Question 1

One way to address service intangibility is to offer the customer a variety of choices.

Accepted Answer

Addressing service intangibility typically involves making the service more tangible or understandable through means such as demonstrations, visuals, or guarantees, rather than simply offering a variety of choices.

Question 2

Which of the following is a strategy used for managing customer education?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a strategy...

Question 3

By involving employees in cross-functional teams to align their jobs with end customer requirements,a service firm is:

Accepted Answer

Involving employees in cross-functional teams to align their jobs with end customer requirements is a strategy for managing internal marketing communications. This approach ensures that all employees understand the customer's needs and how their roles contribute to meeting those needs, fostering a unified internal effort towards customer satisfaction.

Question 4

If a company's goal is to manage customer expectations,it should avoid offering service guarantees.

Accepted Answer

Offering service guarantees can help a company manage customer expectations by setting clear parameters for what customers can expect in terms of quality of service and potential remedies if expectations are not met.

Question 5

Service providers sometimes need to tell customers that services have been performed for them.To get credit for their actions,service providers need to reinforce their actions with appropriate communication about their accomplishment of the service.After which of the following services customers most likely require further information?

Accepted Answer

Customers may require further information about the fluoride treatment given to their child in order to ensure proper dental care and to know if any follow-up treatments or precautions are needed. The other services listed do not require as much follow-up communication with the customer.

Question 6

An insurance company that used advertising showing satisfied customers thanking the company for their prompt payment after a flood would be addressing service intangibility.

Accepted Answer

Service intangibility refers to the fact that services cannot be touched, tasted, or seen like physical products, making it harder to promote their benefits. By showing satisfied customers thanking the company for their prompt payment after a flood, the insurance company is addressing this intangibility by demonstrating the speed and reliability of their service.

Question 7

When Sarah opened her savings and checking accounts at First National Bank of Chicago,she was given a brochure entitled "How to Lose Wait" that gave her advice on how to avoid delays at the bank and listed her branch's busiest and slowest times.By giving Sarah the "How to Lose Wait" brochure,First National Bank of Chicago is ________ to match service promises with delivery.

Accepted Answer

By giving Sarah the brochure, First National Bank of Chicago is managing customer education and providing her with information on how to avoid delays at the bank. It is not offering a service guarantee, leveraging social media, managing horizontal communications, or using viral marketing.

Question 8

Emory Vision Center has a packet of information that it sends to people who are interested in LASIK surgery.The center also has a doctor available to speak to organizations about how vision can be corrected.In addition,it publishes a newsletter called The Visionary in which it offers family discounts,clarifies patient expectations and notes awards and honors the center receives.The center also manages a web site that contains news on the latest innovative research techniques.Through its communications with current and potential patients,Emory Vision Center is:

Accepted Answer

Emory Vision Center is managing customer education by providing information through various channels such as a packet, a doctor's speaking engagement, a newsletter, and a website, to educate potential and current patients about LASIK surgery, patient expectations and latest innovative research techniques.

Question 9

Preparing customers for the service process is a strategy for:

Accepted Answer

Preparing customers for the service process involves managing customer education by providing information and guidance about the service experience. This helps customers understand what to expect and can enhance their overall satisfaction with the service.

Question 10

Under which of the following conditions should a service provider confirm performance to standards and expectations?

Accepted Answer

Confirming performance to standards and expectations is important under all of the mentioned conditions. When the customer cannot evaluate the effectiveness of the service, it is the responsibility of the service provider to ensure that the service is meeting the required standards. Similarly, when the decision maker in the service purchase is different from users of the service, it is crucial to confirm that the service is meeting the expectations of all parties involved. Additionally, when the service is performed out of sight of the customer, it is essential for the service provider to provide proof of performance to ensure trust and reliability. Hence, options A, B, and C are all valid scenarios that require confirmation of service performance.

Question 11

An airline that sells first-class,business-class and tourist-class seats on its planes has created tiered-value service offerings.

Accepted Answer

The airline offers different levels of service based on the class of seat purchased, indicating a tiered-value service offering.

Question 12

Because he has a busy practice,new patients for dentist Dr.Kirby Brown are informed that,unless there is an emergency,the first available appointment will be in three months.If they accept the appointment,they will be reminded of their appointment by a courtesy call.This first visit will take about an hour.On this visit,their teeth will be cleaned and x-rayed,their gums will be examined and the dentist will talk to them about future dental treatment needs.Dr.Brown is _____________ to manage customer expectations.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Kirby Brown is managing customer expectations by making a realistic promise of a three-month wait time for non-emergency appointments. This helps prevent disappointment or frustration from patients who may expect to be seen sooner.

Question 13

A more complex type of integrated marketing communications is needed for goods than for services.

Accepted Answer

Services often require a more complex type of integrated marketing communications than goods due to their intangibility, variability, inseparability, and perishability, making it harder to communicate their benefits and maintain consistent quality perception.

Question 14

Clarifying expectations after the sale is a strategy for:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Clarifying expectations after the sale is a...

Question 15

The four strategies of tangibilization are documentation,illustration,intimation and physical representation.

Accepted Answer

The four strategies of tangibilization are documentation, visualization, physical representation, and association.

Question 16

Service providers should never encourage word-of-mouth communication.

Accepted Answer

Service providers should always strive to encourage positive word-of-mouth communication from satisfied customers as it can be a powerful marketing tool.

Question 17

Any company that disseminates information through different communications channels needs to be concerned with integrating this information so that customers receive unified messages and promises about its offering.

Accepted Answer

It is important for companies to integrate their information across different channels to ensure consistency in messaging and promises to customers.

Question 18

The Atlanta Kroger Marketing Area (KMA)publishes a monthly newsletter,Hot Off the Press,to provide information to its employees about food safety and preparation,changes in store policy and exceptional service encounters and the employees who were involved in these encounters.This newsletter is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The Atlanta Kroger Marketing Area's monthly newsletter, Hot Off the Press, is a form of internal communication dedicated to providing information about food safety and preparation, changes in store policy and exceptional service encounters, and the employees who were involved in them. This communication flows from management to employees, making it an example of vertical communications.

Question 19

Just as all service providers must advertise,all need integration across departments to be able to deliver quality services.

Accepted Answer

Not all service providers must advertise, as some may rely on word-of-mouth or other methods to attract customers. Additionally, while integration across departments can enhance service delivery, it is not a necessity for all service providers to deliver quality services.

Question 20

Many companies find themselves in the position of having to manage expectations downward.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Many companies may encounter challenges or setbacks that require them to adjust their expectations and communicate this to stakeholders.

Quiz 14: Integrated Service Marketing Communications