Service Marketing

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The marketing of service presents unique challenges and opportunities to enhance value creation by customers. This is because of the intangible, heterogeneous nature of the product and the critical role of service personnel in service delivery. Strategies to address these challenges and opportunities are presented. Topics include: buyer behaviour of services; managing effective servicescapes; the importance and measurement of service quality, customer satisfaction, perceived value and loyalty; relationship marketing philosophy and practice; managing supply and demand of a perishable service; the role of service personnel and customers in value creation; minimising the role stress of service personnel; service failures, customer complaint behaviour and effective service recovery.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• describe the unique challenges involved in the marketing management of service firms
• identify and analyse the various components of the ‘service marketing mix' (people, process and physical evidence), as well as key issues required in measuring and managing service quality, customer satisfaction, loyalty and value perceptions
• analyse the role of employees and, increasingly, customers in service delivery, customer satisfaction, service recovery and value creation
• explain other key issues in service businesses such as managing supply and demand, the overlap in marketing/operations/human resource systems and the philosophy and implementation of relationship management.

On successful completion of this subject, students should have improved the following generic skills:

• Interpretative and analytical skills, through the application of the conceptual and theoretical frameworks presented in seminars to the 'real world' assignment;
• The ability to critically evaluate a service business based upon the theories and frameworks presented in seminars;
• The ability to synthesise and interpret data and other information sources to conduct an effective audit;
• The ability to work in a team through the group assignment;
• Oral and written communication skills, through seminar discussions, presentations and service audit report.