Question 1

All products and services are intangible.

Accepted Answer

Products can be tangible (such as a physical item), while services are intangible (such as a haircut or consulting).

Question 2

Listening to the customer is the first step in service recovery.

Accepted Answer

Listening to the customer's concerns and complaints is critical in understanding their perspective, which enables the service provider to develop an appropriate solution to address the issue and win back the customer's trust and loyalty.

Question 3

Many services marketers use training and standardization to reduce service perishability.

Accepted Answer

Service perishability refers to the fact that services cannot be stored for later sale or use. Training and standardization are used to ensure consistency and quality in service delivery, not to reduce perishability.

Question 4

The knowledge gap is where "the rubber meets the road," where the customer directly interacts with the service provider.

Accepted Answer

The knowledge gap refers to the difference between customers’ expectations of the service provided and the company’s provision of the service. It's not specifically about the direct interaction between the customer and the service provider.

Question 5

The zone of tolerance refers to the area between customers' expectations regarding their desired service and the minimum level of acceptable service.

Accepted Answer

The zone of tolerance is defined as the range of service delivery the customer is willing to accept, falling between their desired and minimum levels of service. Hence, option A is correct.

Question 6

In the marketing of services,empowerment means allowing employees to make decisions about how service is provided to customers.

Accepted Answer

Empowerment in the marketing of services refers to providing employees with the authority and tools to make decisions about how best to serve customers. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Question 7

The Gaps Model allows systematic examination of all aspects of the product creation process.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Gaps Model allows systematic examination of...

Question 8

Firms that primarily sell products view service as a method to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.

Accepted Answer

Many firms that primarily sell products incorporate services as a way to differentiate themselves from competitors, enhance customer loyalty, and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage by adding value beyond the physical product.

Question 9

The building blocks of service quality are reliability,responsiveness,assurance,empathy,and tangibles.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true. The building blocks of service quality are reliability (ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately), responsiveness (willingness to help customers and provide prompt service), assurance (knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence), empathy (caring and individualized attention to customers' needs) and tangibles (physical evidence of the service such as facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel).

Question 10

When Buffalo Bank required all customers to use their online banking services,over 20 percent of their customers closed their accounts.In this scenario,Buffalo Bank's service fell outside customers' zone of tolerance.

Accepted Answer

The fact that over 20 percent of customers closed their accounts suggests that the mandatory online banking service was beyond their zone of tolerance, which is the range of service quality that customers deem acceptable for a particular industry or service.

Question 11

The communications gap can be reduced by managing customer expectations.

Accepted Answer

By effectively managing customer expectations through clear communication and transparency, the likelihood of misunderstandings and miscommunications is reduced, leading to a smaller communications gap.

Question 12

The marketing of services differs from the marketing of products because services are tangible and separable from the service provider.

Accepted Answer

The statement is false. Services are intangible and inseparable from the service provider, which makes their marketing different from product marketing.

Question 13

Along the service-product continuum,which of the following would be considered the most service dominant?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Along the service-product continuum,which of the following...

Question 14

A delivery gap is the difference between the firm's standards and the actual service it provides to customers.

Accepted Answer

A delivery gap is indeed the difference between the firm's standards and the actual service it provides to customers.

Question 15

One use of marketing research is to provide an effective means to understand consumers' service expectations and their perceptions of service quality.

Accepted Answer

Marketing research is commonly used to gather information about consumers' service expectations and perceptions of service quality, which can provide valuable insights for improving a company's offerings and overall customer satisfaction.

Question 16

Along the service-product continuum,which of the following would be considered the most product dominant?

Accepted Answer

A grocery store is considered the most product dominant because it primarily deals with tangible and physical goods (i.e. food products) rather than services. The other options involve a significant service component - an auto repair shop services vehicles, a doctor's office provides medical services, a cell phone service provider sells a combination of products and services, and a restaurant provides both food products and service.

Question 17

By providing good customer service,firms __________ their products or services.

Accepted Answer

By providing good customer service, firms add value to their products or services. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, sales. Good customer service can differentiate a company from its competitors and create a positive reputation in the marketplace.

Question 18

Procedural fairness pertains to a customer's perception of the benefits received compared to the costs of the inconvenience or loss.

Accepted Answer

Procedural fairness refers to the perceived fairness of the processes and procedures used to make decisions, not the comparison of benefits received to costs of inconvenience or loss.

Question 19

In training service providers,service quality goals should be general to allow for the various needs of consumers.

Accepted Answer

Service quality goals should be specific and measurable, not general, in order to ensure consistency in meeting the needs of consumers. General goals may be too vague and not properly address the specific needs of different consumers.

Question 20

A service is any intangible offering that involves a deed,performance,or effort that

Accepted Answer

A service is an intangible product that cannot be physically possessed, unlike a physical product.

Quiz 13: Services: The Intangible Product