Deck 11: Managing People for Service Advantage

Question 1

Technical skills encompass all the required knowledge related to processes.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Interpersonal skills include visual communication,attentive listening,and body language and tend to be specific to each service setting.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

From the customer's perspective which of the following is the most important aspect of service?

A)Management's responsiveness to occurrences of failure.
B)Timely delivery of service.
C)Efficient handling of special requests.
D)The encounter with service staff.
E)A fair price.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Suggestion involvement empowers employees to make recommendations through formalized channels.

Question 5

Employee satisfaction typically has little impact on customer satisfaction.

Question 6

A strategy of empowerment is most likely to be appropriate when which of the following factors are present within the organization and its environment?

A)The business strategy is not too customized
B)The organization uses routine technology.
C)The business environment is stable.
D)Customer interactions are relational as opposed to transactional.
E)All of the above.

Question 7

Boundary spanners work in some of the most demanding jobs in service firms.

Question 8

Customer contact personnel have to attend to both operational and marketing goals and this causes person/role conflict.

Question 9

Service employees are important to customers and competitive positioning because the front line ____________.

A)is the most visible part of the firm
B)contains more employees than management
C)is often the first to deal with customer complaints
D)is better trained at dealing with customers than are managers
E)all of the above

Question 10

Empowerment is suitable for all situations.

Question 11

The "Cycle of Failure" includes all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

A)emphasis on rules
B)emphasis on attracting new customers
C)adequate pay and job security
D)low skill levels
E)use of technology to control quality

Question 12

The definition of a team includes all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

A)have complementary skills
B)are committed to a common purpose
C)have well-rounded personalities
D)hold themselves mutually accountable
E)have a set of performance goals

Question 13

Training is most effective at reducing ____________.

A)person/role stress
B)organization/client conflict
C)interclient conflict
D)interorganizational conflict
E)intraorganizational conflict

Question 14

E-mail and telephone service interactions are just as visible as face-to-face interactions.

Question 15

Great references from past employers are not a form of behavioral observation.

Question 16

Companies that engage in a "Cycle of Success" are more likely to have which of the following?

A)Happier employees
B)More loyal customers
C)Higher profit margins
D)Better wages
E)All of the above

Question 17

Outcomes of the "Cycle of Failure" for firms include ____________ and ____________.

A)low service quality; low employee turnover
B)low service quality; high employee turnover
C)high service quality; low employee turnover
D)high service quality; high employee turnover
E)mediocre service quality; unpredictable employee turnover

Question 18

Employees should be trained in all these areas EXCEPT ____________.

A)organizational culture
B)organizational revenue
C)service knowledge
D)interpersonal skills
E)product knowledge

Question 19

Emotional labor is when employees ____________.

A)find it hard to be emotional because they are too overworked
B)have a gap between what they feel inside,and what management expects them to display to their customers
C)have to keep their emotions under control at the work place
D)feel happy all the time because they enjoy their jobs
E)are emotionally stressed by all the demands of their jobs

Question 20

The "Cycle of Mediocrity" is most often found in large,bureaucratic organizations like regulated oligopolies.

Question 21

How should goals be designed,so that they are effective?

Question 22

If a Nordstrom sales associate replaces shirts at no cost to the client,it is an example of ____________.

A)centralized decision-making
B)service theft
C)employee empowerment
D)service sabotage
E)rule setting

Question 23

Give two reasons for using multiple interviewers.

Question 24

Southwest Airlines illustrates a high-involvement company.

Question 25

All employees are eager to be empowered.

Question 26

What are the three main causes of role stress in frontline positions?

Question 27

The suggested salary to attract top performers is in the range of what percentile of the market?

Question 28

What are the three levels of employee involvement?

Question 29

Singapore Airlines uses teams for all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

A)train staff
B)provide emotional support
C)assess staff
D)promote staff
E)mentor cabin crew

Question 30

Training at Apple includes how to phrase words in a positive rather than negative way.

Question 31

How can firms build a strong service culture?

Question 32

According to John Wooden,"Too often,the big talkers are the big doers."

Question 33

Define service culture.

Question 34

One of Ritz-Carlton's hiring principles is ____________.

A)maintain a tight knit group
B)hire people with the right personality
C)"training,training,training"
D)customer service is first
E)new hires lead the way

Question 35

Give an example of a company where the winner of the show gets a chance to join the company.

Question 36

Discuss why call centers are important or unimportant to customer perceptions of service firms.Give an example to back up your argument.

Question 37

Cora Griffth has nine rules of success for excellent service as a waitress.They include all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

A)getting things right the first time
B)listening first
C)anticipating customers' wants
D)treating customers like family
E)taking pride in one's work

Question 38

Excellent service firms use all of the following to identify the best job candidates EXCEPT ____________.

A)observing behavior
B)conducting personality tests
C)interviewing applicants
D)viewing transcripts
E)providing applicants with realistic job previews

Question 39

The Ritz-Carlton uses personality profiles to select the best applicants.

Question 40

What is job content?

Question 41

Describe how Disney selects the right people.

Question 42

Discuss the causes and implications of low-pay/high turnover human resource strategies.

Question 43

How is Cora Griffith's work strategy indicative of the "Cycle of Success?"

Question 44

Give an example of an organization that helps company's build a service culture.

Question 45

What is the key philosophy of Singapore Airlines?