Service Encounter Journal
Assignment
MKTG-211 3M
Professor: Peter Jurczak
Journal Paper and Journal Entries 1-10
By: Nadia Pellew
2/28/2012
Journal Paper
The worst service encounter that I experienced was a phone call from the company
Magi Seal. The previous week I made an appointment with Magi Seal to apply a stain guard on
my couch that was purchased a couple months ago. Due to being in school, I missed their
phone call and after class decided to return the call when I reached home. As I return the call I
follow through a few voice prompts that eventually led me to a representative. I informed her
that I had a missed call from their establishment and she asked for my name to bring up the file
on her screen.
Then she told me that unfortunately they made a mistake and entered the
wrong date when a serviceman would be in my area to apply the stain guard. I told the
representative that this appointment was made two weeks ago, why the company didn’t
inform me earlier. The representative dismissed my question but began to ask if the new date
that they were available to come is ok with me. I told them I have school during the week, if
they can come on the weekends. She advised they did not come out on the weekends and
suggested that I have the treatment done in the evening. The next available appointment in
the evening was Tuesday between 6-9pm, two week from now. I asked why it would take
another two weeks to get the stain guard on my couch. I also asked if Magi Seal would be
responsible for any stains in the couch, but the representative ensured that any damage
caused, Magi Seal would be held liable. She confirmed the date with me once again before
thanking me for booking the appointment and ending the call.
There were a couple areas that I believe this company should focus on based on my
service encounter. The most important service failure I faced in this encounter was provider
gap 4. I did not get what I was promised; in this case the stain guard applied to my couch that
day. When I contacted Magi Seal they let me know that there was a mistake with the time a
serviceman was going to be in the area.
That error was made two weeks before my
appointment date and this was when the call was first initiated; yet they contacted me hours
on the day of the appointment to let me know. When I asked the employee how come it took
so long to let me know and to rebook another appointment, she ignored my question
completely and started suggesting new dates when the serviceman would be in my area. To
make it worse, the representative I spoke within this encounter did not even apologize on
behalf of the company. The employee just stated that there was a mistake with the times a
serviceman would be in the area. She did not say sorry for the error, in fact she dismissed two
questions that I asked her.
Leon’s Furniture, which I wrote about previously in my service journal, is the company that
hired Magi Seal for their stain guard applications. Since I already had a bad experience with
Leon’s sending me a damaged couch and taking about a month to rectify that problem with a
new one. My zone of tolerance was narrow because of the previous bad experience with
Leon’s; now a company that Leon’s chose to represent them for the stain guard did not meet
my expectations at all.
I have a few recommendations that I believe would have closed provider gap 4 for Magi
Seal. First, the representative that initiated the call and made the original appointment should
verify with their internal resources first before relaying information to a customer. The
company has documents that show where the servicemen are being dispatched daily. If the
employee information is in an electronic form, then Magi Seal can update their programs and
their internal records and have it connected to all departments. If the representative checked
the serviceman schedule, then another appointment date would have been made, thus leaving
me not to expect any service that day. The employee suggested to me a Wednesday between
12-3pm; this fit nicely with my schedule. Unfortunately for me, the case was that it took them
almost two weeks to recognize this error and let me know. This is unacceptable, two hours
before my treatment I find out that it has been cancelled. The company could have done a
better job of being aware of changes, such as what area a serviceman might be on a particular
day. I was looking forward to not worrying about what may spill on my couch, knowing that I
had the stain guard protection that I paid for. There has been some miscommunication
between the Representatives and the Serviceman at Magi Seal, or in other words the horizontal
communication of the employees. The company should have a way of keeping all employees
informed internally and externally so that all employees are on the same page; following the
same rules and regulations. Once a month hold a meeting for all employees and have
information sessions about what is new or updated in each department; all departments should
learn what is going on in service. If this was implemented, employees can be informed about
what is going on in every aspect of the company not just relating to their job description.
Lastly, to close Gap 3 Not delivering to service standards was definitely evident in this service
encounter. The representative did not apologize for the service error that was created by their
company.
