Deck 18: Customer Service

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of a customer service that customers can expect to find in department stores,specialty stores,and full-line discount stores?

A)acceptance of credit cards
B)alteration of merchandise
C)open 24 hours
D)personal shopper
E)extensive signage to identify merchandise location

Answer 1

A
Explanation: There are many different aspects of customer service;accepting credit cards is a convenience service.

Question 2

Catherine was delighted with the new spring apparel at American Eagle.The sales associate greeted her when she entered the store,showed her the new spring arrivals,then stayed with her throughout her shopping experience bringing her additional items while Catherine was in the dressing room.This sales service can best be described as ______.

A)standardization services
B)individualized retailing
C)micro marketing
D)personalized retailing
E)personalized service

Answer 2

E
Explanation: Personalized services tailor services to meet each customer's personal needs.

Question 3

The steps in effective service recovery are listening to the customer,providing a fair solution and resolving the problem quickly.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Many times the cause of the customer service problem may be difficult to identify,but if these three steps are applied to a customer service problem,the process can aid in effectively recovering the situation.

Question 4

McDonald's with its use of specific procedures for cooking,packaging and delivering the fast food would best be described as using the personalized approach for customer service.

Question 5

A shopper is more likely to notice the standardized service in all of these retailers EXCEPT ______.

A)McDonalds
B)Kmart
C)7-Eleven
D)Walgreens
E)Nordstrom's

Question 6

The standardization service approach encourages service providers to tailor the service to meet each customer's personal needs.

Question 7

The difference between the service aspect and the merchandise aspect of the retail offering is ____________ caused by intangibility of service.

A)inconsistency
B)flexibility
C)affordability
D)planning
E)perishability

Question 8

The customer's perception of the benefits received compared to their costs is procedural fairness.

Question 9

To reduce the delivery gap and to be consistent,retailers require employees get approval from managers before providing any compensation for customer service.

Question 10

A shopper is most likely to notice standardized customer service in ______.

A)McDonald's
B)Nordstrom
C)Ritz Carlton Hotel
D)Bass Pro Shops
E)Marriot Hotel

Question 11

Glamour Shots uses makeup and clothes to try to make each of its customers look attractive.Then it takes photos of these individuals.It makes money by selling these photos.Since each individual is different,each makeover is different as is each camera shoot.Glamour Shots uses a(n)_____ approach to customer service.

A)standardization
B)individualized retailing
C)micro marketing
D)personalized retailing
E)personalization

Question 12

With five children and several nieces and nephews,Bronson has shopped at a lot of toy stores.He really likes The Toy Corner because he can ask for an age specific toy and if they don't have it,they order it and have it delivered at a price he is willing to pay.Bronson feels that The Toy Corner ______.

A)increases motivational analysis
B)controls attitudinal bias
C)exceeds customer expectations
D)encourages learned response
E)develops tangible cue

Question 13

Imogene's expectations about a gift store she had never been in before would be based predominately on _____.

A)her price/quality perception
B)all of her previous shopping experiences
C)her experience at other similar gift stores
D)her multi-attribute index
E)her most recent retail experience

Question 14

When Karen went to Amazon.com,based on her past purchases,the site asked her if she was interested in a new book by Deepak Chopra.It also asked her if she wanted to be reminded when new books by Chopra or authors of similar books became available.Karen was even able to review her past purchases.All of these unique customer services enable Amazon.com to ______.

A)combat the problems associated with service intangibility
B)prevent price comparisons with other electronic retailers of books
C)standardize its service offering
D)differentiate itself from other retailers of books
E)keep their prices low

Question 15

Customers are satisfied when their expectations exceed their experiences.

Question 16

Addressing a customer by name is demonstrating the customer service characteristic of empathy.

Question 17

Customer research in the form of comprehensive studies of customer expectations or customer panels can be used to reduce the knowledge gap.

Question 18

_______ is the set of activities and programs undertaken by retailers to make the shopping experience more rewarding for their customers.

A)Customer satisfaction
B)The retailing mission
C)Retailing strategy
D)Customer service
E)The retailing concept

Question 19

Empowerment means allowing employees at the lowest level of the firm to make decisions on how service is provided to customers.

Question 20

What is the best way a retailer can build customer loyalty and develop a sustainable competitive advantage?

