MKTG 4411: Services Marketing 1

TRU Open Learning
Assignment 2: Build a Services Blueprint
This assignment examines Provider Gap 2 by evaluating the service design your
chosen firm uses, whether standards are company- or customer-based, and the
appropriateness of physical evidence used to create the servicescape. In
Assignment 2, you will analyze Provider Gap 2 (not having the right service
designs and standards—refer to Figure 2.3 in the textbook) and the total
environment or servicescape in which services are delivered at your chosen firm.
Developing a blueprint of the organization, you will analyze service design and
provide recommendations for improving service delivery. Finally, you will examine
the physical evidence the firm uses to create the total servicescape.
This assignment will be marked out of 100 and is worth 10 per cent of your final
grade in the course.
Instructions
Write an 8- to 12-page, double-spaced report as outlined following. Make sure you
indicate all your sources, including websites and personal interviews with your
chosen firm. Use APA reference style.
Introduction
? Introduce the role of the servicescape in the delivery of services and Provider
Gap 2. Outline how you will evaluate service design, service delivery, service
standards, and the use of physical evidence in creating the servicescape.
Service Blueprint
? Based on your own observations and interactions, document the flow of
service experiences in the firm you chose as a service blueprint, following the
six steps shown in Figure 8.8 of the textbook. If the service offers multiple or
complex services, blueprint the primary service.
Note
Interviewing one or more employees at the firm you chose is not a
requirement to complete this assignment, but you may find it helpful to
interview employees or refer back to previous interview notes you have.
? You may find PowerPoint helpful in drawing your service blueprint. Attach
your blueprint to this assignment as an appendix.
2 Assignment 2
TRU Open Learning
? Using your blueprint diagram, analyze the firm’s service design and delivery
process, referring to benefits and use of service blueprinting near the bottom
of page 240 of the text.
? Remember, “one of the most important ways to avoid Provider Gap 2 is to
clearly design services without oversimplification, incompleteness,
subjectivity, and bias” (p. 39 of the textbook).
? Identify at least three improvements and redraw the relevant part of the
service blueprint, with all your changes.
Company and Customer-Defined Standards
? List service standards your selected firm uses, separating company-defined
from customer-defined standards. For customer-defined standards, identify
hard and soft standards. Refer to hard measurements and soft measurements
in Exhibit 9.1 and 9.2of the textbook. Draft one additional hard and soft
measure each for this list.
? Evaluate the process your firm uses to create standards, referring to Figure
9.2 in the course textbook. Comment on how effective you think the firm’s
process is for (1) determining service standards, (2) creating service quality
goals, (3) tracking those goals, and (4) providing feedback to employees.
Suggest improvements where necessary.
? Provide examples of service quality goals your chosen services firm utilizes.
Do you believe these goals are effective in delivering the quality of services
the firm’s customers expect?
? In your opinion, do the current standards and goals increase or decrease
Provider Gap 2? Support your position.
Physical Evidence and the Servicescape
? Examine the physical evidence used by the firm in creating its
servicescape— wherever you can, provide examples such as print
communication pieces, Internet pages, or photos of the physical
surroundings. Discuss the congruency of the physical evidence and the
service standards.
? Describe your firm’s servicescape. Discuss the dimensions of ambient
conditions, spatial layout and functionality, and signs, symbols and artifacts,
referring to Figure 10.1 in the textbook. Comment on the overall perceived
servicescape your selected organization creates through these aspects.
MKTG 4411: Services Marketing 3
TRU Open Learning
? Comment on the impact you believe the current physical evidence and
servicescape has on customers. Identify at least three changes you would
recommend to the firm.
? How does the servicescape contribute to Provider Gap 2 in the firm you
chose?
Conclusion
? Write your conclusions about the firm’s standards, service delivery, and use
of physical evidence in creating an effective or ineffective servicescape.
Summarize your conclusions regarding Provider Gap 2 and about how the
firm could narrow this gap.
Appendix Service Blueprint
? Attach the service blueprint(s) for your chosen service firm as an appendix.
Utilize PowerPoint or other drawing programs to create your blueprint and
attach to Assignment 2. Scanned hand drawings are also acceptable,
providing they can be clearly read onscreen.
Note
Make sure that you indicate all your sources, including websites and personal
interviews with your chosen firm.
Section Marking Scheme
Section Page Length Marks (out of 100)
Introduction ½ page 5
Service Blueprint 3–5 pages 40
Company- and Customer-Defined
Standards
2–3 pages 20
Physical Evidence and the
Servicescape
2–3 pages 20
Conclusion ½ page 5
Presentation 10
Appendix 1–3 pages Original service blueprint
Redrafted blueprint
4 Assignment 2
TRU Open Learning
Note
Appendix pages do not contribute to total page count for Assignment 2.
Criteria for Evaluating Assignments
The following criteria will form the basis for evaluating your assignment:
Content
? Address key points by demonstrating your knowledge skills and
perspectives on the topic.
? Where applicable, demonstrate connections between your learning and actual
business practices and processes.
Originality
? Use reflective, logical, and rational thinking to gather, combine, process,
interpret, and analyze the information in order to develop a reasonable
conclusion.
Presentation and Structure
? Ensure that material presented is organized and clear.
Writing Guidelines
Remember that you will be judged by the quality of your work, which, in this case,
will be your report. The writing guidelines that follow will assist you with the
quality of your written work, including writing style and format:
? Paragraphs are unified, developed, and coherent, with transitions between
ideas.
? Sentences are grammatically correct; words are chosen for accuracy and
impact.
? Writing follows the conventions of spelling and mechanics (punctuation,
etc.).
? Documentation follows APA style accurately and consistently.
? Assignment is submitted in MS Word and uses 12-point Verdana or Arial
font.
MKTG 4411: Services Marketing 5
TRU Open Learning
Completion and Submission Guidelines
Please take a few minutes to review these assignment submission guidelines:
? Ensure that you have answered all parts of each of the assigned questions.
Create proper headings in each section. Do not repeat the questions in the
paper.
? Rather than “stockpiling” your assignments, you should submit them in the
order they are assigned so that you can use feedback from your Open
Learning Faculty Member to improve your performance on subsequent
assignments.
? Please prepare and submit all assignments in MS Word—submit in 12-point
Times New Roman or Arial font; use double line spacing and APA style.
? Name your Word file as follows: Course Number_lastname_A Number.
Thus, if your name is John Smith and you are submitting Assignment 1, you
would name it MKTG 4411_Smith_A1.
? Do not use red font colour or Track Changes in your assignments, as your
Open Learning Faculty Member’s comments will be in that colour.