Deck 12: Researching Service Success and Failure

Question 1

Indirect observation methods provide more comprehensive types of information than direct methods of observation.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

It is best to use a single method for measuring and evaluating service performance.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

It is easy to predict and anticipate all of the variables likely to affect performance quality.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Surveys cannot capture the experiential nature of services.

Question 5

Management by walking around is an unobtrusive observational method.

Question 6

Experimental field testing is used to evaluate new service concepts on a small scale.

Question 7

Obtrusive observation data collection occurs when the observations that are being made are concealed from those being observed.

Question 8

According to Len Berry,great service companies measure service providers' performance,even though they do not reward their excellence.

Question 9

Customer feedback cards are a type of survey method of data collection.

Question 10

Service performance measurement seeks to understand the customers' and the employees' points of view in order to determine what an organization is doing right or wrong.

Question 11

When using an observational technique,service researchers must protect the customer's privacy.

Question 12

A service failure occurs when a customer experience with the service falls short of their expectations.

Question 13

Mystery shopping is an obtrusive method of gathering data about an organization's service performance.

Question 14

Measurement is the heart of quality improvement.

Question 15

Focus groups are helpful for generating useful ideas for new services and service improvements or to explore a service's strengths and weaknesses.

Question 16

A critical incident is an observable event during a service encounter that contributes in a significant way toward a satisfactory or unsatisfactory service experience.

Question 17

Concealed,direct human observation is often the method of choice when it comes to studying services phenomena.

Question 18

Depending on the specific technique selected,observational methods allow the researcher to gain a close-up and thorough picture of the service phenomena.

Question 19

When determining what it is doing right or wrong,the service organization should examine its performance from only the customers' point of view.

Question 20

Employee reports are not useful for collecting information on an organization's service performance.

Question 21

When the focus of a service organization's research is to assess employees' performance,it is important to measure everyone in the organization,regardless of rank.

Question 22

Information collected from service measurement can be used by service managers to accomplish all of the following tasks EXCEPT

A)implementing marketing activities (e.g. ,segmenting and positioning).
B)managing the service personnel.
C)managing the service delivery process.
D)improving aspects of the service setting.
E)Information collected from service measurement can be used by service managers to do all of these tasks.

Question 23

Which of the following research methods is used when subjects (customers)are asked to describe their superior and inferior service delivery experiences?

A)Mystery shopping
B)Employee reports
C)Survey methods
D)Critical incident technique
E)Experimental field testing

Question 24

Service performance measures can be used to accomplish all of the following tasks EXCEPT

A)setting acceptable levels of service standards.
B)letting service employees know what is expected of them.
C)signaling to customers that the service organization cares about them.
D)All of these can be accomplished with service performance measures.
E)None of these can be accomplished with service performance measures.

Question 25

When measuring service performance,it is recommended that measurements be taken on a random basis rather than continuously (i.e. ,on a regular basis).

Question 26

Which of the following data collection techniques should be used when a large number of responses are needed for statistical testing of data?

A)Mystery shopping
B)Employee reports
C)Survey methods
D)Critical incident technique
E)Experimental field testing

Question 27

Which of the following measure(s)is (are)used in a moment of truth impact analysis?

A)Customer expectations of the service organization at the contact point in question
B)Customers' past experiences that detracted from their perception of service excellence at the contact point in question
C)Customers' past experiences that enhanced their perceptions of the service organization at the contact point in question
D)Only measurements B and C are used in a moment of truth impact analysis.
E)All three measurements are used in a moment of truth impact analysis.

Question 28

Measurement of a service performance is a means to an end.

Question 29

A service blueprint can be used as a guide to ensure that all essential aspects of the service experience are covered.

Question 30

Organizations that engage in systematic measurement of their service performance should automatically investigate all aspects of their service delivery systems.

Question 31

Excellent service organizations recognize that research on service successes and failures is not really needed to achieve service profitability.