A)lower their prices
B)participate in community service projects
C)expand assortments
D)provide excellent customer service
E)have promotional events

Question 21

Service excellence will occur only when ________.

A)top management provides leadership and demonstrates commitment
B)management resolves every individual complaint
C)top management has centralized all decision making
D)service standards are phrased in generalities
E)employees have been trained on the job

Question 22

Retailers can reduce the knowledge gap by _______.

A)improving the communication between upper management
B)increasing interactions between store managers and corporate inventory planners
C)allowing customers to negotiate for the best price on products
D)interacting with customers through social media sites
E)developing better instrumental support to deliver the service desired by customers

Question 23

The radio advertisement announced the video store would be open until 10:00 P.M.on Friday evenings.When Norm drove to the store to get a copy of the latest Disney video for his daughter's birthday party the next morning,it was only 9:45 P.M. ,but the store was locked up and a sign on the door said the store closes at 9:00pm.This is an example of a _____ gap.

A)communications
B)standards
C)performance
D)knowledge
E)research

Question 24

When JCPenney centralized all their buying activities,store and department managers spent more time working with associates and talking with customers.The result of this was that the company was better able to understand the expectations of the customers.Which of the following gaps was reduced as a byproduct of the centralization?

A)knowledge
B)communications
C)performance
D)standards
E)research

Question 25

Customers at Chapter One Bookstore complained about how long they had to wait while the sales clerk manually looked up mystery books to see which ones were available in the store's inventory.The owner therefore decided to buy a computer and database management program to better manage the store's inventory.Technology was used to reduce the store's _____ gap.

A)communications
B)standards
C)performance
D)delivery
E)knowledge

Question 26

A retailer would be reducing the ______________ gap if it reduced the difference between customer expectation and its perception of customer expectation.

A)communications
B)standards
C)performance
D)knowledge
E)research

Question 27

When Amir opened his seafood market in Alabama,he was amazed at the number of customers who asked him to prepare the fresh lobster,shrimp,and crawfish they had just purchased.When setting up his store,he had not set aside a place for performing this service.Customer research would have prevented this _____ gap.

A)research
B)knowledge
C)performance
D)standards
E)communications

Question 28

When Autumn called the plumber to repair a leak under her kitchen sink,she called the most reputable plumber in her community.After the plumber said he was finished,she paid the bill and went about her business.The next day,Autumn saw water coming from beneath the sink and was stunned to see the repair was done with a strip of duct tape.This is an example of a(n)______.

A)faulty service agreement
B)attitudinal bias
C)assumption response
D)service gap
E)motivational guide

Question 29

The manager of the Warren Wilson College Bookstore believes in the importance of having well-stocked shelves.During the first weeks of each semester,the manager hires additional employees,but because she believes that students prefer to wait in line rather than not have the merchandise they need on the shelf,she has the additional employees spend their workdays stocking shelves.At busy times during the first week of class,students may wait ten or more minutes to check out because there are not enough clerks ringing up sales.Some students get frustrated and leave without buying.This situation indicates a _____ gap.

A)standards
B)communications
C)performance
D)research
E)knowledge

Question 30

At Sonic Drive In restaurants,employees are timed to measure how quickly a customer can place an order and receive his or her food.When drive-thru employees consistently equal or better the norm,the restaurant manager gives them a $10.00 bonus check.The purpose of this type of incentive is to reduce the _____ gap.

A)communications
B)delivery
C)standards
D)knowledge
E)performance

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT one of the gaps that is a component of the service gap?

A)knowledge gap
B)standards gap
C)performance gap
D)communications gap
E)delivery gap

Question 32

The __________ is the difference between customers' expectations and their perceptions of customer service.

A)motivational guide
B)service gap
C)learned response
D)attitudinal bias
E)retail influencer

Question 33

An electronic retailer surveys past customers and asks them what kind of information they needed before making a purchase.It is trying to bridge the _____ gap by using customer research.

A)research
B)standards
C)performance
D)knowledge
E)communications

Question 34

Which of the following would be the best person to make sure that high-quality customer service standards are achieved?

A)the CEO
B)marketing manager
C)store manager
D)advertising manager
E)salespeople

Question 35

When Hector ordered the model fighter jet for $22 from a hobby catalog,he was horrified to find that he was charged almost $19 for shipping charges.He swore never to buy anything from that catalog again.Due to a _____ gap,the catalog lost a customer.

