Frameworks for Managing the Customer's Experience

Chapter 2: Frameworks for Managing the Customer's Experience 7

CHAPTER 2

Frameworks for Managing the Customer's Experience

Chapter objectives

To examine the key components of the service experience
To describe three different frameworks that capture the customer’s service experience:

– Services marketing mix

– Servuction framework

– Services theater framework

To provide an in-depth illustration of service as theater

chapter outline

I. Introduction

The chapter provides an understanding of the complexities of the service experience so that it can be managed efficiently and effectively.

II. Components of the Service Experience

Any service experience can be categorized into four components: (1) the service workers; (2) the service setting; (3) the service customers; and (4) the service process.

III. Framing the Service Experience

Several models have been developed to provide an understanding of the service experience.

A. The Services Marketing Mix

The services marketing mix adds three new P’s participants, physical evidence, and process of service assembly- to the four P’s of the traditional marketing mix.

B. The Servuction Framework

The servuction framework (the service production system) suggests that a service is the culmination of many factors that contribute to its performance.

C. The Services Theater Framework

The services theater framework involves the same theatrical elements as a stage production: actors, an audience, a setting, a frontstage, a backstage, and a performance.

IV. Comparing Service Experience Frameworks

The three presented service frameworks focus on service experiences that bring together the service customer and the service provider in a physically defined service setting.

V. Raising the Curtain on Services Theater

The services theater framework will be emphasized throughout most of the text.

VII. Summary and Conclusion

For a successful service experience to take place, services marketers must understand how all of the parts of the various parts of the organization involved in the production and delivery of the service work together.

chapter websites

1. Apple (http://www.apple.com), p. 20

2. L.L. Bean http://www.llbean.com), p. 22

3. Marriott Hotels (http://www.marriott.com), p. 24

4. Hyatt Hotels (http://www.hyatt.com), p. 24

5. Nordstrom Department Stores (http://www.nordstrom.com), p. 25

6. Ritz-Carlton Hotel (http://www.ritzcarlton.com), p. 25

7. Comfort Express Hotel-Oslo (www.comforthotelxpress.no), p. 25

8. Deutsche Bahn Call-a-Bike (http://www.callabike.de/i_english.html), p. 27

9. Benihana’s (http://www.benihana.com), p. 28

10. Jiffy-Lube (http://www.jiffylube.com), pp. 28 and 32

11. Magic Castle (http://www.magiccastle.com), p. 29

12. Subway (http://www.subway.com), p. 30

13. Enterprise Rent-a-Car (http://www.enterprise.com), p. 32

14. Delta Airlines (http://www.delta-air.com), p. 32

15. SAS (http://www.scandinavian.net), p. 32

16. JAL Airlines (http://www.jal.com), p. 32

17. Lands’ End (http://www.landsend.com), p. 32

comments on end of chapter exercises

Below are suggested comments and talking points for the exercises found at the end of each chapter in the main text. Students’ answers will vary.

1. Based on the different functions offered by service frameworks, describe how a service experience framework might be of use to the manager of an auto rental business such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car (http://www.enterprise.com).

An approach to answering this question is to first ask students to think about a recent experience with an auto rental business. Next, ask the students to select a service framework described in the chapter and use it to explain, in detail, how the service provider contributed service experience. Finally, ask students to use the service framework and their explanation of the service experience as a basis for providing recommendations for improving or retaining a favorable customer experience.

2. Consider the typical airline company such as Delta (http://www.delta.com/), SAS (http://www.scandinavian.net/) or JAL (http://www.jal.com). Using the theatrical model of the service experience, identify and analyze the theatrical elements of an airline service in flight.

To answer this question, it may be helpful to ask students to first identify all of the essential activities associated with air travel, beginning with ordering a plane ticket and ending with the customer’s departure from the airport at his/her travel destination. Next, ask students to assign each identified activity as either a frontstage activity or backstage activity. Finally, ask students to focus attention on the backstage assigned activities and to explain how the performance of these activities might impair a customer’s air travel experience.

3. Compare and contrast the service experience a hairstyling salon provides for its customers using each of the service frameworks presented in the chapter. Which framework provides the most effective means of understanding the service experience? Why?

When answering this question, ask students to first outline a hairstyling salon experience using each of the service experience frameworks outlined in the chapter. Then ask students to compare the outlines and explain how the outlines are similar or different. Finally, ask students to select the service framework that they believe is the most helpful for understanding customer experience at the hairstyling salon and to explain the reasoning for their choice.

4. Using Figure 2.2 as a guide, develop a servuction framework rendition of the service offered by an oil-change shop such as Jiffy Lube (http://www.jiffylube.com). Be sure to include all components just as they appear in the model.

An expedient approach for answering this question is to have students set up the categories (boxes) depicted in Figure 2.2. Next, ask students to choose a starting point and develop their renditions on an incremental basis. For example, students might first identify the set of benefits that they typically receive when attending an oil-change shop. Then they can work backward to determine how the movie theater helps to produce these benefits. Finally, students can assign these sources (or drivers) of the benefits to the different categories outlined in Figure 2.2.