Services Marketing Ch. 14

Front 1

Gap 4:

Back 1

Service delivery-external communications to customers

Front 2

5 factors leading to gap 4:

Back 2

1. Lack of integrated services marketing communications (external communication is viewed as independent, absence of strong internal marketing program)

2. Ineffective management of customer expectations (not educating customers or managing customer expectations)

3. Overpromising

4. Inadequate horizontal communication (prices and policies)

5. Inappropriate pricing

Front 3

2 areas of internal marketing communications:

Back 3

Vertical and horizontal communications

Front 4

4 areas of external marketing communications:

Back 4

Advertising, sales promo, public relations, and direct marketing

Front 5

5 areas of interactive marketing:

Back 5

Personal selling, customer service center, service encounters, social media, and services cape

Front 6

Integrated service communications

Back 6

A strategy that carefully integrates all external and internal communication channels to present a consistent message to customers

Front 7

Integrated service communications means coordination across: (4)

Back 7

1. Sales and service people

2. Print

3. Internet

4. Other forms of tangible communication including the services cape

Front 8

What is the goal of every communication channel?

Back 8

To deliver service greater than or equal to promises

Front 9

What are the 5 major approaches to outcome service communication channels:

Back 9

1. Address service intangibility

2. Manage service promises

3. Manage customer expectations

4. Manage customer education

5. Manage internal marketing communication

Front 10

2 approaches for managing service promises:

Back 10

1. Create a strong service brand

2. Coordinate external communication

Front 11

5 approaches for managing customer expectations:

Back 11

1. Make realistic promises

2. Offer service guarantees

3. Offer choices

4. Create tiered-value service offerings

5. Communicate the criteria and levels of service effectiveness

Front 12

3 approaches for managing customer education:

Back 12

1. Prepare customers for the service process

2. Confirm performance to standards and expectations

3. Clarify expectations after the sale

Front 13

6 approaches for managing internal marketing communication:

Back 13

1. Create effective vertical communication

2. Create effective horizontal communication

3. Sell the brand inside the company

4. Create effective upward communication

5. Align back office and support personnel with external customers through interaction or measurement

6. Create cross functional teams

Front 14

What are the 3 best practices for closing the communication gap?

Back 14

1. Employing integrated service marketing communication strategies around everything and everyone that sends a message or signal

2. Manage customer expectations effectively throughout the experience

3. Develop mechanisms for internal communication to avoid over promising and ensure successful delivery