1. Designing the Service

2. Provider Gap 2 Customer-Driven Service Designs and Standards
COMPANY
Customer-Driven
Service Designs and Standards
Service Design and Standards Gap
Company Perceptions of Consumer Expectations
Part 4 Opener

3. Why this gap occurs
Translating service expectations into service designs and standards
Can’t seem to get it right…
We mess up on staffing levels, provision of resources, design of systems and processes
Lack of a customer perspective
Other departments and areas not on side

4. Risks of Relying on Words Alone to Describe Services
Oversimplification – there is much more to service than meets the eye
Incompleteness – we often omit details that affect the customer
Subjectivity – very difficult to view service objectively
Biased Interpretation – we each have our own perspective on what is good service

5. How can we get it right?
Not every customer wants the same level or design of service
Service providers often impose their own view of what is good service
Or, they implement a level of service that they think they can “get away with”

6. What is a New Service?
difficult to define -- what is new and what is a slight modification?
is it a new core product or a change in the systems or processes that deliver the core?
where does one service end and another begin? (e.g. are ATM, telephone and Internet banking three services or are they delivery channels for a core service?)

7. New Service Strategy Matrix for Identifying Growth Opportunities
8-7

8. Service Blueprinting
A tool for simultaneously depicting the service process, the points of customer contact, and the evidence of service from the customer’s point of view.
Process
Service
Blueprint
Points of contact
Evidence

9. Service Blueprint Components
Customer Actions
line of interaction
“Onstage” Contact Employee Actions
line of visibility
“Backstage” Contact Employee Actions
line of internal interaction
Support Processes

10. Service Blueprint Components

11. Blueprint for Express Mail Delivery Service
Truck
Packaging
Forms
Hand-held Computer
Uniform
Truck
Packaging
Forms
Hand-held Computer
Uniform
PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE
Customer
Calls
Customer
Gives
Package
Receive
Package
CUSTOMER
Line of interaction
(On Stage)
Driver
Picks Up Package
Deliver
Package
CONTACT PERSON
Line of visibility
(Back Stage)
Customer
Service
Order
Line of internal interaction
Airport
Receives
& Loads
Fly to
Sort
Center
Dispatch
Driver
Unload
&
Sort
Load On
Truck
Fly to
Destination
SUPPORT PROCESS
Load on
Airplane
Sort
Packages

12. Blueprint for Overnight Hotel Stay Service
Hotel Exterior
Parking
Cart for
Bags
Desk
Registration
Papers
Lobby
Key
Elevators
Hallways
Room
Cart for
Bags
Room
Amenities
Bath
Menu
Delivery
Tray
Food
Appearance
Food
PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE
Bill
Desk
Lobby
Hotel Exterior
Parking
Arrive at
Hotel
Give Bags to
Bellperson
Call
Room
Service
Check out
and
Leave
Go to
Room
Receive
Bags
Sleep
Shower
CUSTOMER
Receive
Food
Check in
Eat
Line of Interaction
Greet and
Take
Bags
(On Stage)
Process
Registration
Deliver
Bags
Deliver
Food
Process
Check Out
CONTACT PERSON
Line of Visibility
(Back Stage)
Take
Food
Order
Take Bags
to Room
Line of Internal Interaction
Registration
System
Registration
System
Prepare
Food
SUPPORT PROCESS

13. Blueprint for DVD Rental Kiosk
8-13

14. Why are Maps Useful? provides an integrated view of service
identifies fail points – where things go wrong
communicates what contributes to service provision
but, is it a sufficient view? it is largely a “technical” map and says very little about the interpersonal aspects

15. Building a Service Blueprint
Step 1
Identify the process to be blue-printed
Step 2
Identify the customer or customer segment
Step 3
Map the process from the customer’s point of view
Step 4
Map contact employee actions, onstage and back-stage, and/or technology actions
Step 5
Link contact activities to needed support functions
Step 6
Add evidence of service at each customer action step

16. Blueprints Can Be Used By:
Service Marketers
creating realistic customer expectations:
service system design
promotion
Operations Management
rendering the service as promised:
managing fail points
training systems
quality control
Human Resources Management
empowering the human element:
job descriptions
selection criteria
appraisal systems
System Technology
providing necessary tools:
system specifications
personal preference databases