A)standards
B)communications
C)performance
D)knowledge
E)research

Question 36

What happens when the women's department of a store advertises it has someone on staff to do alterations and that person is never available when customers request the service?

A)increased sales
B)sales promotion becomes more important
C)reduced customer satisfaction
D)average inventory turnover increases
E)increased GMROI

Question 37

Which of the following can increase a retailer's actual service performance rather than customer's perspective of service?

A)communications
B)standards
C)performance
D)knowledge
E)delivery

Question 38

Six weeks after Samuel purchased six portable computers for his realty business,he was called by the retailer who sold him the computer and asked if he was happy with the purchase and if there were anything that he would change about the way the store does business.The computer retailer was trying to reduce its _____ gap.

A)research
B)standards
C)performance
D)knowledge
E)communications

Question 39

Which of the following is the best example of a service goal for a retailer that is sincere about reducing the standards gap?

A)"Straighten the merchandise when necessary."
B)"Greet all customers when they enter the selling area."
C)"Respond to emails as soon as possible."
D)"All new inventories should be displayed on racks within 24 hours of its arrival in the shipping area."
E)"Respond positively to all customer complaints."

Question 40

When Desiree ordered her new side-by-side refrigerator,she expected the people who delivered it to carry it into her kitchen and to connect her ice maker.A(n)_____ occurred when the delivery truck driver left the refrigerator on her porch.

A)retail delay
B)attitudinal bias
C)learned response
D)service gap
E)motivational guide

Question 41

Which of the following is an excellent source of information to help a retailer improve its customer service?

A)competitors' sales
B)employee handbook
C)external environmental assessments
D)customers' complaints

Question 42

The difference between the service promised and the service actually delivered is the __________ gap.

A)communications
B)delivery
C)research
D)performance
E)knowledge

Question 43

To reduce the delivery gap,retailers need to:

A)avoid empowering its employees
B)provide service that meet minimal standards to meet minimal obligations to vendors
C)utilize a list of customer contacts to notify them of upcoming events
D)provide employees with necessary skills and knowledge to be able to perform their jobs
E)set up a consumer advisory board for ideas and feedback

Question 44

A customer returned a textbook because she decided to drop the class after a few weeks.The sales clerk refunded the customer's money immediately because the refund policy was "no questions asked".What gap was reduced because of the clearly defined guideline?

A)procurement
B)knowledge standards
C)communications
D)performance
E)delivery

Question 45

Marcel works in the linen department of a large department store.When a customer arrived Friday morning to pick up a Thanksgiving tablecloth she had specially ordered,she was disappointed to find deliveries were late,and the cloth had not yet arrived.She was planning to use it at a Thanksgiving gathering at her home this weekend.Marcel was able to use empowerment to bridge the _____ gap by offering to bring the tablecloth to her home himself as soon as it arrived at the store.

A)knowledge
B)delivery
C)communications
D)research
E)performance

Question 46

Moselle was upset as to the service she received when she was trying to purchase a new handbag.First,the salesperson seemed preoccupied with a conversation with another associate and when she finally recognized Moselle,she was nowhere to be found when Moselle wanted to make a purchase.Moselle plans to make a formal complaint to management.What can a manager do to recover from this service failure?

A)fire the sales associate to reduce service recovery damage
B)encourage the customer to complain by listening without interruption
C)make sure there are plenty of sales associates at all times
D)give the handbag to Moselle for free to show commitment to high-quality customer service

Question 47

Moe's Restaurant offers delicious burritos built to the customer's desires.The atmosphere is fun as when a customer enters,all employees shout,"Welcome to Moe's!" The friendly welcome is a trademark of Moe's.If a regular enters and doesn't receive the cheery welcome,he/she could easily be disappointed.This would be an example of a ____________ gap.

A)performance
B)communications
C)knowledge
D)delivery
E)research

Question 48

Mystery shoppers gather information about all EXCEPT _________.

A)the attitude the sales clerk used with the shopper
B)how long it took the salesperson to greet the incoming shopper
C)how knowledgeable the sales clerk was about merchandise he or she was selling
D)the actions of the sales clerk after the shopper entered the store
E)the price of the merchandise

Question 49

When Thelma went to pick up her cleaning from a dry cleaning store that guaranteed 24-hour service in all of its ads,she was disappointed to find that her clothes would not be ready until the following day.This is an example of a _____ gap.

