Service Encounter Journal Analysis - Personal Statement Example

Service Encounter Journal and Analysis Journal Entry Week Firm: Taylor's Exxon Service Station Type of Service: Fuel and auto repair The specific service I sought was the replacement of a bulb in the headlamp of my vehicle. I called on the telephone before I came, and they said they could perform the change very quickly. I rate my satisfaction with the service with a 7, the highest mark, because they performed the service quickly and a reasonable cost. They were also very courteous to me, and made a little small talk, as well. There is really nothing they could have done to make the experience better, because of the low cost, quick service, and courteous employees. I am extremely likely (score of 7) to purchase from them again. Journal Entry: 2 Week: 2 Firm: L & L Convenience Store Type of Service: Fuel, groceries, daily use items I stopped at this convenience store to buy fuel and get a newspaper. I was involved with an employee at the check-out register. My overall satisfaction is rated at 2, because the cashier was upset when I misspoke about how much money I had, so she had to cancel the transaction on her register. Although I apologized for causing her the extra work, she did not look appeased, and made a remark to her coworker about it as I left. I am definitely not going to purchase from them again (score of 1). Journal Entry: 3 Week: 3 Firm: Food Lion grocery store Type of Service: Full-service grocery I visited this store to pick up a few groceries and had two interactions with employees: one directed me to the right part of the store to find cake mix, and the cashier rang up my purchase. My overall satisfaction is rated at 7, because the employee who directed me completely stopped what he was doing to talk, made eye contact, and appeared pleased to help. Also, the cashier let me use the special discount card they keep for customers who forgot theirs. They were professional and efficient, so I will definitely return (score of 7). Journal Entry 4: Week: 4 Firm: RBC Bank Type of Service: Banking services My object in visiting the bank was to purchase two savings bonds. The bank uses tellers to complete such transactions. My overall satisfaction is rated at 2, because the teller clearly did not want to conduct this lengthy business. I wrote down important information for her, but she copied it incorrectly into the computer, so it had to be changed. I only had time to buy one bond, and then had to leave because I was going to be late for another appointment. Perhaps I could have come in the middle of the morning when the bank was not so busy. The teller could have been more efficient and not shown her displeasure. Still, my accounts are there, so I rate my likelihood to return at 7. Journal Entry: 5 Week: 5 Firm: Bill's Barber Shop Type of Service: Personal care My hair was getting long, so I visited the shop for a trim. Employee involvement came from the person who greeted me and the barber who cut my hair. My overall satisfaction is rated at 4. I received a good haircut at a good price, but it took a very long time. The barber should have kept working while he talked to me, but instead, liked to stop and make eye contact for every sentence! I could have asked the barber to work faster, or he could have sensed that I felt it was taking too long. My likelihood of returning is rated at 1. There are other shops in town. Journal Entry: 6 Week: 6 Firm: Nationwide Insurance Co. Type of Service: Auto and home insurance It was time to make my car insurance payment, and I dealt with a representative who accepted my check and gave me a receipt. She also set me up for electronic fund transfers. My overall satisfaction is rated at 6, because she was quick, efficient, and courteous. There was nothing she or I could have done to make the transaction better. My likelihood of returning is rated 7. They have earned my business and loyalty. Journal Entry: 7 Week: 7 Firm: US Postal Service Type of Service: Package delivery I had to ship a large package, and the clerk did not want to deal with it. She looked bothered and said right away it might be too big. She hemmed and hawed through measuring the box and entering the data in her computer. I could have made the transaction better by phoning ahead with the dimensions of the box, and she could have taken steps to hide her displeasure. I did not like feeling like my business was a bother to her, and the shipping was very expensive, so my overall satisfaction is 2. Still, my likelihood of returning is a 7 because I use the USPS quite frequently. Part B. In my service encounters, the factor that most influenced my overall satisfaction was not price, or the quality of the product, but, instead, the quality of service I received. This is consistent with the view expressed by Pasuraman and Berry (2004), who contend that premium service lays the foundation for effective services marketing. They state that "When a company performs a service carelessly, when it makes avoidable mistakes . . . it shakes the customers' confidence in its capabilities and undermines its chances of earning a reputation for service excellence." Although quality of service is what I best remember about each transaction, even it does not entirely dictate whether or not I will return to a company. During these tortuous economic times, how much we pay for goods and services is more important than usual. But I seem to assume that providers are going to keep their costs well in line with their competition, so I look at product quality and service quality more so. For instance, there are many barber shops from which to choose. If there is a price difference of a few dollars for a better quality product or service, I will often pay it without hesitation. This is true even when the price difference is a large percentage of the total cost: for instance, the difference between a $15 cut and an $18 cut is 20% - an increase that would make many consumers cringe. But the percentage increase is worthwhile to me if my head looks better or the service encounter was pleasant. I assume that grocery stores are going to compatible in