
Common Research Objectives for
Services
 To discover customer requirements or expectations for service.
 To monitor and track service performance.
 To assess overall company performance compared with that of
competition.
 To assess gaps between customer expectations and perceptions.
 To identify dissatisfied customers, so that service recovery can
be attempted.
 To gauge effectiveness of changes in service delivery.
 To appraise the service performance of individuals and teams
for evaluation, recognition, and rewards.
 To determine customer expectations for a new service.
 To monitor changing customer expectations in an industry.
 To forecast future expectations of customers.
5-7
Criteria for an Effective
Service Research Program
 Includes both qualitative and quantitative
research
 Includes both expectations and perceptions of
customers
 Balances the cost of the research and the value of
the information
 Includes statistical validity when necessary
 Measures priorities or importance of attributes
 Occurs with appropriate frequency
 Includes measures of loyalty, behavioral
intentions, or actual behavior
5-8
Portfolio of Services Research:
Research Is NOT Just Surveys!
 Customer Complaint Solicitation
 Critical Incident Studies
 Requirements Research
 Relationship and SERVQUAL Surveys
 Trailer Calls or Post transaction Surveys
 Service Expectations Meetings and Reviews
 Process Checkpoint Evaluations
 Mystery Shopping
 Customer Panels
 Lost Customer Research
 Future Expectations Research
5-9
Common Means for
Answering Questions
 Ask customers directly

 mail, phone, face-to-face, online
 one-on-one, in groups, formal/informal
 Observing customers
 anthropological tools, qualitative depth
 Get information from employees and front
line service providers
 Database marketing research
 use customer information files
 “capture” behavior through data analysis
5-10
Elements in an Effective Customer
Research Program for Services
Complaint ●
To identify and attend to dissatisfied customers
To identify common service failure points
Solicitation
●
Critical Incident ●
●
To identify “best” practices” at transaction level
To identify customer requirements as input for quantitative studies
To identify common service failure points
Studies
●
●
To identify systemic strengths and weaknesses in customer-contact services
Relationship ●
●
To monitor and track service performance
To assess overall company performance compared with that of competition
To determine links between satisfaction and behavioral intentions
Surveys
●
●
To assess gaps between customer expectations and perceptions
Post-transaction ●
●
To obtain immediate feedback on performance of service transactions
To measure effectiveness of changes in service delivery
To assess service performance of individuals and teams
Surveys
●
●
To use as input for process improvements; to identify common service failure points
●
To identify/attend to dissatisfied customers
Social Media ●
●
To encourage word of mouth
To measure the impact of other advertising
5-11
Elements in an Effective Customer
Research Program for Services (continued)
Market-oriented ●
To research customers in natural settings
To study customers from other cultures in an unbiased way
Ethnography
●
●
To measure individual employee performance for evaluation, recognition, or
Mystery Shopping rewards
●
To identify systemic strengths and weaknesses in customer-contact services
●
To monitor changing customer expectations
Customer Panels ●
To provide a forum for customers to suggest and evaluate new service
ideas
●
To identify reasons for customer defection
Lost Customer Research ●
To assess gaps between customer expectations and perceptions
Future Expectations ●
To forecast future expectations of customers
To develop and test new service ideas
Research
●
5-12
Sample Questions for
Critical Incident Studies
 Think of a time when, as a customer, you had
a particularly satisfying (dissatisfying)
interaction with an employee of
______________.
 When did the incident happen?
 What specific circumstances led up to this

situation?
 Exactly what was said and done?
 What resulted that made you feel the 5-13

SERVQUAL Attributes
RELIABILITY EMPATHY
 Providing service as promised  Giving customers individual attention
 Dependability in handling customers’  Employees who deal with customers in a
service problems caring fashion
 Performing services right the first time  Having the customer’s best interest at heart
 Providing services at the promised time  Employees who understand the needs of their
 Maintaining error-free records customers
 Convenient business hours
RESPONSIVENESS
 Keeping customers informed as to when TANGIBLES
services will be performed  Modern equipment
 Prompt service to customers  Visually appealing facilities
 Willingness to help customers  Employees who have a neat, professional
 Readiness to respond to customers’ appearance
requests  Visually appealing materials associated
with the service
ASSURANCE
 Employees who instill confidence in customers
 Making customers feel safe in their transactions
 Employees who are consistently courteous
 Employees who have the knowledge to answer
customer questions
5-14
Service Quality Perceptions Relative to
Zones of Tolerance by Dimensions
Figure 5.2
9
8
7 O
O O
6 O O
5
4
3
2
1
0
Reliability Responsiveness Assurance Empathy Tangibles
Retail Chain = Zone of Tolerance O= Service Quality Perception
5-15
Importance/Performance Matrix
Figure 5.3
HIGH
High  
Leverage
Attribute Importance
 
 

 
Attributes to Improve Attributes to Maintain


  Low
Leverage
Attributes to Maintain Attributes to De-emphasize
LOW Attribute Performance HIGH
5-16
Using Marketing Research Information
Understanding how to make the best use of

research – to apply what has been learned to the
business – is a key way to close the gap between
customer expectations and management
perceptions of customer expectations.
5-17
Upward Communication
Research for upward communication

 Executive visits to customers
 Executive or management listening to
customers
 Research on intermediate customers
 Research on internal customers
 Executive or management listening
approaches to employees
 Employee suggestions
5-18
5-19
Employees Provide Upward
Communication at Cabela’s

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Copyright © 2013 by McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited. All rights reserved.

Valarie A Zeithaml | Mary Jo Bitner

Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm

 Present the types of and guidelines for

 Ask customers directly

 When did the incident happen?

 What specific circumstances led up to this

 Exactly what was said and done?

 What resulted that made you feel the 5-13

Reliability Responsiveness Assurance Empathy Tangibles

Retail Chain = Zone of Tolerance O= Service Quality Perception

Attributes to Maintain Attributes to De-emphasize

LOW Attribute Performance HIGH

Understanding how to make the best use of

Research for upward communication

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