eMM05
MARKETING OF SERVICES
ASSIGNMENT I
Q1.
One of the greatest problems of intangibility is that it is difficult to assess which of the
following, both during and after the service, has been experienced?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Quality
Price
Value
Service Level
Q2.
Assessing service quality is an imperative and Berry, Parasuraman and Zeithaml
developed the service assessment model called SERVQUAL (1985). They listed 10
main criteria that covered the service interaction and divided them into 'outcomes of the
service experience' and 'influencing the quality of the inputs'. Which of the following
criteria are defined as 'inputs' to the service process?
a
Access; reliability; credibility; security; understanding the customer.
b.
Responsiveness; courtesy; competence; communication; tangibles
c.
Access; credibility; security; responsiveness; courtesy; competence; tangibles.
d.
Reliability; security; understanding the customer; competence; communication.
Q3.
The role of customers in the service is known as which of the following?
a.
Direct marketing.
b.
Selective marketing.
c.
Interactive marketing
d.
People marketing.
Q4.
Due to simultaneous production and consumption and the involvement of service staff,
services can be difficult to standardise. Services are said to be which of the following?
a.
Heterogametic.
b.
Homogeneous.
c.
Homologous
d.
Heterogonous
Q5.
Which of the following businesses would be characterized as a pure service?
a.
Insurance
b.
Farming
c.
Mining
d.
Engineering
Q6.
Which of the following is not a marketing problem caused by intangibility?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Services lack the ability to be stored.
Services are difficult to price
Services are difficult to communicate to customers.
Services lack patent protection
Q7.
The unique services characteristic that reflects the inter connection between the services
firm and its customers is called.
a.
Intangibility
b.
Inseparability
c.
Heterogeneity
d.
Perishability
Q8.
The fact that services are sold and then produced and consumed simultaneously is
attributed to.
a.
Intangibility
b.
Inseparability
c.
Perishability
d.
Heterogeneity
Q9.
Which of the following is not an advantage of standardized services?
a.
Less expensive
b.
Meets the customers exact needs
c.
Delivered faster.
d.
More consistent
Q10.
Which of the following strategies is used to alter consumer demand?
a.
Increasing consumer participation.
b.
Utilizing creative pricing strategies.
c.
Sharing capacity
d.
Utilizing third parties.
Q11.
It is generally accepted that the ___________________ includes the ‘soft part’ of the
economy consisting of several sub sectors.
a.
Services economy
b.
Industrial economy
c.
Information economy
d.
Agricultural economy
Q12.
The world’s largest industry in private sector and highest projected generator of jobs is:
a.
Business sector
b.
Retail
c.
Health Services
d.
The Hospitals
Q13.
The correct order of services in terms of highly tangible to highly intangible is
a.
Automobile, Ad Agencies, Fast Food Outlets, Teaching.
b.
Teaching, Ad Agencies, Fast Food Outlets, Automobiles
c.
Automobiles, Fast Food Outlets, Ad Agencies, Teaching
d.
Ad Agencies, Teaching, Fast Food Outlets, Automobiles
Q14.
Which of the following offers the best opportunity for an airline to recover from service
failure associated with a cancelled flight?
a)
Customer service team at head office.
b)
Rapid diagnosis of customer needs and appropriate solution to problem.
c)
Money-off vouchers for future use.
d)
Letter of apology from the airline Chief Executive.
Q15.
Which of the following is not generally accepted as being part of the extended marketing
mix for services?
a)
Product
b)
Price
c)
Process
d)
Practice
Q16. Compared with low-contact services, customers of high-contact services are more likely
to judge service quality on the basis of:
a)
Price of the service
b)
Processes used in carrying out the service
c)
Intangible outcomes, e.g. the performance of an investment portfolio
d)
Tangible outcomes
Q17.
In international services marketing, ____________ is the approach that aims to achieve
uniformity in service delivery wherever it is consumed; whereas ___________ aims to
develop ad deliver services as a tailor-made solution to the customer.
a)
Reactive; Proactive
b)
Proactive; Reactive
c)
Standardization; Customization
d)
Customization; Standardization
Q18.
In the absence of a physical product, service providers need to consider the use of
______________ that enable customers to make a judgment on the service quality.
a)
Intangible cues
b)
Tangible cues
c)
Blueprint
d)
Performance measures
Q19. The providers of services with ___________________ can normally rely on export and
import agents to manage the international service delivery without getting directly
involved in the process.
a)
high degree of tangibility
b)
high degree of customization
c)
low degree of tangibility
d)
low degree of standardization
Q20.
Which are the factors or elements of internal marketing within a service firm
a.
Training of the staff that deal directly with the customers (front-line staff).
b.
Investment in staff training and development programmes
c.
Ensuring effective teamwork
d.
Ensuring that all employees are customer oriented.
e.
All of the above.
Q21.
Why is service differentiation so difficult to achieve?
a.
Difficult to achieve accurate comparative analysis.
b.
Service innovations can be patented and thus secured.
c.
Service intangibility and inseparability mean that customers are rarely able to
compare alternative services in advance of purchase.
d.
Service is indispensable
Q22.
How can firms differentiate their service delivery?
a.
Implement the appropriate service delivery mechanism to improve customer
service and effectiveness.
b.
Customer focused training and development of all staff.
c.
Create an attractive environment and ambience to project superior service.
d.
Ensure reliable and effective customer contact between staff and customers
e.
