BU362 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, The Keg
Document Summary
Service: any intangible offering that cannot be physically possessed. Customer service: specifically refers to human or mechanical activities firms undertake to help satisfy their customer"s needs and wants. Four fundamental differences between marketing of services and marketing of products. Can be thought of as the 4 i"s; intangible, inseparable from their providers, inconsistent (variable) and cannot be held in inventory (perishable) These differences make marketing services much more difficult than marketing products. Intangible: a characteristic of a service; it cannot be touched, tasted, or seen like a pure product can: can"t be touched, tasted or seen like a pure product can. Service providers offer cues to help their customers experience and perceive their service more positively i. e. comfortable chairs to create an appealing atmosphere. Because of the intangibility of services, the images marketers use reinforces the benefit or value that a service provides.
