40) Which of the following is an example of a gap between service delivery and external
communications?
A) The employees at GBL have been asked to take time to listen to customers, but they must
serve them fast as well.
B) Amanda chose to shop at Alison’s Fashions because the store’s website offered on-the-spot
alterations. However, when she did buy a dress, she had to wait a week to get it altered.
C) Customers at LUX appreciate the personalized services the salespeople offer, but do not like
the store design.
D) Clearwater Spa attendants are well-trained in massage therapy and the services they offer, but
customers rarely return because they don’t like the attendants’ impersonal service.
E) When sales dropped, Styx modernized its stores in order to retain customers, but didn’t realize
that the product quality was the main problem.
41) Ellen came across an ad for a new restaurant which promised authentic French cuisine. When
she ate there, however, she was disappointed to find that the food was mediocre and not very
authentic. Which of the following gaps of service performance does this demonstrate?
A) gap between service-quality specifications and service delivery
B) gap between perceived service and expected service
C) gap between service delivery and external communications
D) gap between consumer expectation and management perception
E) gap between management perception and service-quality specification
42) When Aaron went to his doctor for his annual checkup, he was asked to undergo a number of
tests. Although the doctor assured Aaron that the tests were routine, Aaron thinks that the doctor
is hiding a grave problem from him. What kind of a gap is apparent here?
A) gap between perceived service and expected service
B) gap between service delivery and external communications
C) gap between service-quality specifications and service delivery
D) gap between management perception and service-quality specification
E) gap between consumer expectation and management perception
43) The most important determinant of service quality is ________ which refers to the ability to
perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
A) empathy
B) assurance
C) responsiveness
D) reliability
E) tangibles
44) The customer service representatives at G.K.’s customer service center must know as much
about the products as possible, so that they can help the customers solve their difficulties without
sounding hesitant or unsure of themselves. Which of the following determinants of service
quality are they being asked to demonstrate?
A) responsiveness
B) assurance
C) empathy
D) reliability
E) tangibility
45) Josh gets his bike serviced at Dean’s Garage even though there’s another garage much closer
home. He prefers Dean’s because the work is usually done quickly and the staff try to solve the
issues with the bike as soon as possible. Dean’s Garage excels at which of the following five
determinants of service quality?
A) reliability
B) responsiveness
C) assurance
D) empathy
E) tangibles
46) The ________ determinant of service quality refers to the knowledge and courtesy of
employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence in the service they provide.
A) conscientious
B) assurance
C) empathy
D) reliability
E) responsiveness
47) Leo’s manager has asked him and his teammates to demonstrate caring towards customers.
They are instructed to learn the customers’ names, and use the customers’ names while
interacting with them. Repeat customers should get special attention, and the team members
should remember their preferences and habits. The manager is asking the team to be ________.
A) assuring
B) candid
C) empathetic
D) reliable
E) responsive
48) Gloria goes to the same bagel shop every morning because the workers there remember her
name and know her order. They always make her feel welcome. The employees of this bagel
shop excel at which of the following determinants of service quality?
A) reliability
B) responsiveness
C) assurance
D) empathy
E) tangibles
49) The zone of ________ is a range where a service dimension is deemed satisfactory, anchored
by the minimum level consumers are willing to accept and the level they believe can and should
be delivered.
A) immunity
B) tolerance
C) reliability
D) assurance
E) flexibility
50) Regular maintenance and repair costs are known as ________.
A) service contract costs
B) out-of-pocket costs
C) fixed costs
D) facilitating services costs
E) value-augmentation costs
51) The product’s purchase cost plus the discounted cost of maintenance and repair less the
discounted salvage value gives the ________.
A) service warranty cost
B) out-of-pocket cost
C) life-cycle cost
D) facilitating services cost
E) value-augmentation cost
52) Expensive equipment manufacturers not only install the equipment but also train the staff
and undertake the maintenance and repair activities of the equipment. By doing so, they are
providing ________.
A) payment equity
B) value-augmenting services
C) differential pricing
D) facilitating services
E) a primary service package
53) When Johnson Controls reached beyond its climate control equipment and components
business to manage integrated facilities by offering products and services that optimize energy
use, it was said to be providing ________.
A) facilitating services
B) a primary service package
C) value-augmenting services
D) service contracts
E) service warranties
54) The private non-profit sector is a provider of services.
55) A service is essentially intangible.
56) The production of a service is never tied to a physical product.
57) Soap is an example of a pure tangible good.
58) Salt is an example of a hybrid.
59) A hybrid consists of unequal parts of goods and services, with services being in the majority.
60) The search qualities of a service are the characteristics the buyer can evaluate before
purchase.
61) Credence qualities of a service are difficult to evaluate before purchase, but easy to evaluate
after consumption.
62) Services have five distinctive characteristics, one of these being “pure service.”
64) Service companies try to demonstrate their service qualities through physical evidence and
presentation.
65) A service provider can work with larger groups to get around the limitations of
inseparability.
66) The quality of services is independent of who provides them.
67) Customers want unbundled services, with separate prices for each service element and the
right to select the elements they want.
68) External marketing describes the training and motivation required by employees in order to
properly serve the customers.
69) Interactive marketing describes the employees’ skill in serving the client.
70) Clients judge service not only by its technical quality but also by its functional quality.
71) If the length of the downtime increases, the cost incurred decreases.
72) A product’s purchase cost plus the discounted cost of maintenance and repair less the
discounted salvage value is known as the product’s activity cost.
73) Out-of-pocket costs are what the customer spends on regular maintenance and repair costs.
74) List and briefly explain with examples the five categories of service offerings.
75) List and briefly explain the four distinctive characteristics of services.
76) List three steps that service firms can take to increase quality control over services and
reduce variability.
77) The service-quality model highlights the main requirements for delivering high service
quality. Which are the five gaps that cause unsuccessful delivery?
78) Fingerpainted organizes art camps and craft activities for children. The company has noticed
that demand is highest during summer vacations and drops during the year. What can
Fingerpainted do to attract customers at other times of year?