76. Kayla is the new manager of a resort hotel. She knows from reviewing customer complaints that service quality at the hotel is not consistently
meeting customers’ expectations, and she believes that the biggest problem is that her employees are not sure what is expected of them. To improve
service quality, Kayla will
77. Services marketing managers have learned that more employees will support a quality-oriented process if
78. When corporate headquarters announced new service quality standards for pizza franchise owners, Roland knew he would have trouble gaining
employees’ support because
79. What is the problem associated with service quality standards such as “be nice” or “do what the customers want”?
80. By changing a standard from “be nice to customers” to “greet every customer, and if possible by name,” a services marketing manager has created
a(n) __________ goal.
81. In services marketing, the saying “where the rubber meets the road” refers to whether or not a(n) __________ gap exists.
82. Saltdust Grill is known as the premier restaurant in town. With its elegant dining area, extensive wine list, and gourmet chef, residents and tourists
flock to the restaurant. Recently, Trey took a large group to the Saltdust Grill and almost every diner sent their entrée back to the kitchen. The Saltdust
Grill was experiencing a(n) __________ gap in service quality.
83. A(n) __________ gap exists when a firm knows what it needs to do to meet customers’ service expectations, but sometimes fails to do it.
84. _________ means allowing employees to make decisions about how service is provided to customers.
85. Empowerment is when __________ are authorized to make decisions to help their customers and, as a result, service quality generally improves.
86. Using technology and __________ are two ways a delivery gap can be reduced in size.
87. Empowerment of employees helps address the delivery gap because
88. When Dr. Horton checked in at the Ritz-Carlton, it was 3 a.m. He had been traveling for over 12 hours and was exhausted. His suit, which he needed
for a speech that morning, looked like he had slept in it. Karen, the night clerk, offered to find a 24-hour dry cleaner and have the suit cleaned while Dr.
Horton got a few hours of sleep. Karen’s actions are an example of
89. Empowerment becomes more important when the service is
90. The old cliché “Service with a smile” recognizes the fact that
91. Service providers often encounter rude and unreasonable consumers. Services marketing managers can reduce the delivery gap, even for these
customers, by
92. After observing a customer verbally abuse a server, the first thing a manager can do to ensure quality service is to
93. Managers of fast-food restaurants struggle with a rapid turnover of personnel. Employee turnover rates of 100 to 200 percent annually are common.
The work environment is difficult and customers can often be demanding. One of the first steps managers can take to help workers deliver quality
service is to
94. __________ provides the equipment or systems needed to perform a task in a job setting.
95. Rob was complaining to another member of the lawn crew, “I don’t know how they expect me to do an adequate job. The mower doesn’t work right,
the trimmers are so dull they don’t cut anything, and the rest of the equipment is so old we can’t get parts.” Rob’s company lacks the __________
workers need to be able to do a good job.
96. Today, almost every sales rep can immediately check the company’s inventory and production schedule electronically. This allows sales reps to sell
what is available and make promises to customers that they can keep. This technology has improved service delivery through
97. Although firms such as restaurants have difficulty controlling service quality from day to day, they do have control over
98. If a firm promises more than it can deliver,
99. The __________ gap can be reduced by managing consumers’ expectations and promising only what can be delivered or possibly even a little less.
100. Physicians regularly overstate the expected recovery time from surgery, knowing that managing patients’ expectations will reduce the __________
gap associated with their service.
101. Dopson’s Hardware was in bad financial shape. It owed so much money that vendors put the store on a cash-only delivery basis. As a result, the
store had a dwindling inventory of goods to sell. Whenever a customer asked about an unavailable item, the owner directed the sales staff to say that it
was on backorder and would be in stock next week. When the customer returned, the item was still unavailable. The owner’s policy created a(n)
