Application Questions

Q1. Select a service firm you are familiar with and identify their core services. Now identify the supplementary services for each of those core products, nothing which are facilitating and which are supporting. In what respects do any of these and their respective value differ from those offered by a leading competitor?

The firm I selected for the exercise is Joseph Anthony Bespoke. The company is a bespoke suit maker based in old theatre lane in Claremont. The main competition in this market is Parker & Co. (www.parkerco.com.au)

The core product or “basic benefit the customer is buying” (Lovelock, Patterson, Wirtz. 2011) offered by Joseph Anthony Bespoke (JAB) is mens tailoring in the form of suits, shirts, pants, and formal eveningwear. Supplementary services are delivered in the form of Order Taking, Consultation, Information, Billing, Exceptions and Safekeeping (caring for garments).

A, Order taking and Billing: (Refer to table 1 Joseph Anthony Order Taking Elements)

Applications Order Entry Bookings

Client notifications On site Fittings

Newsletters Orders for existing customers via phone/email Consultations

New fabric notifications Alterations

Style Advice

One off designs

The process involved in the service of order taking at JAB is supporting the core product through effective payment and the clients concise understanding of the billing system. When a client places an order he is taken though the bill by a sales representative (often the tailor who has overseen the making of their purchase). This system has no real differentiation form competing businesses. The billing structure at JAB centres on monthly accounts for clients, also included is on the spot billing processes for sma...

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...t service redesign example is the introduction of customer

preparations, when a specific customer requests a consultation for a shirt, suit,

pants etc. the materials are prepared to the specific item of clothing along with

examples of similar finished items, this is done before the appointment along

with prepared beverages etc…. This service is mainly reserved for frequent

clients and requested individuals.

Works Cited

Lovelock, C.H. Patterson, P.G. Wirtz, J. (2011). Developing service products: core and supplementary service elements. In: Burgess, P. Stanley, J Services Marketing. 5th ed. Frenches Forrest NSW: Pearson Education. 97 - 126. (Lovelock, Patterson, Wirtz. 2011)

Parker & Co. (2009). Available: http://www.parkerco.com.au/. Last accessed 23Rd Mar 2011

Riordan, A. (2009). Available: http://www.josephanthony.com. Last accessed 23rd Mar 2011.