Susan Munro, a final-year business student, utilizes a variety of services throughout her busy day. Unfortunately, due to working late on a big paper, Susan overslept the following morning in her apartment shared with three other students. Regrettably, when she woke up, her roommates had already left for their early classes. After swiftly showering and dressing, Susan quickly brewed herself a cup of coffee. However, she made the decision to skip her usual bowl of cereal and instead planned on grabbing a bagel at school.
Concerned about the threatening weather, she went online to check the local forecast. The forecast indicated rain, prompting her to pick up an umbrella before departing her apartment and heading to the bus stop for her daily university commute. En route, she mailed a letter and boarded the bus, encountering the familiar driver who warmly greeted her as she presented her monthly pass. Due to its high occupancy of students and office employees, she had to stand during the journey. Upon reaching her stop, Susan disembarked and walked to the School of Business.
Feeling hungry, she went to the small food stand in the main lobby that was cheerfully decorated. In the far corner, the attendant answered her question and apologized for just selling the last of the bagels. They were waiting for more French Roast and offered decaf as an alternative. Susan was disappointed, but she couldn’t wait as her class was about to start. She joined a crowd of other students and took a seat in the large classroom where her finance class was held. The professor delivered a 75-minute lecture in a near monotone, occasionally using a large screen to display charts for certain calculations.
Feeling tired, Susan thought that it would be more convenient if the course was delivered online or through recorded DVDs. However, she enjoyed the marketing course that came after, as the professor encouraged active dialogue with the students. Susan actively participated in the discussions and gained knowledge from listening to others. Later, she had lunch with three friends at the updated Student Union.
The old cafeteria has been replaced by a new food court that is bright and vibrant. The old cafeteria was dim and uninviting, with overpriced and unappetizing food. In contrast, the new food court offers a wide range of dining options from local suppliers to well-known fast-food chains. These options include sandwiches, ethnic foods, salads, and various desserts.
Although Susan initially wanted a sandwich, she decided to join her friends at Burger King instead because there was a long line at the sandwich shop. Afterward, she treated herself to a caffe latte from the nearby Hav-a-Java coffee stand.
The food court was crowded today, possibly due to the rain. They had to clear off dirty trays at their table. Mark called the previous customers lazy slobs. After lunch, Susan stopped at an ATM to withdraw money with her card. She called her hairdresser after being reminded of her job interview and was able to schedule an appointment later in the day due to a cancellation by another client.
Leaving the student union, she hurried through the rainy plaza to the Language Department. In anticipation of her upcoming Business Spanish class, she dedicated an hour in the language lab, viewing an intriguing video of customers shopping at various stores, and then practicing by listening to and repeating her own recorded voice. “My accent is definitely improving!” she exclaimed silently. With her final class concluded and Spanish phrases resonating in her mind, Susan embarked on a visit to the hairdresser. She appreciated the salon, adorned with vibrant and fashionable decor and having a well-presented and amiable staff.
Unfortunately, the wait for the cutter took 20 minutes, during which Susan reviewed a chapter for tomorrow’s human resources course. Other customers waiting also read magazines provided by the store. Eventually, it was time for a shampoo and the stylist suggested a slightly different cut, which Susan agreed to. However, she refused the suggestion to lighten her hair color. Throughout the process, Susan sat still, watching herself in the mirror and following instructions to turn her head. She was happy with the outcome and praised the cutter for her work.
After completing a 40-minute procedure involving the shampooing of her hair, Susan paid and tipped the stylist before heading to the reception desk. Upon leaving the establishment, she observed that the rain had ceased and the sun was now shining. Opting to walk home, Susan made a brief stop at the cleaners to retrieve her garments. Unfortunately, she found the store to be dimly lit, emitting an unpleasant odor of cleaning solvents, and in dire need of repainting. To compound matters further, although her silk blouse was available as promised, her interview suit was not prepared. The assistant with unkempt nails offered insincere apologies devoid of eye contact.
Despite the convenience and high quality of work at the store, Susan found the employees to be unfriendly and unhelpful. Later in her apartment lobby, she retrieved the mail for herself and her roommates. Along with her own mail, she received a quarterly bill from her insurance company that required no action since she had authorized automatic deductions from her bank account. Furthermore, she received a postcard from her optometrist reminding her to schedule a new eye exam.
