CRITICAL INCIDENTS
CHAPTER 7 • specific interaction between customer &
process service provider that are especially satisfying
or dissatisfying
THE SERVICE ENCOUNTER • viewed as opportunity where organisation
• occurs when customer and contact staff must prove its ability to deliver
member meet in order to deliver service
• period during which customer directly COMPLEXITY AND DIVERGENCE
interacts with service product
• the number of steps & sequences in
Complexity
service process
ASPECTS OF SERVICE DELIVERY PROCESS
• high in divergence - can be
1. Quality control executed in many ways
• due to service being produced and consumed Divergence • low in divergence – only one or very
simultaneously, quality of the service few ways in which service can be
depends entirely on the customer - contact executed
personnel
• organisational resources should match level
2. Service location
of complexity & divergence
• location is important driver of customer
• higher levels – more costly operation
satisfaction
• lose customers to better located providers • reducing divergence – standardises service &
reduces production cost
3. Demand management
• increasing divergence – enables service
• delays have negative effect on high-contact
providers to tailor products to individual
encounters as customers are frustrated by
customer needs
efficiency problems
• reducing complexity – consistent with
specialisation strategies
SERVICE BLUEPRINTING
• increasing complexity – appropriate for
• technique that uses flowchart to provide
organisations pursing penetration strategy
detailed knowledge of operations with which
to analyse & manage complex production
processes ROLE PLAYING OR CUSTOMER SCRIPTS
• flowchart can also identify new product or • set of behavioural patterns that are learned
service development opportunities - it through experience and communication and
involves information on flows, stocks, costs, is performed by individual in certain social
& bottlenecks within service delivery process interaction to maximise effectiveness
• primary uses - to improve organisational • important that roles are clearly defined, and
productivity that the role-player understands what is
expected to be done or not to be done
BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF BLUEPRINTS
MANAGING CUSTOMER QUEUES AND WAITING
• must show time dimensions to indicate how PERIODS
long each activity in flowchart takes
• important aspect to ensure smooth service
• must identify errors, bottlenecks, repetitions delivery process
• needs to define degree to which process is • waiting and queuing are frustrating to
allowed to deviate from standard before it customer - organisation should determine
could negatively affect customer’s acceptable or expected customer waiting
experience time
1
CHAPTER 7 • specific interaction between customer &
process service provider that are especially satisfying
or dissatisfying
THE SERVICE ENCOUNTER • viewed as opportunity where organisation
• occurs when customer and contact staff must prove its ability to deliver
member meet in order to deliver service
• period during which customer directly COMPLEXITY AND DIVERGENCE
interacts with service product
• the number of steps & sequences in
Complexity
service process
ASPECTS OF SERVICE DELIVERY PROCESS
• high in divergence - can be
1. Quality control executed in many ways
• due to service being produced and consumed Divergence • low in divergence – only one or very
simultaneously, quality of the service few ways in which service can be
depends entirely on the customer - contact executed
personnel
• organisational resources should match level
2. Service location
of complexity & divergence
• location is important driver of customer
• higher levels – more costly operation
satisfaction
• lose customers to better located providers • reducing divergence – standardises service &
reduces production cost
3. Demand management
• increasing divergence – enables service
• delays have negative effect on high-contact
providers to tailor products to individual
encounters as customers are frustrated by
customer needs
efficiency problems
• reducing complexity – consistent with
specialisation strategies
SERVICE BLUEPRINTING
• increasing complexity – appropriate for
• technique that uses flowchart to provide
organisations pursing penetration strategy
detailed knowledge of operations with which
to analyse & manage complex production
processes ROLE PLAYING OR CUSTOMER SCRIPTS
• flowchart can also identify new product or • set of behavioural patterns that are learned
service development opportunities - it through experience and communication and
involves information on flows, stocks, costs, is performed by individual in certain social
& bottlenecks within service delivery process interaction to maximise effectiveness
• primary uses - to improve organisational • important that roles are clearly defined, and
productivity that the role-player understands what is
expected to be done or not to be done
BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF BLUEPRINTS
MANAGING CUSTOMER QUEUES AND WAITING
• must show time dimensions to indicate how PERIODS
long each activity in flowchart takes
• important aspect to ensure smooth service
• must identify errors, bottlenecks, repetitions delivery process
• needs to define degree to which process is • waiting and queuing are frustrating to
allowed to deviate from standard before it customer - organisation should determine
could negatively affect customer’s acceptable or expected customer waiting
experience time
1