A)performance
B)delivery
C)knowledge
D)communications
E)research

Question 50

Which gap is reduced by utilizing mystery shoppers?

A)standards
B)consistency
C)product
D)information
E)tangibility

Question 51

Tyson ordered three pizzas at Dominos and was told they would be ready in fifteen minutes.Content with the wait,Tyson decided to walk to the nearby Blockbuster and rent a DVD for the evening.When he returned twenty minutes later,he learned that his order was not yet in the oven and had to wait another 15 minutes to get his pizzas.This is an example of a _____________ gap.

A)performance
B)communications
C)knowledge
D)delivery
E)research

Question 52

The training of employees in how to deal with people,provide better assistance to customers,and explain the use of complex products to potential customers reduces the _____ gap.

A)performance
B)standards
C)communications
D)delivery
E)knowledge

Question 53

How can retailers reduce the delivery gap?

A)survey customers expectations
B)provide employees with the necessary skills and knowledge
C)handle customer complaints
D)interact with customers
E)set service goals

Question 54

An electronic retailer promised a customer that if he or she is dissatisfied with a purchase,returns are quick and easy,but when the purchase is received,there is no information on the electronic retailer's return policies or any return instructions.This is an example of a _____ gap.

A)performance
B)delivery
C)communications
D)research
E)knowledge

Question 55

The Hometown Dog Groomer offered a free flea dip to all of its regular customers.The owner had extra employees to deal with a crowd,but provided only one dip tank,which really slowed down the process.What could the owner do to better deliver the desired service?

A)plan for a better resource-to-yield output
B)provide instrumental support
C)provide better output support
D)have intangible resources readily available
E)have marginal resources readily available

Question 56

When Douglas decided to order the Deluxe Werewolf with Teeth mask out of the "Things You Never Knew Existed" catalog,he called the toll free number.Although the call was answered immediately,the operator took Douglas' information and switched the call twice.Douglas didn't mind that.What bothered him was repeating his contact information and customer ID number three times.What type of service gap did Douglas encounter?

A)knowledge
B)standards
C)performance
D)communications
E)delivery

Question 57

Which of the following is one way to reduce the delivery gap?

A)acting immediately on customer complaints
B)offering hand-held scanners to shoppers to scan bar codes on merchandise
C)hiring mystery shoppers
D)setting sales goals for employees
E)researching customer shopping behavior

Question 58

Customer satisfaction is affected by the amount of time it takes to get a question answered or a problem resolved.Retailers can minimize this time by all EXCEPT:

A)providing customers with clear and precise instructions
B)making sure the store employees approve everything through a manager when it comes to dealing with customers complaints
C)reducing the number of people the customer must contact
D)speaking clearly and using the customer's language
E)not interrupting the customer when they are speaking

Question 59

When Zed purchased his new computer through an Internet retailer,he was promised 24 hours,7 days a week access to a toll-free number where he could talk to a real-life computer technician.When he had trouble with his computer and needed help,he called the number provided and was put on hold for 45 minutes.When the technician got on the phone,Zed was told that there were only two technicians on staff who were dealing with about 150 calls daily.The electronic retailer did not provide _____ for its employees.

A)instrumental support
B)output support
C)resource-to-yield output
D)intangible resources
E)marginal resources

Question 60

Natalie works for a department store.At least once a week,she visits a store in the chain and pretends to be a customer.Once she leaves the store,she records her impressions of the store's sales associates and how she was treated in a notebook.Sales associates who did an above average job handling Natalie's sometimes difficult requests received a small bonus.Natalie is a(n)_________.

A)store employee scanner
B)retail inspector
C)incognito customer
D)mystery shopper
E)store observer

Question 61

Empowerment of employees provides customers with ________ of the service they are receiving.

A)reliability
B)assurance
C)tangibility
D)expertise
E)responsiveness

Question 62

On Friday,Jack went to the bakery and ordered a dozen bagels for work.When he got to work,he discovered the bagels were stale and almost inedible.The next morning he stopped by the bakery to complain.All of the following would be appropriate ways to deal with Jack's complaint EXCEPT:

A)give him a coupon for free coffee
B)give him a $5.00 discount on his next purchase
C)offer him a free replacement dozen doughnuts
D)offer him a heartfelt verbal apology
E)provide him with a coupon for a free breakfast

Question 63

Responding to emails and taking action to the customers' concerns are examples of a retailer's ______.

