Objective
The purpose of this assessment is for students to document and critically analyse their experiences with various service providers throughout the term.
Directions
Starting on Monday 20th January, you are required to keep a diary of your encounters (at least two a week) with various service providers (Service encounters experienced before the start of the term should not be used). Service encounters can be experienced over the phone as well as face to face. Examples of service providers you may consider are: restaurants, retail, health care, education (e.g. university services such as administrators, library, dinning, and accommodation), transportation (e.g. airline, train), media, utilities (e.g. electricity, gas, Internet/broadband services) and banks among others. Please ensure that you do not have more than two entries from the same service category (although you may differentiate from within a broad category, such as fast-food and fine-dining in the restaurant category; taxis and airlines in transportation).
Each diary entry should contain:
1. Date and time of the encounter; name of the service firm; and type of service (e.g., airline, bank);
2. Describe your expectations prior to the encounter;
3. Briefly describe your encounter so that someone who was not there would know what happened;
4. Describe your reaction to the encounter, including your analysis of the service provider and emotions experienced before, during or after the encounter (e.g. angry, sad, disappointed, happy etc..). Were front line employees well trained? How did the company recover from a service failure? Any special features of the servicescape?
5. Rate your level of satisfaction with this encounter on a scale of 1=Extremely Dissatisfied to 7=Extremely Satisfied. Explain the basis and rationale for your score;
6. Rate your likelihood of i) returning that service provider/firm; and ii) recommending that service firm/provider to friends and relatives on a scale of 1=Extremely Unlikely to 7=Extremely Likely. Why would return/recommend or not return/recommend that firm? Poor or excellent quality? Excellent complaint recovery? Highly trained personnel? Well-managed wait times?
7. Using your knowledge of services marketing, what would you recommend the manager to this firm? What would you do to improve this service?
Try to record an assortment of encounters from a variety of service industries (not just restaurants) as well as some that you find particularly satisfying and some that are very dissatisfying. It is essential that you record your diary entries within 24 hours (preferably immediately) of the experience so that you are able to provide relevant and accurate details about the encounter. Please note that, if you try to record entries from memory, the quality of the entries will suffer.
All diary entries should be recorded on Moodle (Examples of two short diary entries are provided below). You are strongly advised to type and save your entries in a word document first and then paste to Moodle.
Requirements
You are required to select 12 entries and categorise them into two groups: “satisfying” and “dissatisfying” experiences. Identify any common themes (if any) that exist within these two groups. You should then write a report in no more then 2 500 words, critically analysing each group. You should identify drivers that account for i) satisfaction or dissatisfaction with services; and ii) loyalty and repeat purchase. In your analysis, you should demonstrate knowledge of key service marketing concepts and you should reflect on the lessons that you are learned as a result of this diary exercise. You should append your diary entries to this report.
You will be assessed in terms of the organisation, comprehensiveness and depth and substance of your diary entries; your ability to relate material from readings and lectures; your ability to diagnose probable causes of problems and match them with appropriate solutions; and the quality of writing.
Afternoon Tea Encounter
Organization: Fortnum & Mason
Expectations: I expected the luxury restaurant before we got there
Details: The restaurant provided good service and nice food
Comments/ Reactions: I have had a nice high tea with my friends
Global Enaluatios On a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 6 Intension to Return: 5 Intension to Recommend: 6
Analysis/ Reflection: The restaurant have provided very nice job Recommendation: The restaurant should provide more kind of cakes
FIRST
TAXI ENCOUNTER
Organizationa: Central Cab
Details: We saved 5 stamps can get one free time
Comments/ Reactions: We are very glad to order the central taxi because they have the promotion which can got one free time when you have 5 stamps that you ordered once you can get one.
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 5
Analysis/ Reflection: The taxi organization is very small company just have three drivers so sometimes they can not provide service in time and miss many orders
Recommendation: There are serval taxi companies in Egham, but we like to order the central taxi because the special offer five stamps change one free time. However the drivers are limited so they are diffcult to expand. In my opinion, the company should employ more taxies and drivers.
SECOND
Chinese Restaurant Delivery Encounter
Organization: YangGuang Restaurant
Expecation: Yangguang is a chinese small maket which provide chinese dishes delivery, we have ordered severai times before so the taste is good
Details: Since we ordered the dishes they told us that it would be almose 1 hour, we waited them disappointedly, however, when we got the dishes we feel very happy because some cookies gaved from the restaurant as a gift
Comments/ Reactions: The food are with a good taste but the delivery time is so long
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction:4
Analysis/ Reflection: The delivery restaurant is very small which can not delivery the dishes efficientlly but in many time the customer would confuse with this situation
Recommendation: The restaurant should do the cooking efficient for example make the preparing cooking before once consumer want to order they can directly do the second step firing or boiling.
THIRD 9-March
Three Floor Online Shop Encounter
Organization: Three Floor
Expecation: Three Floor is a popular fashion brand among our young girls, when we ordered the dressed from the website with my friends which made us so exciting.