This was first thing I would expect the representative to tell me before she
attempted to rectify the situation. The representative in this encounter was dismissive; she
ignored two direct questions that I asked her without a response. The company should hire
employees that are customer service oriented. These employees come with past experience of
how to treat a customer in respect to courtesies and acknowledging questions or requests
asked by a customer. The only assurance I was given was if a stain happens before they come,
they would take care of it. I appreciated the service guarantee but I had to ask about it, she did
not volunteer that offer to me. This company did not do an adequate job of closing their
provider gaps.
Unfortunately, due to this encounter, I am no longer interested in anything
Leon’s Furniture has to offer along with Magi Seal in the future.
A turnaround from the negative to the positive; I had a really good service encounter
that led me to be brand or in this case company loyal.
The company that did the best job
overall in regards to service marketing would have to be Nice One Nails Salon. Nice One Nails
impressed me with their overall service. This was the first time going to this company but I
heard about their great quality of work and how nice the establishment through positive word
of mouth and I decided to try them out. I had an event coming up and I thought it would be a
perfect time to get my nails done. I was greeted from the first time I entered their store. It was
not busy so the employee escorted me to a chair where she proceeded to adjust the water for
my feet to soak. She asked me if the water was too hot, but it was just fine. After about 10
minute soaking she then started to remove dead layers of skin and cuticle from around my feet
and nails. This employee also gave me a foot massage when she was complete and also did a
good job of painting my nails. Another 15 minutes or so under the nail dryer and I was done.
The employee suggested some techniques and a product that will continue to keep my feet soft
and moist. She then asked if there is anything else she could do for me, so I asked if they do
eyebrow waxing, which they did. By the end she asked my name and I paid her for her services,
as I was leaving she said good-bye to me by name, I thanked her again as I left their
establishment.
The company did an excellent job overall at keeping me, the customer satisfied. This
company met my desired expectations of this service and beyond. The company did a really
good job of building customer rapport with me from the time I entered to the moment I left
they greeted me, and called me by name. I had really fast service because it was not busy
during the time I went to this store. The employee engaged in light conversation with me that
made me feel comfortable during a time someone was picking at my feet, which for me is kind
of embarrassing. The establishment was a good size, clean with up to date equipment and also
really nice leather chairs. The employee was good at her job of grooming my feet and nails and
honestly making my feet look the best I’ve ever seen them.
She also suggested some
techniques to how to keep my feet looking and feeling soft and moist. I appreciated this
because this is my problem area and although not mandatory of their job description, it
definitely was helpful to me. This company also offered waxing, which was great. Although this
is the first time trying waxing my eyebrows with this company, they shaped my eyebrows really
well and it also saved me time and money to go to my regular locations to get my eyebrows
waxed.
This company exercises the five dimensions of service quality effectively compared to all
the other service encounters I wrote about in this journal; therefore closing all provider gaps.
This company shows its reliability with me with regards to the employee that was treating me.
She was able to give me the best pedicure that I have ever received and also did an equally
good job at painting my nails, giving me a foot massage and shaping my eyebrows. In regards
to assurance, the company was very courteous as I was greeted from the time I walked in and
thanked by name when I was leaving. They also engaged in light conversation during a time I
may have been feeling the most uncomfortable and embarrassed but I felt like I was in an
inviting environment. The young lady was very knowledge as she recognized my problem areas
and gave me a few ideas to remedy the situation. The generous space and clean environment
of the establishment, multiple work stations, up to date equipment and neatly dressed
employees all account for the tangibles in this company. The employee exercised empathy
when she expressed her concern for my dry feet and gave me suggestions to how to fix it, also
she used a cream that she suggested will keep my feet moister, longer at the time of my initial
encounter. Although the company was not busy at the time that I went, the employee did a
good job at recognizing her customers and assisting them as quickly as possible. As stated
earlier, as I stepped in the store and was asked how they could help. When I told them a
pedicure, they directed me right away to a chair so my feet could start soaking. Other
customers came in at the time I was getting treated but that did not make her stray away from
the task at hand. She greeted the clients who came in and also gave them an approximate time
of when she would assist them. She was quick but also made sure she maintained the same
quality of work as well not forgetting the other clients who came to her salon after me. Due to
my excellent service encounter with this company I have now become a loyal dedicated client.
I go to the nails salon every two weeks or so to get a manicure, pedicure and my eyebrows
waxed. On behalf of Nice One Nails I already have spread positive word of mouth to a few
friends to get their nails done in an establishment I think is the best in town.