Service is often seen as a complex phenomenon. There are many definitions of services in the literature and may depend on the author and the research focus (Grönroos, 2000; Chang, et. al, 2008). The concept of service comes from business literature and are traditionally more difficult to define than physical goods (Akbaba, 2006; Chang, et al., 2008) or products that are not easily measured, tested or controlled for quality. According to Hill (1977) in Edvardsson, Gustafsson & Roos, (2005) sees services as changes in the condition of a person or something in the possession of the customer.
Yong, (2000) says “service” could be divided into two groups. First, some researchers view the concept from the perspective of service itself - they pay attention to the discrepancy between the marketing strategies of service and goods. It is in this vein that Parasuraman et al, (1985) characterized services into four: intangibility, simultaneous (or simultaneous in production), heterogeneity and perishability.
Wright (1995) criticized this first approach for four reasons. First, a service industry depends more on tangible equipment to satisfy customers' demand while some customers do not care about whether goods are tangible or not. Secondly, some service businesses are well standardized such as franchise industries. In addition, in some cases, customers value the equality and fairness from the service provided. Third, many services are not simultaneously produced and consumed. Fourth, highly technological or equipment- based services could be standardized. This approach of defining service focuses on the service but ignores the role of consumers and other relevant stakeholders.
The second approach is based on the ideas of some research...
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...e defined as the extent to which the service, the service process and the service organization can satisfy the expectations of the user. It is vital, however, to deliver a satisfactory service for customers the first time, because an unsatisfactory service cannot be recovered (Bruhn & Georgi, 2006).
To Berry et al., (1994), quality is defined by the customer. They further note that conformance to company specifications is not quality; conformance to the customer's specifications is. Meanwhile, according to Lovelock, (1996) service has additional characteristics which are as follows:
1. In the process of services production, consumers have a role more likely to participate on the processing compared to the physical product.
2. Product of services is difficult to be evaluated.
3. The factor of time in the service and consumption of services is relatively more noted.
According to Business Studies ‘’Customer service is one of the most important ingredients of the marketing mix for products and services. High quality customer service helps to create customer loyalty. Customers today are not only interested in the product they are being offered but all the additional elements of service that they receive from the greeting they receive when they enter a retail outlet, to the refund and help that they receive when they have a complaint about a faulty product that they have paid for’’ (Business Studies, n.d).
I have always wanted to be a soldier in the United States Army. I liked the idea of serving of my country. I started at a young age trying to help my community. I volunteered to help at soup kitchens, do yard work for elderly or disabled people, and I joined the Boy Scouts and later on became a Junior leader and an Eagle Scout. This desire of helping others led me to enlist in the P.A. ARNG in March 2015. I enlisted with the intent of becoming an officer. I originally planned on going to Valley Forge Military College. I later on received the full ECP scholarship. This decision had changed when I was in B.C.T. at Fort Jackson SC. I had met with a cadet who had just finished his 3rd year at West Point. He loved it and after talking with him
The United States of America has a long history of trying to provide support and benefits for the men (and recently women) who have fought for the country dating back to the Colonial War time in 1636. The Pilgrims passed a law saying the colony would care for the disabled soldiers who fought against Native Americans (U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, 2015b). During this time, it was customary for veterans to receive pensions for their service during war-time. This effort was made to prevent desertions and to encourage more men to enlist. Another effort the U.S. government made was to offer public land free to men who fought in the war due to only 3,000 men drawing on the pensions offered during the Revolutionary
The characteristics of a service are intangible, inseparable, perishable, heterogeneous and lack ownership. The marketing mix of a service is not perceptible and as the features of a service is distinctive to the features of a product, it has additional elements which are process, people and physical evidence.
Being a military member in the armed forces across all branches will have a positive and negative impact in both personal and professional areas of life. All military members take the oath of enlistment before they join it is a requirement before attending basic training. What most service members do not realize is that they are completely oblivious to the road that lies ahead of them. Most people join the military for a number a personal reason such as money, education, and a sense of stability. Others may join the military in hopes of being a part of something greater than themselves, they may see it as a chance to serve their country. No matter what drives one to join the armed forces it is safe to say that they will encounter both good
What does community service mean to you? What experiences, if any, have you had that have shaped your definition of service?
According to Kotler et al (2013), there are four characteristics involved in services that marketers must consider when designing marketing programmes. These include intangibility, perishability, variability and inseparability. These characteristics are vital for producing services and differ to those required for products.
Israel’s mandatory service law requires every citizen in Israel in the age of eighteen until they are twenty one years old, legally obligated to join the army for a period of three years. After high school, the time came for me to do my duty to Israel which was compulsory service. It was a big responsibility that this is the true test that makes absolute separation between a comfortable life as a student and as preparation for real life as a full-fledged citizen.
Service – round the clock customer service and support offered to customers, educational training, daily communication, and disaster planning (Zuckerman & Reavis, 2014).
Zeithaml, V., Parasuraman, A., & Berry, L. (1990). Delivering quality service: balancing customer perceptions and expectations. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster.
A service is something that cannot be touched. This means that it is harder to market, than a physical Product. Its quality cannot be perceived before it is used. This can complicate convincing a potential tourist to acquire the service and to choose one service offering over any other.
People’s lives are changed every day by their actions and experiences. This past summer, I participated in a community service project, an experience that opened my eyes in many ways. I was a volunteer at the County Memorial Hospital. In my time as a volunteer at the hospital, I was able to meet patients and staff members from all over the world and learn about their life experiences. Listening to all of their stories has made me truly appreciate everything which I have.
Intangibility distinguishes between services and goods. Unlike goods, services have no physical attributes that can be used by the consumers to make judgment. Therefore, the customers cannot imagine what would they get from a particular service. The customers might think of the possible risks that they would encounter if they buy the service. Hence, the service provider must consider enhancing their marketing strategy to convince the customers about their services and reduced the perceived risks.
A service encounter is defined as a moment when a customer interacts with a service or product for the first time. It is the customer’s actual interaction with a service company. It is identified as a key component of the current agenda for service marketers. More than half of the world’s multinational corporations employ in providing services, thus the scrutiny of service encounters is becoming increasingly significant. Research evidence indicates that customers generally compare their expectations with the performance of service industries and they are influenced by the quality of service they receive. The scope of this essay is to discuss about the view that customers don’t buy products they focus on solutions and also about the consumer’s behaviour pattern regarding services provided. Further, it will be noted how businesses are trying to improve the service quality to attract customers leading to an increase in the economic competitiveness.
According to (Lennan, 2008) service delivery is the provision of public goods or social , economic or infrastructural services to those who need them .The Education and Training Unit (2009 internet source) defines this as the supply or ability to provide basic services to the public and these have a “direct and immediate” consequence and impact on the...