Details: After we have done the payment we got the reference which showed two dresses have be ordered but when we got the items there was just one dress in the box. There is no phone number on the box and website, the only thing we can do is to send them email. but until we send several emails later they responsed to us thay confirm send us the other one.
Comments/ Reactions: The dress which I very like but the service is poor
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 3
Analysis/ Reflection: Three Floor as a big popular fashion brand which bring consumers very professional image but the after-sale servise which is so poor
Recommendation: The company shuld focus on the online shop after-sale service, because the limited account of the stores, there are more consumer would choose the online shopping
FOURTH 9-March
Domino’s pizza service encounter
Organization: Domino’s Pizza
Expecation: we always would like to order Domino’s pizza in the free time, so we expecated a nice delivery from Domino’s
Details: The Domino’s has student discount in Egham but You must order it by phone and tell the staff you are student, when we ordering it we told him that we are royal holloway student and can we get the discount. However, when the delivery staff send the pizza to us he said we can not get the discount because we have not told them. finally, we only can pay the total fee to him.
Comments/ Reactions: we were very confuse and angry about this order, the discount promotion policy is not very clear and if the staff said we cannot that means we cannot which made us very disppointed.
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 2
Analysis/ Reflection: Domino as a fast food chain should have a uniform management strategy rather than this un-prefessional display
Recommendation: Domino’s should set up the student discount plate in the online store and when the staff dilivery the student has to show the college card which can avoid this misunderstand.
FIFTH
DHL delivery service
Organization: DHL
Expecation: DHL is a big post company so I was so expecting from the delivery at the first
Details:My room is near the door which means any baggage coming I will get the information in time. The first day when I came to home my roommate tall me that there is a note under the door which shows that nobody in the house that I can choose redelivery online by DHL. Then I do that, but the next day I was pay attention on that but no one knocked the door and just leave the note again which made me very angry. The third day I leave the message online that ple them knock the door harder and finally I got the items.
Comments/ Reactions: DHL as a big delivery company made me very disppoint and the delivery staff was not responsible.
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 3
Analysis/ Reflection:Although DHL as the popular delivery company among the delivery markets but in this situation I would avoid corporation with DHL in the future. As a delivery comany the most important thing is that give the baggage to the customer timely and safety.
Recommendation: I suggest that DHL should set up supervision systerm which can manage the emplopee display in time. the customer can complaint on line or by phone which is good way to set up the loyalty among customer.
SIXTH
asos online shopping encounter
Organization: ASOS
Expecation: ASOS is a big online shopping platfrom for our young people. My friends are all like to buy from there
Details:When i was a normal customer I hava to pay the delivery fees but I have order premier VIP service which I have to pay 9.9 ponds and then I could have the next day free delivery and free returns which is very convience. Moreover ASOS could send me the message when they have discount, in addition, we students also can get the 10 percent discount.
Comments/ Reactions: ASOS is very good in my opinion
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 7
Analysis/ Reflection: ASOS as a online shopping platform is very good, it contains many different types of products and many kinds of brand. On the other hand they focis on the young people so they give many benefit to the young customers
Recommendation: I really satisfied with ASOS.
SEVENTH
BIBIGO Korean Restaurant Encounter
Organization: BiBiGo Korean Restaurant
Expecation: We have heard that this Korean restaurant is reall good and popular in London so we were very exciting before go there
Details: at the first we ordered the dished were all very cheap but when we saw them very confused because the portions were very limited and we can not share to each other. Then the dishes were not very good every one like one similar taste
Comments/ Reactions: we were little disppoint with that dishes
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 4
Analysis/ Reflection: the dishes are not traditional korean taste, maybe the restaurant have created new style to the customer but the dishes were cooking in similar taste is confusing
Recommendation: the restaurant shou pay attention on the traditional taste, they could created several dishes but not all dishes in the similar way
EIGHTH
Patisserie Valerie Restaurant Encounter
Organization: Patisserie Valerie Restaurant
Expecation: Actually I do not familar with this cake restaurant, one day we have been windsor and attracted by the red decoration then we dicided to have a high in there
Details: we have ordered different cakes and every one was reall delicious, at first we condused with the cake’s name on the menu then we have seen the cakes in the display cabinet every kinds arranged tidily.
Comments/ Reactions: We are very satisfied with the cakes and service
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 6
Analysis/ Reflection: the cake restaurant is really good in the decoration, service and food. Moreover, before we leave the waiter give us a 10 percent discount can use in nest time
Recommendation: I really like the cakes in this restaurant
NINETH
Harrods Service Encounter
Organization:Harrods shopping store
Expecation: Harrods is a big luxury shopping store which I really like
Details: Harrods is very big and i always lost myself in the store, but the service is really good, for example, when u buying something the staff can take them to the customer collection and you can take them before you leave the store
Comments/ Reactions: I was really tired after I have gone there every time but the collection are good quality and kindly service
Global Evaluation on a 7-point scale Overall Satisfaction: 6
Analysis/ Reflection: the decoration is very good and collection good as well, but the collection distribution is little unreasonable
Recommendation: the store can divide the districution more clear to the customer can find the desireable collection easily
TENTH
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