A)reliability
B)assurance
C)tangibility
D)expertise
E)responsiveness

Question 64

Customer dissatisfaction is inevitable.What are the three steps a retailer should do for service recovery?

Question 65

________ is characteristic of the ability to perform the service as promised.

A)Reliability
B)Assurance
C)Tangibility
D)Expertise
E)Responsiveness

Question 66

What is distributive fairness?

A)the perceived fairness of the process used to resolve complaints
B)the way store employees can focus on getting the customer back into the store
C)the customer's perception of the benefits received compared to their costs
D)the customer's perception of the inequity of the resolution
E)the balanced way of dealing with all customer complaints according to a prescribed format

Question 67

Which of the following would NOT be effective in service recovery?

A)listening to the customer
B)providing a fair solution
C)resolving the problem quickly
D)interrupting the customer

Question 68

Dust free,clean,and organized stores with updated dressing rooms,are examples of a retailer's commitment to service through ________.

A)reliability
B)assurance
C)tangibility
D)expertise
E)responsiveness

Question 69

How have kiosks been used at retailers to improve customer service?

Question 70

How can retailers reduce the knowledge gap?

Question 71

What is the difference between personalized services and standardization services?

Question 72

Which of the following is a good rule for listening to complaints?

A)an apology from the retailer is all that is necessary
B)interrupt complaints when you think the customer is repeating herself
C)allow the customer complain if they feel they haven't been treated properly
D)always offer a refund
E)offer store credit to increase recovery satisfaction

Question 73

Procedural fairness __________.

A)refers to a balanced way of dealing with all customer complaints according to a prescribed format
B)only occurs when tangible responses are given to customers' complaints and the customer is unhappy with the results
C)refers to customers' perceptions of the gains received compared to their inconvenience or loss
D)refers to the procedure used to resolve customers' complaints
E)only occurs if the company has developed specific guidelines to deal with customers' complaints

Question 74

A sales associate who is confronted by a customer whose newly purchased DVD player would not play his DVDs should _______.

A)tell the customer to relate her complaint to a manager
B)avoid placing any blame on the store or its employees for the customer's inconvenience
C)not interrupt the customer's complaint
D)take action only after the customer has requested her system be replaced for the second time

Question 75

Customer satisfaction is affected by the amount of time it takes to get a question answered or a problem resolved.Retailers can minimize this time by:

A)using company jargon when dealing with customers so customers can learn about the products that are offered
B)delegating all handling of complaints to store managers only
C)providing employees the tools and ability to service customers
D)increasing the number of people the customer deals with so the customer can see how the retailer really cares about resolving his or her complaints

Question 76

You are an employee in accessories of a department store.A customer complains about your lack of silk scarves after she saw an advertisement in the newspaper.You are unable to provide a tangible restitution as you are not management.Knowing the concept of procedural fairness,what else could you do to satisfy your customer?

A)offer a rain check
B)provide free gift wrap
C)take their name and number and call them when the next shipment arrives
D)call other stores to see if it is in stock and direct the customer to the other store
E)make a note to the manager in front of the customer about the lack of merchandise

Question 77

What is empowerment and why is empowerment an important factor in setting up the procedures for handling customer complaints?

Question 78

_____ is the perceived fairness of the process used to resolve complaints.

A)Evaluative fairness
B)Perceptual equity
C)Procedural fairness
D)Service equity
E)Distributive fairness

Question 79

Loretta went to Kohl's store to buy thermal underwear for her son stationed in Germany.The underwear had been featured in an ad for $29.99 a pair.When she arrived at the store to learn it had sold out of the underwear,she was disappointed because the underwear had to be wrapped and mailed that day to reach her son for Christmas.The rain check did not satisfy her.In trying to resolve the problem and make Loretta happy,the sales clerk was dealing with ______.

A)distributive fairness
B)evaluative fairness
C)procedural fairness
D)service equity
E)perceptual equity

Question 80

Customers evaluate service characteristics by all of these factors EXCEPT ______.

A)reliability
B)assurance
C)tangibility
D)expertise
E)responsiveness