Chapter 8: Involving the Guest: The Co-Creation of Value
TRUE/FALSE
1. An important step in managing guests as quasi-employees is to carefully and completely define the
roles you want guests to play.
2. Hospitality organizations can entirely rely on highly paid, experienced, and well-trained sales
representatives to represent the company.
3. Quick-serve restaurants expect more co-production of the guest experience than fine-dining
restaurants.
4. Guests who serve as “consultants” to hospitality organizations usually receive a modest consulting fee.
5. George Tilyou’s idea of co-production at Steeplechase Park was never to embarrass any guests in front
of other guests.
6. Other guests can be part of the service environment.
7. When guests serve themselves, they are usually helping the organization to save on its labor costs.
8. If a hotel allows its restaurant guests to make their own reservations by touch-screen television, that is
an example of co-production.
9. If guests co-produce their own experiences, service failures are always more likely.
10. Co–production usually increases the time required for service.
11. To cut costs, all organizations should require guest participation.
12. An organization changing from full-service to co-production would probably have to make changes in
its delivery system.
13. Some guests resent having to co-produce any part of the experience for which they are paying.
14. Guests can be allowed or encouraged to co-produce their own experiences if they have the necessary
knowledge, skills, and abilities.
15. Most guest experiences can succeed only if the guest participates in co-producing them.
16. Guests have less contact with service personnel than the organization’s own supervisors do.
17. Most guests are willing to give feedback to servers about the quality of the service being provided.
18. The constant monitoring by guests of the service being provided is a positive influence on service
quality.
19. Guests can learn to co-produce the experience from hospitality employees and from other guests.
20. Co–production is in the organization’s interest when it can save money, increase production efficiency,
or differentiate its services from those of competitors.
21. How long an experience feels to a guest is as important as how long the experience actually is.
22. The amount of control over the quality, value, risk, or efficiency of the experience that guests think
they have by participating is not as important in determining the value of participation as the actual
control guests have.
23. Letting guests participate can build guest commitment and repeat business.
24. The two strategies to invite guests to participate are either to let the organization’s market segment
know that everyone entering the service setting must provide some of the service themselves or to
segment the service process so that guests entering the service setting can choose to participate or not.
25. No matter what, the customer is always right.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
26. Which of the following is NOT part of the three-step strategy for managing quasi-employees
recommended by Benjamin Schneider and David Bowen?
a.
Make sure guests know exactly what you expect them to do.
b.
Direct the guest as forcefully and harshly as possible.
c.
Once task performance is underway, evaluate the guest’s ability and willingness to
perform well.
d.
Carefully and completely define the roles you want guests to play.
27. Co–producing guests do NOT typically serve as
a.
capacity planners.
b.
trainers of other guests.
c.
supervisors.
d.
unpaid consultants.
28. Which of the following is an advantage the organization gains by having guests co-produce their
experience?
a.
reduction of employee costs
b.
improved use of employee talents
c.
both a and b.
d.
none of the above
29. An advantage of co-production for the guest is
a.
it decreases the opportunity for service failure.
b.
it reduces the time required for service.
c.
it reduces the risk of unpleasant surprises.
d.
all of the above
30. Which of the following is a disadvantage of co-production for the organization?
a.
legal risk
b.
extra money to train customer contact employees
c.
Extra effort in making the service delivery system and service environment user friendly
d.
all of the above
31. Which of the following is the MOST SERIOUS disadvantage of guest co-production for the
organization?
a.
It increases legal risk.
b.
It increases training costs.
c.
It requires changes in the service environment.
d.
It requires changes in the delivery system.
32. Involving guests in service delivery usually has little if any impact on
a.
organization costs.
b.
the layout of the service setting.
c.
front-of-the-house cleanliness.
d.
back-of-the-house cleanliness.
33. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of co-production for guests?
a.
Paying guests may resent having to produce any part of that for which they are paying.
b.
Guests may fail to co-produce the service.
c.
Guests may not care about the service.
d.
Guests may be dissatisfied if they get less personal care.
34. Guests can be motivated to participate in co-producing their own experience when
a.
they must participate to have the experience.
b.
they can see financial benefits in participation.
c.
their personalities fit in with co-production.
d.
all of the above.
35. The more ________ guests are regarding the organization, the more qualified they are to provide
technical feedback.
a.
interested
b.
familiar
c.
caring
d.
dissatisfied
36. An unhappy guest telling an employee that the employee is not providing the service properly is
performing a
a.
public service.
b.
random act of kindness.
c.
supervisory function.
d.
rude communication.
37. Generally speaking, co-producing the service is in the interest of guests when they can do which of the
following?
a.
gain value
b.
reduce risk
c.
improve the quality of the experience
d.
all of the above
38. Which of the following is NOT a reason for an organization to use co-production?
a.
to save money
b.
to increase production efficiency
c.
to let its workers rest
d.
to differentiate its service from those of competitors
39. Why do guests accept or favor co-production?
a.
They think it gives them some control over value.
b.
They think it saves them time.
c.
They think it gives them some control over quality.
d.
All of the above.
40. Organizations can also use guest participation as part of a _________ strategy.
a.
loss leader
b.
product differentiation
c.
incentive
d.
none of the above
41. The organization sometimes lets guests co-produce their own experience
a.
to increase production efficiency.
b.
as a differentiation strategy.
c.
to keep frontline servers from being overworked.
d.
to enhance the environment for guests who choose not to co-produce.
42. Thinking of guests as quasi-employees means that the hospitality organization must
a.
establish a fair pay scale for them.
b.
consider establishing retirement programs for them.
c.
define carefully the KSAs required of them.
d.
invite the best of them to company picnics.
43. When a guest is fired
a.
there was a guest failure.
b.
there was an organizational failure.
c.
there was no failure.
d.
both a and b.
44. If “firing” a guest becomes necessary, the organization should
a.
make the firing public so everyone can learn from the example.
b.
try to preserve the guest’s dignity.
c.
let the guest decide when to leave.
d.
ignore the other guests or employees who were offended
45. The more guests do for themselves in co-creating their experiences,
a.
the less the organization has to do for them
b.
the more important it is for the organization to make the guest role in co-production clear
c.
the fewer employees the organization will have to hire
d.
all of the above.
46. When a guest offers the organization feedback about the service experience, he/she is acting as a
a.
manager
b.
quality consultant
c.
co-producer.
d.
marketer.
47. A guest can help co-create another guest’s experience by
a.
instructing the guest on how to wait in line.
b.
being part of the service environment.
c.
joining in a sing-along.
d.
all of the above.
48. In most hospitality experiences, a guest will
a.
always be required to co-produce at least some part of the experience
b.
always have the option of letting someone else do everything in the experience.
c.
always be allowed to do everything the guest wants to do for himself/herself.
d.
none of the above.
49. One of the most important things an organization must do to prepare for guest co-production is
a.
define the role the guest must play.
b.
define the necessary KSAs for co-producing
c.
conduct a performance review while co-producing to ensure success
d.
All of the above.
50. In deciding how much of a role the guest should play in co-producing an experience,
a.
the organization must decide.
b.
the guest must decide.
c.
both must make the decision as to how much co-production will occur
d.
the choice is mandated by local law.