Chapter 6
Services Marketing
By Boundless
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10450/square/-carrollton-claiborne-nola.jpeg)
The world economy is evolving into a service-driven economy as reliance on value-based service increases.
Firms need to understand their service and their customers to ensure that their services will be viewed as solutions to consumer needs.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10534/square/cabs.jpeg)
Services represent an integral part of many products and the correlation of goods and services is represented on a goods-services continuum.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8730/raw/arketing-metrics-continuum.jpg)
Service marketing management oversees the implementation of marketing programs, while metrics measure their effectiveness and performance.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10566/square/cycling-in-melbourne-2012.jpeg)
The new service development process involves recognizing chances and opportunities in a fast changing technological environment.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10435/square/teaching-and.jpeg)
A defining characteristic of a service is that it is intangible – it is not something physical that you can see, touch, or taste.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10543/square/us-navy-100129-n-9132d-005-sailor-get-hair-cut-aboard-uss-kearsarge.jpeg)
Inseparability is a service characteristic that makes it impossible to disconnect the production of the service from its consumption.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10548/square/n757at-flickr-skinnylawyer.jpeg)
Perishability of services implies that service capacity cannot be stored, saved, returned, or resold once rendered to a customer.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10536/square/big-mac.jpeg)
Heterogeneity, also known as variability, describes the uniqueness of service offerings.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/10439/square/egyptengine.jpeg)
Client-service providers aim to build a level of trust with clients that leads to long lasting buyer-seller relationships.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/12708/square/4000205648-a6c5fd14fc.jpeg)
Due to the nature of services, the implications of product, place, promotion and price are different than in the traditional marketing mix.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/12714/square/3365119009-3303fd984f-m.jpeg)
A formal approach to customer-focused marketing is known as S.I.V.A. (Solution, Information, Value, Access).
Successful businesses work proactively to obtain information from their customers to ensure they are meeting their needs.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/12715/square/rt-au-prince-hotel-olofson.jpeg)
Customers compare the service they 'experience' with what they 'expect' and when it does not match the expectation, a gap arises.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/13842/square/attdevicesupportcenter.jpeg)
The best method of resolving problems - often before they arise - is through the delivery of excellent customer service.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/13836/square/-11-12-20at-209.27.14-20am.jpg)
The core task of a business is to ensure that customers come back, which can be done by delivering excellent service quality.