Susan recalled that she had to make a phone call to arrange an appointment for her prescribed contact lens prescription. While getting rid of some unwanted mail, she noticed a flyer for a recently opened dry-cleaning store that included a coupon providing a discount. Intrigued by the offer, Susan decided to test out this new place and saved the coupon. Later on, it was Susan’s responsibility to cook dinner. She went into the kitchen, switched on the light, and started looking through the refrigerator and cupboards in search of ingredients. Regrettably, she discovered there was hardly any food accessible.
Maybe she would make a salad and call for home delivery of a large pizza.
STUDY QUESTIONS 1. Identify each of the services that Susan Munro has used or is planning to use. Categorize them according to the nature of the underlying process. 2. What needs is she attempting to satisfy in each instance? 3. What proportion of these services: (a) involve self-service, (b) some degree of customer involvement with the production process, and/or (c) dependence on the service provider? Where do you see more potential for self-service and what would be the implications for customer and supplier? . What similarities and differences are there between the dry-cleaning store and the hair salon? What could each learn from studying the other? ANSWERS & ANALYSIS: 1. Identify each of the services that Susan Munro has used or is planning to use. Categorize them according to the nature of the underlying process. This is the list of services Susan had used and is planning to use. The services were classified based on the nature of the underlying processes it takes to take effect, namely; People processing, Possession processing, Mental stimulus processing, and Information processing.
People process various activities and services. Examples of physical activities include staying in an apartment, taking a bus trip, visiting a food stand or food court, going to a hair salon, and seeing an optometrist. During these activities, people may also deal with the processing of possessions, such as using water service for showering, handling mail (sending or receiving letters from the Insurance company), utilizing dry-cleaning services (including present and future service providers), and turning on kitchen lights for electricity service. Additionally, mental stimulus processing involves checking the weather forecast, pursuing education, using the telephone for communication purposes. Lastly, information processing includes accessing the internet, using an ATM, managing insurance matters, and handling bank account-related tasks.
What needs is she trying to fulfill in each case? Susan is trying to fulfill the following needs in each case:
- Apartment – accommodation
- Water services – for showering (for hygiene purposes)
- Internet – for weather information
- Weather forecast – to prepare for possible precautions
- Mail – communication
- Bus trip – transportation
- Food stand (bagels) – hunger
- Education – to gain knowledge and job opportunities for the future
- Food court (burger and a caffe latte) – to satisfy hunger and thirst
- ATM – to withdraw money Telephone services- to schedule an appointment with her stylist Hair salon- to enhance her appearance Banking- convenient access to her financial assets Dry cleaning- to take care of her belongings for her own hygiene Insurance- protection of her assets Optometrist (eye exam)- eye health Electricity service-providing light Pizza delivery-easier way to satisfy hunger for herself and her roommates
3. What proportion of these services:
(a) involve self-service,
(b) involve some degree of customer participation in the production process,
and/or (c) depend on the service provider?
On the supplier’s side, which is the school, enhancing the quality of their service would be possible. Furthermore, they could contribute to the implementation of the policy by offering access to facilities for viewing the materials.
There are some similarities and differences between the dry-cleaning store and the hair salon. By studying each other, they can learn valuable lessons. Both the hair salon and dry-cleaning services involve producing tangible changes after providing their service. However, it is important to note that they cater to different customers.
The dry cleaning store specializes in possession processing service, with the aim of transforming dirty clothes. On the other hand, the hair salon focuses on people processing, specifically making a transformation on Susan. In terms of involvement with the service process, these two entities are vastly different. Susan must physically be present and actively participate in the hair salon by cooperating with the stylist and making decisions about her hair’s outcome. In contrast, her only role in the dry cleaning shop is to bring in her clothes and pick them up later.
Both the hair salon and the dry-cleaning shop have a common issue in their service delivery – a lack of timeliness. The hair salon is often late with their stylists, while Susan’s suit at the dry-cleaning shop is not ready for pickup at the scheduled time. The dry-cleaning shop can learn from the hair salon’s emphasis on establishing a strong physical representation. Offering good service is important, but it is also crucial to monitor and improve the overall image of the establishment.
Both the dry-clean shop and the hair salon should prioritize their employees’ hygiene and customer service attitude. While the salon can learn from the dry-cleaning shop’s mistakes, they should also focus on maintaining or improving their own customer service and the overall appearance of the establishment. Failing to do so may result in a loss of new customers and the potential departure of loyal ones.
