Ch 8: Service Blueprinting

Question 1

Service blueprint (def)

Answer 1

A picture, or a map, that accurately portrays the service system so that the different people involved in providing it can understand and deal with it objectively, regardless of roles or their points of view. It provides a way to break a service into logical components.

Question 2

The key components of a blueprint (4)

Answer 2

• customer actions
• ‘onstage’ contact employee actions
• ‘backstage’ contact employee actions
• support processes

Question 3

Customer actions (def)

Answer 3

The steps, choices, activities and interactions that the customer performs in the process of purchasing, consuming and evaluating the service.

Question 4

‘Onstage’ contact employee actions (def)

Answer 4

Actions that are carried out by the employees and visible to the customer

Question 5

‘Backstage’ contact employee actions (def)

Answer 5

Actions that are carried out by the employees and not visible to the customer

Question 6

Support processes (def)

Answer 6

All physical evidence that comes with the process.

Question 7

By which lines are the four areas divided? (3)

Answer 7

• Line of interaction
• Line of visibility
• Line of internal interaction

Question 8

Line of interaction (def)

Answer 8

This represents all the direct interactions between the customer and the organisation.

Question 9

Line of visibility (def)

Answer 9

This line separates all service activities that are visible to the customer from those that are not visible.

Question 10

Line of internal interaction (def)

Answer 10

Separates contact employee activities from those of other service support activities and people.

Question 11

When the purpose of the service blueprint is “to understand the customer’s view of the process” you should read the blueprint ….

Answer 11

… from left to right

Question 12

When the purpose of the service blueprint is “to understand contact employees’ roles “ you should read the blueprint ….

Answer 12

… from left to right

Question 13

When the purpose of the service blueprint is “to understand the integration of the various elements of the service process” you should read the blueprint ….

Answer 13

… analyse it vertically

Question 14

When the purpose of the service blueprint is “service redesign” you should read the blueprint ….

Answer 14

… as a whole

Question 15

Who needs to be involved in making a service blueprint

Answer 15

A variety of functional representatives as well as customer information

Question 16

Steps for making a blueprint (6)

Answer 16

1. Identify the service process
2. Identify the customer or customer segment
3. Map the service process from the customer’s POV
4. Map contact employee actions, both onstage and backstage
5. Link contact activities to needed support functions
6. Add evidence of service at each customer action step