CHAPTER 3
Service Marketing
Research
, 1. Service Marketing Research
Marketing Research is the process followed to collect information about the market to aid
managerial decision-making.
Market research is used to:
Identify and define marketing opportunities and problems.
Generate, refine and evaluate marketing actions or ideas.
Monitor marketing performance
Enhance the quality of marketing decision-making.
Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the
method for collecting the information, manages and implements the data collection process,
analyses the results and communicates the findings and its implications to decision makers.
The following criteria can be used to assess the quality or value the information available to
decision-makers :
Accuracy of information in terms of its ability to reflect the realities of the situation.
Timeliness of the information, determining whether or not the information will be
needed at a specific time.
Adequacy of information refers to whether the information is sufficient to assist
management in making better decisions.
Availability of the information at the point when and where it is needed.
Relevance of the information in terms of its suitability with regard to the decisions that
have to be taken.
Information that does not meet these criteria is clearly not of much value and certainly will not
improve the quality of marketing decision-making. It is important for entities to have marketing
research programmes that are:
Varied, all research methods have limitations and to overcome these, a combination of
qualitative and quantitative research techniques should be used, when appropriate.
Ongoing, owning to the constantly changing nature of customer needs expectations
and perceptions, service organisations need to measure these changes to be able to
respond in a timely manner.
Undertaken with staff, because frontline staff, in particular, is in direct contact with the
organisation’s customers, they may have insight into problems and situations that may
be apparent to managers. They can personal requirements. The input of staff in the
research process can thus be particularly valuable.
Driven by research committee, unfortunately it is often happening that research results
are never implemented. This is not necessarily due to the quality of the research but
may be due to people’s inability or unwillingness to change.
Shared with employees, employees’ service performance may be improved if they
understand what customer expect of them and what has been identified as possible
problem areas. The research result must thus be communicated.
Service Marketing
Research
, 1. Service Marketing Research
Marketing Research is the process followed to collect information about the market to aid
managerial decision-making.
Market research is used to:
Identify and define marketing opportunities and problems.
Generate, refine and evaluate marketing actions or ideas.
Monitor marketing performance
Enhance the quality of marketing decision-making.
Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the
method for collecting the information, manages and implements the data collection process,
analyses the results and communicates the findings and its implications to decision makers.
The following criteria can be used to assess the quality or value the information available to
decision-makers :
Accuracy of information in terms of its ability to reflect the realities of the situation.
Timeliness of the information, determining whether or not the information will be
needed at a specific time.
Adequacy of information refers to whether the information is sufficient to assist
management in making better decisions.
Availability of the information at the point when and where it is needed.
Relevance of the information in terms of its suitability with regard to the decisions that
have to be taken.
Information that does not meet these criteria is clearly not of much value and certainly will not
improve the quality of marketing decision-making. It is important for entities to have marketing
research programmes that are:
Varied, all research methods have limitations and to overcome these, a combination of
qualitative and quantitative research techniques should be used, when appropriate.
Ongoing, owning to the constantly changing nature of customer needs expectations
and perceptions, service organisations need to measure these changes to be able to
respond in a timely manner.
Undertaken with staff, because frontline staff, in particular, is in direct contact with the
organisation’s customers, they may have insight into problems and situations that may
be apparent to managers. They can personal requirements. The input of staff in the
research process can thus be particularly valuable.
Driven by research committee, unfortunately it is often happening that research results
are never implemented. This is not necessarily due to the quality of the research but
may be due to people’s inability or unwillingness to change.
Shared with employees, employees’ service performance may be improved if they
understand what customer expect of them and what has been identified as possible
problem areas. The research result must thus be communicated.
