Chapter 8 Managing the service encounter
Service encounter = any direct interaction between the service
provider and the customer relevant to a core service offering –
‘moment of truth’ (MOT’s) (face to face encounters, telephone
encounters, remote encounters (can occur without any direct
human contact, for example if you are being serves via a
website))
What is the link between a touchpoint and a service
encounter?
The touchpoints are the service providers way to facilitate the
service encounter and create interaction with customers
Service design helps to innovate (create new) or improve
(existing) services to make them more useful, usable, desirable
for clients and efficient as well as effective for organizations
Tools, e.g.: customer journey maps, stakeholder mapping,
the five why’s, expectation maps, service blueprints
Which factors impacts on the perception of service?
o The level of concern shown for the individual
customer
o The level of friendliness shown towards the
customer
o The level of civility shown toward the customer
The service encounter
7 key characteristics of a service encounter:
1. Specific roles for both the service employee and customer
2. Goal orientation – both parties are seeking something from the event
3. Mostly task oriented – the encounter is defined by specific process in which the customer is
engaged
4. Undertaken as part of work activities – the relationship is therefore not social, although
normal ‘rules’ of society may be observed
5. Primarily a stranger relationship – customers and employee have not met before (although
loyal customer may well establish relationships)
6. Narrow in scope – only surface topics of conversation
7. Mostly follow a predefined set of rules to facilitate the interaction, in some cases the
employee may even follow a predetermined script
Factors that influence the success of the service encounter:
- Staff attitude/service predisposition
- Recruitment and selection of suitable employees
- Appropriate induction and training of employees
- Empowering front-line workers
- Systems for optimizing the service encounter
- Monitoring service encounter performance
Service encounter = any direct interaction between the service
provider and the customer relevant to a core service offering –
‘moment of truth’ (MOT’s) (face to face encounters, telephone
encounters, remote encounters (can occur without any direct
human contact, for example if you are being serves via a
website))
What is the link between a touchpoint and a service
encounter?
The touchpoints are the service providers way to facilitate the
service encounter and create interaction with customers
Service design helps to innovate (create new) or improve
(existing) services to make them more useful, usable, desirable
for clients and efficient as well as effective for organizations
Tools, e.g.: customer journey maps, stakeholder mapping,
the five why’s, expectation maps, service blueprints
Which factors impacts on the perception of service?
o The level of concern shown for the individual
customer
o The level of friendliness shown towards the
customer
o The level of civility shown toward the customer
The service encounter
7 key characteristics of a service encounter:
1. Specific roles for both the service employee and customer
2. Goal orientation – both parties are seeking something from the event
3. Mostly task oriented – the encounter is defined by specific process in which the customer is
engaged
4. Undertaken as part of work activities – the relationship is therefore not social, although
normal ‘rules’ of society may be observed
5. Primarily a stranger relationship – customers and employee have not met before (although
loyal customer may well establish relationships)
6. Narrow in scope – only surface topics of conversation
7. Mostly follow a predefined set of rules to facilitate the interaction, in some cases the
employee may even follow a predetermined script
Factors that influence the success of the service encounter:
- Staff attitude/service predisposition
- Recruitment and selection of suitable employees
- Appropriate induction and training of employees
- Empowering front-line workers
- Systems for optimizing the service encounter
- Monitoring service encounter performance