__________ gap.
102. Effective service recovery entails all of the following except
103. Effective service recovery efforts can lead to all of the following except
104. Sam was called in to meet with his boss, Tricia. He was afraid he was going to be fired for the mistake he had made dealing with an important
customer of the store. Instead, Tricia explained that he had handled the situation well, listening to the customer and finding a fair solution. Tricia told
him that, even more important, working the way he did to correct the error could result in
105. When confronted with an angry and emotional customer, the best first step toward service recovery is to
106. Service employees at the airlines’ flight cancellation desks frequently encounter travelers who get emotional about canceled or delayed flights. The
first thing these employees should do is to
107. When travelers are bumped from overbooked flights, they are frequently offered vouchers good for future travel. The dollar value of the voucher is
the airline’s estimate of
108. Because customers have different needs and expectations, the key to distributive fairness in service recovery is to
109. Randall arrived at the hotel to find that, although he had a guaranteed reservation, the hotel had no rooms available. He became angry when the
hotel made him a reservation at a more expensive hotel but refused to pay the difference in room rates. Randall was upset because, in his opinion, the
hotel’s solution did not incorporate
110. Most customers want to achieve a fair solution following a service failure. All of the following factors affect a person’s perceptions of “fairness” in
these kinds of situations except
111. __________ fairness refers to the perceived fairness of the process with which a firm handles customer complaints.
112. Because of __________, many companies have altered their “no questions asked” return policies to include time limits, “restocking” fees, and
store-credit-only refunds.
113. One of the reasons service failures need to be addressed quickly is to
114. The service dimension called __________ refers to the ability of the firm’s employees to convey trust and confidence.
115. The new hotel manager asked the chef, “Are you sure you know how to cook Beef Wellington?” Which of the service dimensions was the hotel
manager expressing concern about?
116. Monique was looking for a venue for her wedding reception. When she visited one potential location, she noticed that the landscaping was not
complete, and there was stained carpet in the lobby. Which of the service quality building blocks caused Monique to select an alternative venue?
117. When John checked into his Orlando hotel, the front desk clerk informed John that his room would not be ready for another 20 minutes. John didn’t
mind waiting; he had arrived well ahead of the standard check-in time and this wait time fell within his __________, the area between his expectations
regarding desired service and the minimum level of service he will accept.
118. When Jaime arrived at her hotel room and saw that the bed sheets had not been changed from the last hotel guest and there were cockroaches in the
bathroom, she chose to go elsewhere. An undone, bug-infested room was not in Jaime’s __________, which is the difference between what she really
wants and what she will accept before looking for another hotel.
119. All of the following are recommended strategies for service recovery except
120. Barnes & Noble bookstores have computers available for associates to use to search for books requested by customers and to place special orders.
121. One afternoon, the clerk at the customer service desk of a large retail store got bored and started stating different return policies to each customer.
Customers waiting in line and overhearing the different policies would probably feel that the store’s handling of returns lacked
122. Which service gap is the Ritz-Carlton Hotel trying to address when it takes time and spends up to $1,700 to train a new employee?
Essay Questions
123. Why is it important for marketers to pay special attention to providing excellent customer service?
124. Dentists know most consumers are hesitant to use their services, in part because what they provide can be painful or uncomfortable at best, but also
because much of what they provide is intangible. What is intangibility? How can dentists attempt to overcome intangibility aspects of their service?
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125. What are the potential gaps in the Service Gaps Model? What is it designed to do?
126. Garrett was impressed with the service he received at a local wine store. He thought the salesperson was attentive and knowledgeable. His friend
Juanita, who was with him and is very knowledgeable about wine, thought the salesperson was pushy and not well informed. What does this example
suggest about customers’ service expectations?
127. Online reviews of the Paradise Motel by its customers indicate that the motel offered stale food, it advertised babysitting services that were not
readily available, and had an assistant manager with a poor attitude. If you were the new manager of the Paradise Motel, how would you use the five
dimensions of service quality to identify and correct the problems?
128. Flora wants to develop a zone of tolerance analysis for her veterinary practice. What is a zone of tolerance in service quality? What types of
questions would she need to ask to conduct her analysis?
129. The Federal Aviation Administration posts monthly percentage on-time arrival data for all the major airlines on its website. Some airlines are
regularly on the top of the list, while others are frequently on the bottom of the list. What type of service gap does this list illustrate? What can airlines
on the bottom of the list do to address this gap?