Question 32

A service organization will benefit from its efforts to measure performance,even if the collected information is not used.

Question 33

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
____________ is an indirect observational method that is used to study the physical environment after a service has occurred.

Question 34

According to Berry and Parasuraman,which of the following is NOT a guideline for a comprehensive service quality information system?

A)Measure service expectations
B)Emphasize information quantity
C)Capture customers' words
D)Link service performance to business results
E)Reach every employee

Question 35

175 29.Which of the following is not a benefit that a service can realize by studying its successes and failures?

A)The service can use the information to reward excellent performance.
B)The service can prioritize its improvement options.
C)The service can take steps to preempt customer-switching behavior.
D)All of these are benefits to the service organization that studies its successes and failures.
E)None of these are benefits to the service organization that studies its successes and failures

Question 36

_________ is(are)the most common method for obtaining a measure of customer satisfaction or service quality.

A)Surveys
B)Observation
C)Trace analysis
D)Management by walking around
E)Moment of truth impact analysis

Question 37

Which of the following characteristics make it difficult for services to achieve success?

A)Services are experiential.
B)Services occur in real time.
C)Services are dynamic.
D)All of these make it difficult for a service to be successful.
E)None of these makes it difficult for a service to be successful.

Question 38

Which of the following data collection methods is used by service organizations to gain comprehensive feedback from their employees?

A)Mystery shopping
B)Employee reports
C)Survey methods
D)Critical incident technique
E)Experimental field testing

Question 39

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
_________ research methods allow the researcher to gain an up-close and thorough picture of service phenomena,depending on the specific technique selected.

Question 40

The information collected through research can help services

A)uncover problem areas in the process of service delivery.
B)discover the extent to which service performance standards have been met.
C)determine which service employees to reward.
D)Information collected through research can be used to help the organization in all of these ways.
E)Information collected through research cannot be used to help the organization in any of these ways.

Question 41

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
Managers who probe a small group of (8 to 12)customers in depth on specific aspects of the service are using a __________ method of data collection.

Question 42

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
____________ is an indirect observation technique that is conducted by reviewing data provided on billing statements to uncover information about service customers.

Question 43

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
The ___________ research method is a traditional approach that is used to collect data from a large number of respondents.

Question 44

Why is it so difficult to achieve service success?

Question 45

You are a manager for a local service organization.Recently,you approached your boss and asked for approval to conduct marketing research.Before deciding whether to approve the study,your boss asked you how you could or would use the information collected through the research.What are the different ways that you,as a service manager,can use the information collected through research? Since project funding depends on your answer,answer as thoroughly as you can.

Question 46

Your boss recently heard about SQIS (i.e. ,a comprehensive service quality information system)and wanted to know if you thought that the system would benefit the company.What is your recommendation? Be sure to support your recommendation.

Question 47

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
___________ is an unobtrusive data-gathering method that relies on people posing as shoppers to observe and collect information about an organization's service performance.

Question 48

You've been assigned to develop a method for systematically measuring the service performance of your company.Describe the approach that you would use to develop the measurement system.

Question 49

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
The ________________ is used to study observable events during a service encounter that contribute in a significant way toward a satisfactory or unsatisfactory service experience.

Question 50

What is the moment of truth impact analysis?

Question 51

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
The ___________________ involves three distinct measurements of one or more customer contact points during the service delivery process.

Question 52

Why is it necessary to study both service successes and failures?

Question 53

COMPLETION QUESTIONS
Observational
Trace Analysis
Receipt Analysis
Mystery Shopping
Survey
Focus Group
Critical Incident Technique
Moment of Truth Impact Analysis
Service Quality Information System
A comprehensive ___________________ will encourage and enable the organization to incorporate the customer's voice into decision making.

Question 54

You are thinking about conducting observational research to understand a service issue.What types of decisions must you make when deciding among alternative observational research methods?

Question 55

What is mystery shopping?

Question 56

What is the critical incident technique?