Question 1

Last summer,Kenta and Sawako spent part of their vacation in St.Louis and Boston,staying at the St.Louis Hilton and the Boston Hilton.When they checked in at the St.Louis Hilton the front desk clerk was very friendly and helpful.However,when they checked in at the Boston Hilton,the front desk clerk was cold and indifferent.The inconsistent front desk clerk behaviors experienced by Kenta and Sawako resulted from:

Accepted Answer

E

Question 2

Rangu read in the newspaper that he could receive a free month's cable television service if he would agree to use the service for two years.The ad had no other stated restrictions and appeared to apply to the entire county in which Jackson lived.When Rangu went by the cable television office,the salesperson there told Rangu that his area of the community was not eligible for the free month offer.If he wanted cable,he had to pay $400 to have the cable service brought to his house.Rangu experienced a problem with:

Accepted Answer

The marketing communication in the newspaper ad did not align with the salesperson's communication at the office, indicating a lack of integration in the communication strategy. This misalignment led to a false promise or expectation from the customer, causing a problem for Rangu.

Question 3

Variations in the supply and demand of services result in:

Accepted Answer

Variations in the supply and demand of services can lead to inadequate management of service promises, as service providers may struggle to meet their commitments to customers during peak periods or experience overcapacity during slow seasons. This can result in dissatisfied customers and damage to the service provider's reputation.

Question 4

When Selena purchased a new refrigerator from Sears,she was told by the salesperson that the refrigerator would be delivered to her apartment Thursday between the hours of 1:00 p.m.and 3:00 p.m.However,the refrigerator was not delivered until 4:00 p.m.on Friday.The late delivery caused Selena to be dissatisfied with Sears' delivery service.Selena's dissatisfaction with Sears' delivery service resulted from:

Accepted Answer

The salesperson made a promise of delivery between specific hours on Thursday, but the delivery was made late on Friday. This shows inadequate management of service promises, as the promised delivery time was not met.

Question 5

Inadequate customer communication occurs when:

Accepted Answer

Inadequate customer communication typically occurs when the service is difficult for the customer to evaluate even after it has been delivered. This can lead to confusion or dissatisfaction on the part of the customer, as they may not understand the value or quality of the service they received. This is often the case with services that have high levels of credence qualities, such as healthcare or legal services.

Question 6

An ad guaranteed that you would be skydiving after only a couple of hours of lessons.Megan was excited at the prospect.After enrolling in the class,she learned that rather than skydiving by herself,which is what the ad implied,she would be skydiving in tandem (belted to another experienced sky diver)due to safety requirements.Megan's disappointment was the result of:

Accepted Answer

The ad guaranteed that Megan would be skydiving by herself after only a couple of hours of lessons, which created expectations that were not met when she learned she would be skydiving in tandem. This shows inadequate management of customer expectations.

Question 7

In which of the following services is inadequate customer communication most likely to result in customer dissatisfaction?

Accepted Answer

In physical rehabilitation therapy, communication between the customer and therapist is crucial for the success of the treatment. Inadequate communication can lead to misunderstandings, ineffective treatment, and ultimately customer dissatisfaction.

Question 8

Cookies is a retail store where customers host parties for guests to bake and decorate cookies.Children attending a party staged at Cookies were upset when the adult owners of the store did all of the baking while they watched.The store owner's insurance provider had told her that she was not covered if a minor was injured on her premises.The children's disappointment was a result of:

Accepted Answer

The children's disappointment was a result of inadequate management of customer expectations. The store marketed itself as a place where children would bake and decorate cookies, leading the children to believe they would be doing the baking themselves. However, this was not the case, and the adult owners of the store did all of the baking instead.

Question 9

Which of the following describes a reason why integrated marketing communications have not been the norm in many companies?

Accepted Answer

Integrated marketing communications require different parts of the company to work together to create a cohesive message. However, in many companies, different departments or teams may be responsible for different aspects of communication, such as advertising, public relations, and social media. This can lead to silos and a lack of integration in the overall communication strategy.