130. Most retail stores in the United States do 60 percent or more of their business in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. What can these
stores do to get sales staff to provide “service with a smile” during this stressful part of the year?
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131. Airline passengers in Europe receive much greater monetary compensation when they are bumped due to overbooking than do passengers in the
United States. How do airline passengers determine what is “fair” when there is a service failure?
132. Many states have enacted “lemon” laws providing rights to consumers who purchase cars that need an excessive number of repairs. Service
departments at auto dealerships quickly figure out which new models are going to create problems and often what the problems will be. If you were the
service manager at a dealership, what would you do to address service problems like these?
133. In Europe it is common for hotel guests to ask to see the room before they agree to rent it for the night. Which difference between a service and a
product does this custom help overcome?
134. One professor was known for never teaching the same course the same way twice. Which difference between a product and a service does this
represent? How could the professor use this to his or her advantage?
135. How do airlines and movie theaters overcome the perishability of their services?
136. Jackson manages a men’s styling salon in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. He has trained his sales staff to report comments and requests for services
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the store currently does not offer. Which services gap might this information help reduce?
137. The school Brenda attends has an advising and registration day where students go to a large hall to sign up for classes. The school Taylor attends
assigns each student to an individual faculty member who advises each student through their course of study. Taylor’s school is most likely emphasizing
which of the five dimensions of service quality?
138. How can services marketers use customer complaints to better understand customer expectations?
139. What is the difference between a service standard of “be nice to customers” as compared to a service standard of “greet every customer, and if
possible by name”?
140. Bob’s Motel shows photos of a wide, sandy beach on its website, leading visitors to assume the motel is located on or near the beach. However, in
reality Bob’s Motel is located half a mile from the beach. Which of the service quality gaps does this demonstrate?
141. The Crystal Beach Resort has a five-star rating and wants to keep it that way. The resort has specific standards for service and has trained its
employees to deliver service according to these standards, but even one unhappy customer could endanger the resort’s reputation. What can the manager
do to ensure that frontline employees offer consistent, excellent service to every visitor?
142. When visiting a museum, you would expect to find knowledgeable museum guides who would be able to give you historical information on the
museum’s collections and special exhibitions. If you did not find any trained museum guides to assist you, then the museum has what type of gap?
143. Explain the concepts of distributive fairness and procedural fairness. Give an example of each.
144. What should a service provider do when a customer gets emotional about the service failure?
145. What are some of the outcomes that result from a communication gap?
146. Explain the concepts of emotional support and instrumental support. When are they important?
147. Name three ways a firm can evaluate service quality, and give examples of each.
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148. Debbie spoke to the customer service representative at Sprint Cellular and was told her text messages would be unlimited on her plan. However,
when she got her bill, she had been charged extra for text messages. She called the company back and was told that since she didn’t record the
conversation, they couldn’t verify what she was told and she’d have to pay the bill. Explain which service gap(s) occurred in this instance.
149. What does it mean to say that a service is perishable? Name three services that would be considered perishable.
150. Name a profession in which it might be considered unethical to market one’s services. Explain why.
Professional service providers such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, and consultants depend heavily on consumers’ perceptions of their integrity and
Category # of Questions
AACSB: Analytical Thinking 89
AACSB: Communication 6
AACSB: Ethics 2
AACSB: Knowledge Application 50
AACSB: Technology 3
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation 122
Blooms: Analyze 4
Blooms: Apply 53
Blooms: Remember 36
Blooms: Understand 57
Difficulty: 1 Easy 37
Difficulty: 2 Medium 59
Difficulty: 3 Hard 54
Learning Objective: 13-01 Describe how the marketing of services differs from the marketing of products. 35
Learning Objective: 13-02 Discuss the four gaps in the Service Gaps Model. 55
Learning Objective: 13-03 Examine the five service quality dimensions. 20
Learning Objective: 13-04 Explain the zone of tolerance. 18
Learning Objective: 13-05 Identify three service recovery strategies. 22
Topic: Enhancing Customer Satisfaction 110
Topic: Services Marketing 40