Employ enthusiastic people to interface with the customer.
Q23.
A tool for assessing the level of service quality based on the difference between users
expectations and the service experience delivered is:
a.
the information value model.
b.
the service quality gap model.
c.
the balanced scorecard
d.
the service dashboard
Q24.
The element of service quality which is defined as 'the knowledge and courtesy of
employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence'.
a.
Assurance.
b.
Reliability.
c.
Responsiveness
d.
Empathy.
Q25.
The element of service quality which is defined as 'a willingness to help customers and
provide prompt service'.
a.
Empathy.
b.
Assurance.
c.
Reliability.
d.
Responsiveness.
Q26.
Bar coding and checkout scanner technology have created a wealth of consumer-buying
information that can be used to target customers with precision. This process is an
example of:
a.
service development
b.
micromarketing
c.
d.
data envelopment analysis
point of sale
27.
Using the dimensions of strategic focus and competitive use of information, we can
identify four strategic roles of information. Which of the following is not a strategic role of
information?
a.
Create barriers to entry
b.
Generate revenue
c.
Create a data base asset
d.
Provide global communications
28
Services can create barriers to entry by:
a.
using economies of scale
b.
creating switching costs
c.
using databases and information technology
d.
all of the above
29.
The nature of the service act depends on to whom or to what the service is directed and
the degree of "tangibility" of the service provided. An example of a tangible service
directed to the possessions of a customer would be
a.
a stay in a hotel.
b.
an investment advising session
c.
a fortune-telling session
d.
a full-service car wash.
30
Place the McDonald's fast food chain within the following matrix:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Point A
Point B
Point C
Point D
31
Which one of the following is not an example of a high customer contact service?
a.
Dry cleaning
b.
Banking
c.
School
d.
Hotel
32
Service processes can be classified according to each of the following, except:
a.
b.
c.
d.
the degree of customer satisfaction
the degree of customer contact.
the object of the service activity defined as goods, information or people
the degree of divergence ranging from standard to customized service
33.
The term "customer contact" refers to:
a.
the handling of the product by the customer.
b.
the influence the customer has on service design
c.
the amount of time spent waiting in the system
d.
the physical presence of the customer in the system
34
A service blueprint can be used for all but one of the following:
a.
educate customers
b.
identify areas of service improvement
c.
maintain the level of service complexity and divergence
d.
identify points where moments of truth will occur
35
The new service development process cycle contains all but one of the following
activities:
a.
idea generation
b.
analysis
c.
development
d.
full launch
36
An automatic teller machine would be considered a ________ robot.
a.
numerical control
b.
playback
c.
variable sequence
d.
fixed sequence
37
A "moment of truth" is not:
a.
an opportunity to influence a customer's perception of the service quality.
b.
critical in achieving a reputation for superior quality
c.
when the customer is forming an opinion about the efficiency of the
service
d.
an interaction between a customer and a service provider
38.
The most important attribute of customer contact personnel is:
a.
Education
b.
Sales related knowledge
c.
intelligence.
d.
empathy for the customer.
39
In an organization that has empowered its front-line employees, the middle managers
become:
a.
obsolete
b.
facilitators
c.
inspectors
d.
supervisors
40.
Which of the following occurrences would be considered a “moment of truth” in a
restaurant setting?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A diner considering the amount of tip to leave
A child telling his parent what item on the menu looks good
A waiter telling the cook what he really thinks of the manager
A receptionist assigning a table to a customer
41
In the context of the service encounter triad, the trade-off between the service
organization and the contact personnel is one of
a.
efficiency verses satisfaction
b.
efficiency verses autonomy
c.
perceived control
d.
autonomy versus satisfaction
42
The purpose of differential pricing is to:
a.
make peak period usage unattractive
b.
make off-peak usage attractive
c.
charge customers according to their ability to pay.
d.
adjust capacity to demand
43.
The strategy of partitioning demand is feasible only when:
a.
demand is not from a homogeneous source
b.
demand is cyclic and predictable
c.
arrivals for service are random
d.
making appointments is impossible
44
Which of the following is not a strategy for managing supply?
a.
Developing complementary services
b.
Using part-time employees
c.
Forecasting demand
d.
Scheduling shifts
45.
Which of the following is not a strategy to manage demand?
a.
Cross-training employees
b.
Offering price incentives
c.
Developing reservation systems
d.
Partitioning demand
46.
Faced with variable demand and a perishable capacity, a service manager can smooth
demand by:
a.
using part-time help during peak hours
b.
scheduling work shifts to vary workforce needs according to demand
c.
increasing the customer self-service content of the service
d.
using reservations and appointments
47
The customer is a(n) ________ in the service process and his/her impression of the
service quality is influenced by many __________ .
a.
observer/perceptions
b.
observer/observations
c.
participant/perceptions
d.
participant/observations
48
Which of the following retail service scapes would best support an upscale store image?
a.
stark tile floors
b.
exposed, bright lighting
c.
store personnel waiting at cash registers
d.
well-spaced, lightly stocked shelving
49
Facility layout is discussed with attention to traffic flow, space planning and one of the
following:
a.
need to avoid unnecessary travel
b.
eliminating bottlenecks
c.
aesthetic factors
d.
cost of providing service
50
Removing the kitchen from fast-food outlets to a central location gives all of the following
benefits, except:
a.
reduction in waste
b.
consolidation of demand
c.
shorter customer wait times
d.
make-to-order customization