Deck 8: Designing Quality Services

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true?

A) It is easy to obtain hard data relating to services because services' attributes are intangible.
B) Simultaneous production and consumption of services means that you have to do it right the first time.
C) Customer contact leads to a decrease in variability in the process.
D) Service liability issues center around safety concerns.
E) Manufacturing liability issues often relate to malpractice.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is not a quality dimension relating to services?

A) empathy
B) assurance
C) durability
D) tangibles
E) responsiveness

Answer 2

C

Question 3

________ services are those whose customers pay the bills.

A) External
B) Tangible
C) Internal
D) Discrete
E) Intangible

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The SERVQUAL tool for assessing services quality was developed by ________.

A) Hammer and Champy
B) Juran, Deming, and Shewhart
C) Ishikawa and Taguchi
D) Feigenbaum, Crosby, and Peters
E) Parasuraman, Zeithamel, and Berry

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of a voluntary service?

A) police department
B) hospital
C) gas station
D) the IRS
E) fire department

Question 6

________ shows the difference between actual customer expectations and management's idea or perception of customer expectations.

A) Gap 1
B) Gap 2
C) Gap 3
D) Gap 4
E) Gap 5

Question 7

________ shows the difference between expected service and perceived service.

A) Gap 1
B) Gap 2
C) Gap 3
D) Gap 4
E) Gap 5

Question 8

The heterogeneous nature of services means that ________.

A) no two services are exactly the same
B) they cannot be inventoried
C) customers cannot be involved in the production of the service
D) production and consumption of services occur simultaneously
E) cannot be carried in stock over long periods of time

Question 9

________ refers to the professionalism of the service provider and whether reasonable measures were taken to ensure the customer's well-being.

A) Malpractice
B) Negligence
C) Indifference
D) Mismanagement
E) Empathy

Question 10

The two parts of the SERVQUAL survey are ________.

A) customer expectations and customer perceptions
B) service quality and product quality
C) product integrity and customer service
D) services liability and manufacturing liability
E) service vision and high standards

Question 11

________ services include services such as data processing, printing, and mail.

A) Tangible
B) External
C) Internal
D) Intangible
E) Discrete

Question 12

________ service attributes cannot be inventoried or carried in stock over long periods of time.

A) Continuous
B) Objective
C) Tangible
D) Discrete
E) Intangible

Question 13

Services that we actively seek out and employ of our own accord are referred to as ________ services.

A) voluntary
B) internal
C) external
D) intangible
E) involuntary

Question 14

Gap 4 shows the difference between ________.

A) service delivery and external communications to customers
B) management perceptions of customer expectations and expected service
C) service delivery and service quality specifications
D) expected service and perceived service
E) service quality specifications and management perceptions of customer expectations

Question 15

________ shows the difference between service delivery and service quality specifications.

A) Gap 1
B) Gap 2
C) Gap 3
D) Gap 4
E) Gap 5

Question 16

Services that individuals do not choose to engage are referred to as ________ services.

A) internal
B) voluntary
C) intangible
D) involuntary
E) external

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Tangible service attributes cannot be inventoried or carried in stock over long periods of time.
B) The homogeneous nature of services means that no two services are exactly the same.
C) Production and consumption of services often occur simultaneously.
D) Customers cannot exert control over the service provider to achieve customization.
E) Customers tend to be more involved in the production of goods than in the production of services.

Question 18

In many restaurants, it is common for customers to fill their own drinks. This activity is an example of ________.

A) customer compliance
B) customer interaction
C) customer coproduction
D) customer proactivity
E) customer conformity

Question 19

The participation of a customer in the delivery of a service product is called ________.

A) customer interaction
B) customer coproduction
C) customer conformity
D) customer proactivity
E) customer compliance

Question 20

Gap 2 shows the difference between ________.

A) service delivery and external communications to customers
B) management perceptions of customer expectations and expected service
C) service delivery and service quality specifications
D) expected service and perceived service
E) service quality specifications and management perceptions of customer expectations

Question 21

A university administered the SERVQUAL survey to its customers as a way to assess its current position in the market. On the basis of 80 responses, the following averages were computed for the tangibles construct.
What is the difference for the tangibles dimension?

A) -1.50
B) -0.575
C) 1.50
D) 0.575
E) not enough data to determine the answer

Question 22

________ service packages are of the one-size-fits-all variety.

A) Unique
B) Selective
C) Restricted
D) Generic
E) Constricted

Question 23

The idea behind fail-safing is to ensure that ________.

A) certain errors will never occur
B) customer expectations are met
C) the highest risks are eliminated
D) forward planning takes place
E) the importance of quality is not neglected

Question 24

Intangible service attributes cannot be inventoried or carried in stock over long periods of time.

Question 25

A ________ is a flowchart that isolates potential fail points in a process.

A) services statement
B) services draft
C) services plan
D) services blueprint
E) services data table

Question 26

Which of the following best defines the back office in a service blueprint?

A) the area in the firm where the majority of the work is done
B) the portion of the firm's activities that the customer cannot see but is necessary to perform
C) the portion of the firm's activities that the customer can see
D) the area in the firm where the majority of the profitability is generated
E) the area in the firm where the employees plan quality initiatives

Question 27

The phenomenon of customers providing themselves, their belongings, and information as process inputs is known as ________.

A) the reinvention process
B) services blueprinting
C) the Unreliable Supplier Dilemma
D) the capricious labor theory
E) service transaction analysis

Question 28

The first stage of the service benefit package design process is ________.