Question 10

Mike hurt his back and has to go to physical therapy every other day.He has a series of exercises he is supposed to do on the days he does not see the therapist.After two months,Mike was not feeling any better and complained to the therapist who at that point realized Mike was not performing all of the stretching exercises that he should be at this point in his rehabilitation.Mike had been handed a booklet when he started his therapy.Because he had only been instructed in how to perform some of the exercises in the booklet but not all of them,he had thought he was not to do the others.Mike feels like he has been wasting his time.The service provider has erred by:

Accepted Answer

The service provider erred by providing inadequate customer education. Mike was given a booklet but not instructed on all of the exercises, leading to confusion about which ones to perform. This lack of clear instruction led to Mike not performing all of the necessary exercises, which hindered his rehabilitation progress.

Question 11

A major cause of _____ is the difference between what a firm promises about a service and what it actually delivers.

Accepted Answer

Poorly perceived service refers to a situation where there is a gap between what customers expect from a service and what they actually receive. One of the major causes of this gap is when a firm promises certain features or benefits of a service but fails to deliver them, leading to disappointment and dissatisfaction among customers.

Question 12

Customer education is beneficial for closing provider gap 4 when:

Accepted Answer

Customer education is especially important for closing provider gap 4 when the supply and demand of the service are not synchronized. This means that there is a mismatch between what the provider is offering and what the customer is expecting. In such a case, educating customers can help manage their expectations and ensure that they understand the limitations and capabilities of the service being offered. This can reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings and complaints, and can ultimately improve the quality and efficiency of the service delivery process.

Question 13

_____ means transmitting information across functional boundaries in an organization to align all functions with customer expectations.

Accepted Answer

Managing horizontal communications means transmitting information across functional boundaries in an organization to align all functions with customer expectations. This ensures that all departments are working together to meet customer needs and expectations.

Question 14

Vernon has a used Nordic Track he wants to sell.He has been told to take it to Play It Again Sports.The retail outlet buys used athletic equipment and resells it.Vernon took his Nordic Track to a store near his house and was given $60 for the machine.Later he learned that other Play It Again Sports stores would have paid him at least $100 for the exercise machine and as much as $120.Vernon's dissatisfaction with Play It Again Sports is the result of:

Accepted Answer

The dissatisfaction is caused by differences in policies and procedures across distribution outlets, as Vernon received different offers for the same Nordic Track at different Play It Again Sports stores.

Question 15

Every functional area in a Marriott Hotel operates under standard operating procedure manuals where all processes and services are carefully documented.Housekeepers,for example,must perform 64 required steps in cleaning a room.These specific guidelines result in uniformly clean rooms anywhere in the Marriott Hotel chain.By having specific guidelines for cleaning a room,Marriott is avoiding one of the problems associated with:

Accepted Answer

Having specific guidelines for cleaning a room is an example of adequate internal marketing communication, ensuring that all employees are aware of the standards and procedures that need to be followed. Therefore, the problem that Marriott is avoiding by having specific guidelines is inadequate internal marketing communication.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about communications and the service marketing triangle is true?

Accepted Answer

External marketing communications refer to the methods used to communicate with customers outside of the business. These methods include advertising, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotions. The other statements in the options are either incorrect (B, C, E) or too general to be true (D).

Question 17

______ occur(s)when a service firm develops an advertising campaign without input from operations and contact personnel are not able to deliver service that matches the image portrayed in the advertising.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ______ occur(s)when a service firm develops an...

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a category of strategy that service providers can use to match service promises with service delivery?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is NOT a...

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a factor that contributes to service communication challenges?

Accepted Answer

Servicescape omniscience is not a factor contributing to service communication challenges. The other options, including management of service promises, service intangibility, management of customer expectations, and customer education, all contribute to the challenges of effectively communicating about services.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a company-controlled factor that influences customer expectations?

Accepted Answer

Word-of-mouth communication is not a company-controlled factor as it is based on the opinions and experiences of customers, which the company cannot fully control. The other options - advertising, personal selling, employee appearance, and pricing strategy - are all factors that companies can control to some degree and that can influence customer expectations.

Quiz 14: Integrated Service Marketing Communications