Customers Roles in Service Delivery

2. Today’s Objectives Illustrate the importance of customers in successful service delivery. Enumerate the variety of roles that service customers play Explain strategies for involving service customers effectively to increase both quality and productivity.

3. Importance of Customers in Service Delivery Level of customer participation Low Consumer presence required during service delivery Products are standardized Payment may be the only required input Moderate Consumer inputs required for service creation Customize a standard service Customer must provide some input for adequate outcome High Customer co-creates the service product Need to have active participation from customers

4. Importance of Other Customers in Service Delivery Other customers can detract from satisfaction: disruptive behaviors excessive crowding incompatible needs Other customers can enhance satisfaction: mere presence socialization/friendships roles: assistants, teachers, supporters

5. Customers as Productive Resources “Partial employees” Contributing effort, time, or other resources to the production process Customer inputs can affect organization’s productivity Self-service Baggage self-check-in & ticketing

6. Customers as Contributors to Service Quality and Satisfaction Customers can contribute to their own satisfaction with the service by performing their role effectively by working with the service provider the quality of the service they receive by asking questions by taking responsibility for their own satisfaction by complaining when there is a service failure

7. Customers as Competitors Customers may “compete” with the service provider Internal/external exchange decision often based on: expertise resources time Economic/non-economic rewards trust control

8. Self-Service Technologies Firm vs. customer production Service production continuum Proliferation Advances in technology Success or failure? Adoption depends on motivation, ability, & role clarity

9. Services Production Continuum

10. Strategies for Enhancing Customer Participation