A) service concept investigation
B) facilities requirement definition
C) process definition and selection
D) the definition of a services package
E) idea/concept generation

Question 29

In a customer benefits package, tangibles are known as ________.

A) service-content
B) process-content
C) product-content
D) quality-content
E) goods-content

Question 30

The production and consumption of services often occur simultaneously.

Question 31

What is the first step in the development of a service blueprint?

A) identify processes
B) isolate fail points
C) establish a time frame
D) eliminate highest risks
E) analyze profits

Question 32

Which of the following best defines the front office in a service blueprint?

A) the portion of the firm's activities that the customer can see
B) the area in the firm where the majority of the work is done
C) the portion of the firm's activities that the customer cannot see but is necessary to perform
D) the area in the firm where the majority of the profitability is generated
E) the area in the firm where the employees plan quality initiatives

Question 33

In a customer benefits package, intangibles are referred to as ________.

A) service-content
B) goods-content
C) quality-content
D) process-content
E) product-content

Question 34

________ is a service improvement technique that allows managers to analyze their service processes at a very detailed level.

A) Generic service analysis
B) Selective service analysis
C) Service transaction analysis
D) Service data analysis
E) Service quality analysis

Question 35

The fail points in the service blueprint are often referred to as ________.

A) defining events
B) turning points
C) poka-yokes
D) moments of truth
E) tangibles

Question 36

________ service packages are especially tailored for each customer.

A) Selective
B) Constricted
C) Unique
D) Restricted
E) Generic

Question 37

The package of tangibles and intangibles that make up a service is referred to as a(n) ________.

A) quality output package
B) internal services package
C) service vision package
D) fail-safe package
E) customer benefits package

Question 38

A university administered the SERVQUAL survey to its customers as a way to assess its current position in the market. On the basis of 80 responses, the following averages were computed for the reliability construct.
What is the difference for the reliability dimension?

A) -0.2
B) -0.025
C) 0.025
D) 0.2
E) not enough data to determine the answer

Question 39

The outputs of service are homogeneous, which means that no two services are exactly the same.

Question 40

Which of the following is not one of the four stages of the service benefit package design process?

A) idea/concept generation
B) service concept investigation
C) the definition of a services package
D) process definition and selection
E) facilities requirement definition

Question 41

The greater potential for increasing customer satisfaction lies in addressing tangibles first.

Question 42

Internal and external services are similar in that competitive pressures can result in the possible loss of customers.

Question 43

A hospital is an example of a voluntary service.

Question 44

When a retailer incorrectly feels that the majority of his customers are men shopping for tools when in fact most customers are women shopping for linens, they are experiencing gap 2.

Question 45

The SERQUAL instrument is useful for performing gap analysis.

Question 46

For both manufacturing and service firms, the customer is the core of the business.

Question 47

Data processing, printing, and mail are examples of external services.

Question 48

The SERVQUAL instrument is accepted as a standard for assessing different dimensions of services quality.

Question 49

Measurable dimensions, such as height and weight, are often unavailable in services.

Question 50

Customers can exert control over the service provider and achieve customization.

Question 51

Voluntary services are services that we actively seek out and employ of our own accord.

Question 52

W. Edwards Deming developed the SERVQUAL survey for assessing services quality.

Question 53

Customer contact leads to a decrease in variability in the process.

Question 54

Leaders with service vision view service quality as the force underlying profitability and business success.

Question 55

Internal services are those whose customers pay the bills.

Question 56

Customers tend to be more involved in the production of goods than in the production of services.

Question 57

A gas station is an example of an involuntary service.

Question 58

In services liability issues center around safety concerns, whereas in manufacturing liability issues relate to malpractice.

Question 59

The two parts of a SERVQUAL survey are services liability and manufacturing liability.

Question 60

Simultaneous production and consumption of services means that you have to do it right the first time.

Question 61

In a services blueprint, the area above the line of visibility is referred to as the back office.

Question 62

Capricious labor occurs because many services customers provide themselves as labor inputs into the production process.

Question 63

Services process blueprinting places the focus on front-office activities.

Question 64

The fail points in the services blueprints are referred to as turning points.

Question 65

The Unreliable Supplier Dilemma occurs because service companies receive most of their supplies from other service companies.

Question 66

The first step in the development of a services blueprint is to isolate fail points.

Question 67

Service supply chains are bidirectional, which means that service customers actually provide inputs to the supply chain.

Question 68

The first stage of the service benefit package design process is the definition of a services package.

Question 69

A services blueprint is a flowchart that isolates potential fail points in a process.

Question 70

Selective services packages are especially tailored for each customer.

Question 71

Differentiate between internal services and external services and explain the role of outsourcing in the provision of internal services.

Question 72

Define the term customer coproduction.

Question 73

Gap 4 is the difference between expected and perceived services.

Question 74

The objective of customer benefits package design is to evaluate each attribute in terms of process and service encounter capability.

Question 75

Gap 3 is the difference between service delivery and service quality specifications.

Question 76

The idea behind fail-safing is to ensure that certain errors will never occur.

Question 77

In a customer benefits package, the tangibles that define the service are known as service-content.

Question 78

Differentiate between voluntary and involuntary services with examples.

Question 79

Generic services packages are of the one-size-fits-all variety.

Question 80

Gap 1 shows that there can be a difference between actual customer expectations and management's idea or perception of customer expectations.