Exam 3 CH.12 Flashcards
service
the result of applying human or mechanical efforts to people or
objects
- The service sector accounts for approximately 80 percent of U.S. economic output.
− Includes technology, financial services, health care, and retail.
- Manufacturing firms can point to service as a major factor in their success
intangibility
the inability of services to be touched, seen, tasted, heard, or felt in the same manner that goods can be sensed
search quality
a characteristic that can be easily assessed before purchase
experience quality
a characteristic that can be assessed only after use
credence quality
a characteristic that consumers may have difficulty assessing even
after purchase because they do not have the necessary knowledge or experience
inseperability
he inability of the production and consumption of a service to
be separated; consumers must be present during the production
- Because consumers must be present during the production of services, they are actually involved in the production of the services they buy.
- Services normally cannot be produced in a separate location from where they are consumed.
- The quality of service that firms can deliver depends on the quality of their employees
Heterogeneity
the variability of the
inputs and outputs of services, which causes services to tend to be less standardized and uniform than goods
- Standardization and training help
increase consistency and reliability
perishability
the inability of services to be stored, warehoused, or inventoried
- One of the most important challenges in many service industries is finding ways
to synchronize supply and demand rather than suffer a total loss of revenue when there is no demand for full-price services
reliability
the ability to perform a service dependably, accurately, and consistently
responsiveness
the ability to provide prompt service
assurance
he knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust
empathy
caring, individualized attention to customers
tangibles
the physical evidence of a service, including the physical facilities, tools, and equipment used to provide the service
gap model
a model identifying five gaps that can cause problems
in service delivery and influence customer evaluations of service quality
- Gap 1: the gap between what customers want and what management thinks
customers want - Gap 2: the gap between what management thinks customers want and the quality specifications that management develops to provide the service
- Gap 3: the gap between the service quality specifications and the service that is
actually provided - Gap 4: the gap between what the company provides and what the customer is told it provides
- Gap 5: the gap between the service that customers receive and the service they want
- When one or more of these gaps is large, service quality is perceived as low, but as the gaps shrink, perceptions of service quality improve
core service
the most basic benefit the consumer is buying