Services Marketing

Convenor: Anastasia Stathopoulou
Assessment: a two-hour written examination (75% of the overall mark) and an individual 2,500 words coursework (25% of the overall mark).  The deadline for the coursework is 9th March 2012 (absolute cut-off deadline 23rd March 2012).

Aims

The aims of this module are to introduce the nature of Services Marketing, to examine the theories, principles and practices of Services Marketing. This includes understanding services, services positioning, managing the interface between customers and service companies (Process, Physical Environment, and People). The focus on the module is applying the 7’s to the services marketing industry.

Learning objectives

The course has the following learning objectives:

• Understand the nature of Services Marketing, how consumer behaviours relate to services and how services can be positioned. how marketing mixes apply to the development of the Services Marketing and demonstrate this understanding by assessing Services Marketing problems and questions during seminar work.
• Define and interpret the meaning of 3 P’s (Process, Physical Environment, and People) and apply to Services Marketing context and use this interpretation to help assess case study problems.
• Analyse and assess specific Services Marketing strategies developed and managed by organisations by presenting solutions to case study problems and assessed group work.
• Evaluate and address key issues in implementing and managing effective of the Services Marketing in case studies.

Content

The Issues in services marketing course will act as an overall introduction and feeder for students wishing to understand how Marketing decisions are made and implemented in services context. It will provide students with a general understanding of the basic concepts and practices of services marketing. Topics addressed will include: Introduction to services marketing, the service buying processes, Service positioning and targeting. The module will increase students’ intellectual appreciation and critical engagement, through focusing on key issues such as service offer, build customer loyalty, customer relationship management, complaint handling and service quality.

Background reading

• Zeithaml V. A., Bitner M. J. and Gremler D. D., (2009), Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus across the Firm, 5th edition, McGraw-Hill International Edition.