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10. Research and write a short paper (maximum two typed pages) illustrating an
example of how a company applies concepts of Design for Environment (DfE).
A Google search for “design for environment” results in over 1.5 million hits so
▪Design for environmental processing and manufacturing: This ensures that
raw material extraction (mining, drilling, etc.), processing (processing
reusable materials, metal melting, etc.) and manufacturing are done using
▪Design for environmental packaging: This ensures that the materials used in
packaging are environmentally friendly, which can be achieved through the
▪Design for disposal or reuse: The end-of-life of a product is very important,
because some products emit dangerous chemicals into the air, ground and
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is employed to forecast the impacts of different
(production) alternatives of the product in question, thus being able to choose the
most environmentally friendly. A life cycle analysis can serve as a tool when
11. Choose a servicescape for a business with which you are familiar and list key
physical attributes of the servicescape and their impact on customer service and
value. Explain how the servicescape establishes the behavioral setting for your
example.
The servicescape is all the physical evidence a customer might use to form an
impression. The servicescape also provides the behavioral setting where service
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from one simple structure. More complicated structures and service systems are
termed elaborate servicescape environments. Examples include hospitals,
12. Select a service at your school, such as financial aid, bookstore, curriculum
advising, and so on. Propose a redesign of this service and its service delivery
system. First, baseline the current service and system, and then suggest how to
redesign and improve it. Make use of chapter ideas as best you can.
Most students will certainly understand the flaws in the current systems they
encounter. Students often have better ideas for improvement than the people who
13. Identify a job in an organization and describe how the four elements of service
encounter design are designed and managed for this job. (The job you select
could be in a professional organization such as a dentist or tax advisor, or in a
routine service organization such as a hotel check-in desk clerk or airline flight
attendant.)
The student should focus on the following four service encounter design
elements: (a) customer contact behavior and skills, (b) service-provider selection,
development, and empowerment, (c) recognition and reward, and (d) service
14. When Walt Disney created the Disney empire in the 1950s, he forbid its star
characters such as Mickey Mouse and Pluto to talk. Mr. Disney thought it would
be too difficult to control the service encounters between customers and the
Disney characters, and it would ruin the “magic” of Disney. Therefore, Disney
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Advantages of Disney Characters Talking to Customers
Disadvantages of Disney Characters Talking to Customers
Customers may not like what Disney character says, their tone of voice, local
15. Identify a service-provider job and associated service encounters and design and
write a job description for it. (Consider desired customer contact skills and
behaviors, education and training requirements, empowerment capabilities, hiring
criteria, and so on.)
Student will (and should) select jobs they have experience with such as being a
waiter, bartender, hotel front desk or bell person, retail clerk, bank teller,
receptionist, consultant, call center representative, airline flight attendant, pizza
Teaching Note for Tom’s Auto Service Case
Overview
Tom’s Auto Service (TAS) is a quick service vehicle oil and lubricant change service
much like Jiffy Lube and Tuffy Tire & Auto Service. The case allows the students to
evaluate store managers, standards of performance, employees, facilities and the
overall customer experience based on case information and analysis of survey results.
The chapter supports the analysis of the case by defining
Service delivery system design,
The principal dimensions are:
facility location and layout,
the servicescape,
service process and job design,
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technology and information support systems, and
organizational structure.
Integrating these elements is necessary to design a service that provides value to
customers and can create a competitive advantage. A poor choice on any one of these
components, such as technology or job design, can degrade service system efficiency
and effectiveness.
Service encounter design.
The principal dimensions are:
• customer contact behavior and skills;
These elements are necessary to support excellent performance and create customer
value and satisfaction.
Regardless of how students analyze the survey data, the key issue is whether they
identify the key problem, which is the “lack of adequate service management
training and rewards, and customer interaction skills for auto mechanics.” You
Case Questions and Brief Answers
1. Define and draw the customer benefit package and state TASs mission, strategy,
and rank order of competitive priorities.
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Strategy – Offer friendly customer service in a clean and professional
environment to repair and maintain customer vehicles at multiple service centers.
One ranking of competitive priorities might be
Product Quality #1a
Service Quality #1b
What differentiates TAS from competitors?
2. Identify and briefly describe the “design” features of the (a) service delivery
system and (b) service encounters.
Use the case information to discuss each of the service delivery system and
service encounter design features. For example, TAS facilities score high and are
Peripheral Good
Peripheral
Service
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3. Identify and briefly describe five processes TAS stores use and their relative
importance.
Remember – they have 32 stores – multi-site management and consistent
Hiring process
Promotion process and annual employee reviews
Employee training processes
Employee recognition and reward processes
Parts ordering (purchasing) process
Inventory management process
Green process for disposal of oils and lubricants
4. Given your analysis of the survey data, what opportunities for improvement, if
any, do you recommend?
There is a interaction/communication problem between mechanics and customers.
The mechanics may not realize that their jobs now require more than production
(back office) skills–they now must have service management (front- and back
office) skills. It is not enough for the managers to be good at interacting with
It is also evident that customers like the facility and servicescape. The beverages,
television, current magazines, comfortable sofas and chairs, blue employee
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They do seem to keep their 32 service centers clean and well maintained. They
also have some good standards of performance. The store layouts seem very
5. Summarize you final recommendation to the CEO.
Main recommendation
Everyone – managers and mechanics – need service management skills and
training if they are to differentiate themselves from competitors.
6. Other questions you might discuss
1. What is the service window for this service delivery system? (short, 18 + 9
2. What is the content of a service management-training program? (technical
3. Would you close the window bay so customers cannot see out into the
backroom?
4. How will you handle service upsets? Procedure?
5. Will you allow the customer to go out into the bay (work) area to inspect and
6. Can you use the GAP model in Chapter 15 to evaluate the survey data?
Teaching Plan
Students have experience with this service delivery system so let them begin class by
describing good and bad experiences. Then you can work your way through the case
questions on the board or via student (team) presentations. This case takes 15 to 30
minutes.
TN Exhibit 1 Tom’s Auto
Service
Store Managers
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Average 4.21
Standards of
Performance
Employees
Facilities
Overall Experience
8