price, or, if something has a lower price, it probably means some other product is higher in price than its competitors. I believe I worry most about price during encounters such as the one at the automobile service station. When I am dealing with small businesses, especially ones where deceit and broad price ranges are somewhat common, I am more concerned about paying a price that is out of line. In this instance, it was obvious that my problem was a burned-out headlamp. So I felt safe that I wouldn't be charged for parts and labor that I didn't need. When I received my bill, it actually seemed like a small amount for how much the part cost and how much time they spent on the procedure. By working quickly and efficiently, and delivering me a bill with a small total, I feel more confident trusting them with bigger, more complex jobs in the future. I also assume that product quality among many of these firms is going to be the same. Banks are going to offer about the same interest rates on my accounts - even if the difference is a point or two, it won't add up to much at the year's end. Grocery stores and convenience stores carry the same product lines. Insurance services are largely comparable - a customer can pay more if they want better coverage, or less if they want sparser coverage. Service quality is by far the most important factor in providing me overall satisfaction and getting me to return to a store. Human beings are information gatherers by nature. We gather this information and try to make sense of it for one major reason: to create premises upon which we can base future decisions. When an employee makes me feel as if I am not so smart because I calculated incorrectly, or that the transaction for which I'm asking is complicated and a burden, it creates a negative impression that will be almost impossible to overcome, because I will not give them additional chances to mistreat me. When employees are courteous, efficient, and appear glad to have my business, I am very likely to leave with positive impressions of that business. When it comes time to seek the service again, or if a friend asks where they can receive good service, I am likely to return to that store and encourage others to go there, too. Consumers form buying habits that can be a business owner's best friend. If we have had good experiences with a business, we are often reluctant to take a chance on a different provider. Business owners would do well to remember that any transaction with a customer is potentially the last one. Is it easier to keep old customers, or find new ones We all know the answer. Unfortunately, poor service received will not convince me to change providers in every instance. The US Postal Service is convenient and familiar. I know how it works. I also know that there are other clerks at my branch who almost always provide good customer service, even recalling my name. I'm also unlikely to change my bank because of a bad service experience. It is considerable trouble to move all of the accounts, and would require precious hours spent visiting each bank. In sum, poor quality and ease of change probably combine to determine when I am likely to seek different providers of goods and services. The exchange that bothered me the most was at the L & L Convenience Store. How should the organization have responded to this encounter It's true that it was my fault - I didn't correctly add the total of my purchases, so I told her I was going to purchase more fuel than I could actually afford. Fixing the problem meant she had to push a few extra buttons on the cash register. She pushes many buttons on the register each work day, so, while I would not deliberately want to create extra work for anyone, I really felt she overreacted to the inconvenience. The organization could have had an instant response if the employee had reacted differently. Instead of her reaction, she could have made a small joke about the matter, or said something to the effect of, "No problem! Everybody makes these kinds of mistakes once in a while." She also could have taken steps to make sure her displeasure did not show on her face. Sometimes it's hard to have patience with customers when an employee has to address the same problems everyday, but it is important to customers. Halinen (2002) notes "The development of a business relationship is an important issue for both the buyer and the seller, in their attempts to do profitable business with each other and attain their respective goals through exchange." With one quick exchange, this convenience store convinced me to never shop there again. I can get newspapers and fuel at five other places within two miles. Perhaps the economic crisis is not affecting their bottom line as much as it some of their competitors - they certainly are acting that way. If the management was made aware of the situation, they might respond in a number of different ways. A manager could simply talk to the employee about the importance of good service, and state that the employee's conduct was incorrect and unacceptable. If the employee usually provides good customer service, this would be enough - but if this kind of incident happened with the same employee before, a verbal or written warning might be appropriate. The manager could also use this as a reason to provide some reinforcing service quality training in the next staff meeting. Over the course of these service encounter experiences, I realized exactly how important the quality of service is to me. As my management philosophies evolve, I know that finding ways to provide excellent service quality will be at their core. Customers deserve it, the economic crisis demands it, and the effective manager will provide it. References Halinen, A. (2002). Relationship marketing in professional services: A study of agency-client dynamics in the advertising sector. Routledge Advances in Management and Business Studies. Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://wf2dnvr5.webfeat.org/Y8JkK17/url=http://www.netlibrary.com/Reader/ Pasuraman, A., & Berry, L. (2004). Marketing services: Competing through quality. New York: Simon and Schuster. Read More