Deck 9: Managing people for service advantage

Question 1

Frontline employees who anticipate customers' needs are examples of the truism that highly ____ people are the core of service excellence.

A)trained
B)organised
C)motivated
D)successful
E)supported

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Frontline staff members do all of the following EXCEPT:

A)anticipate customer's needs
B)set strategic direction for the firm
C)customise service delivery
D)build personal relationships with customers
E)assist in creating customer loyalty

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Boundary-spanning employees tend to experience significant stress due to the following EXCEPT:

A)conflict between job requirements and employees' personalities
B)genuine feelings of friendliness toward customers
C)conflict between employees' self-image and the image of their jobs as 'low-level'
D)the need to cope with customer aggression
E)the struggle to achieve ever-increasing sales and service targets

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Service encounters that are absolutely critical are called:

A)satisfiers
B)satisficers
C)moments of satisfaction
D)critical paths
E)moments of truth

Question 5

The effect of shifting the organisational culture from being a call centre to a solution-oriented approach is likely to reduce the affect of:

A)burnout
B)service recovery
C)job resourcefulness
D)emotional exhaustion
E)a and d

Question 6

A frontline staff member with low self-esteem may experience what type of conflict?

A)Internal-external
B)Person-role
C)Organisation-client
D)Inter-client
E)Psychological-financial

Question 7

The service profit chain, developed from analyses of successful service organisations, puts ___ values on ____ measures.

A)soft; hard
B)quantifiable; consumer
C)hard; soft
D)social; financial
E)customer; company

Question 8

Those service personnel who directly interface with customers are referred to as:

A)sales people
B)marketers
C)boundary spanners
D)line personnel
E)staff personnel

Question 9

Which of the following are the most demanding jobs in service businesses?

A)Upper management
B)Middle management
C)Frontline supervisors
D)Frontline staff
E)Divisional management

Question 10

If you were looking for a service organisation in which to invest your money, which of the following parts of the customer profit chain would most influence your decision?

A)Service climate
B)Branch profitability
C)Customer satisfaction
D)Revenue growth
E)b and d

Question 11

The cause of the increase in telephone- and email-based services is that there has been a shift from_________.

A)low contact to high contact
B)high contact to low contact
C)low contact to no contact
D)visual contact to high contact
E)high contact to aural contact

Question 12

A hotel guest has asked for the use of an iron.The company policy is that only the hotel laundry staff can use hotel irons.Which of the following terms would best describe this situation?

A)Customer aggression
B)Deep acting
C)Role conflict
D)Self-perception
E)Clear roles for boundary spanners

Question 13

Frontline staff members are a key determinant in customer _______ and _______, playing an important role in the ___________.

A)encounters; word of mouth; financial success
B)satisfaction; loyalty; service profit chain
C)dissatisfaction; defection; financial viability
D)satisfaction; defection; operational viability
E)dissatisfaction; loyalty; profitability

Question 14

Service staff members are called to deal with customer complaints that a cinema patron is talking on their mobile phone and a group of teens are drinking alcohol and yelling in the back row.In this situation, which of the following is a possible risk?

A)Person-role conflict
B)Low self-esteem
C)Boundary-spanning behaviour
D)Employee stress and burnout
E)Failure to 'professionalise' frontline jobs

Question 15

Which of the following conditions do NOT contribute to role conflict for service staff members?

A)'Professionalising' frontline jobs
B)Jobs that are inconsistent with employees' self-perception
C)Perceiving difficult service jobs as low-level jobs
D)Expecting employees to minimise costs while delighting customers
E)Service jobs that involve a multiplicity of roles

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the employee cycle of failure?

A)Narrow design of job to accommodate high skill levels
B)Emphasis on rules rather than service
C)Use of technology to control quality
D)Paying of low wages
E)Minimal effort on selection or training

Question 17

Which of the following actions would help call centre staff to handle role stressors?

A)Recruiting staff who score low in job resourcefulness
B)Using professional trainers, not other frontline employees, to deliver training
C)Simplifying work with a culture that is 'just a call centre'
D)Strictly following scripts, rather than leaving situations to employees' discretion
E)Working with frontline employees to identify and resolve role ambiguity

Question 18

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 19

Which of the following are reasons why frontline staff members are important to a service firm?

A)They are often the most important aspect of the service to customers
B)They deliver the service and significantly determine service quality
C)They represent the firm to customers
D)They represent an important source of differentiation
E)All of the above

Question 20

_________ may occur when employee morale is so low that frontline staff members become hostile to customers or fellow employees.

A)Satisfaction failure
B)Service failure
C)Service sabotage
D)Satisfaction sabotage
E)Employee sabotage

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the cycle of mediocrity?

A)Delivery standards prescribed by rigid rulebooks
B)Orientation towards standardised services
C)Innovative work practices
D)Narrowly defined job responsibilities
E)Little incentive to improve performance

Question 22

In an organisation that practises the methods of the wheel of successful human resources, you need leadership to be committed to ensuring:

A)the organisation as a whole is committed to supporting the frontline
B)a strong service culture
C)a passion for service and productivity
D)values that inspire and energise
E)all of the above

Question 23

Jim Collins (1999) suggests that the old adage 'People are the most important asset' is wrong.What does he suggest is a company's most important asset?

A)An adequate number of people
B)Financial flexibility
C)Operational efficiency
D)The right people
E)Operational effectiveness

Question 24

The approach to managing people characterised by clearly defined roles, top-down control systems, hierarchical pyramid structures and an assumption that management knows best is called:

A)production-orientation
B)management-control
C)production-line
D)centralised authority
E)devolved authority

Question 25

Which of the following are qualities which were identified as being unable to be taught rather than are intrinsic to the personality of the employee?

A)Service attitude
B)Charm
C)Work ethic
D)All of the above
E)a and c

Question 26

Companies attempt to create a cycle of success by all of the following EXCEPT:

A)offering attractive compensation packages to attract quality staff
B)narrowly prescribe jobs
C)provide frontline staff with training
D)empower frontline staff to control quality
E)encourage higher quality service to create customer value

Question 27

Goals are effective motivators of service staff if they are:

A)specific
B)attainable
C)accepted by staff
D)seen as important by staff
E)all of the above

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of high-performance service-delivery teams?

A)Members share a common purpose and goals.
B)Communication between team members is facilitated.
C)Teams take more responsibility and require less supervision.
D)Teams set lower performance targets for themselves.
E)Team members share knowledge.

Question 29

Personality can be defined as those ________of a person that account for ________ patterns of behaviour.

A)characteristics; consistent
B)values; consistent
C)characteristics; reliable
D)values; reliable
E)characteristics; normal

Question 30

'Empowerment' is most appropriate when which of the following factors are present?

A)The firm's business strategy is based on competitive differentiation.
B)The focus is on extended relationships rather than short-term transactions.
C)The business environment is unpredictable.
D)Employees prefer to work with specific directions.
E)a, b and c but not d

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a cost of low-pay/high-turnover human resource strategies?

A)Lower productivity
B)High cost of recruitment
C)Cost of training
D)Lower productivity
E)None of the above

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the customer cycle of failure?

A)Constantly changing staff to encourage loyalty
B)Customers fail to develop loyalty to supplier
C)Companies constantly attracting new customers
D)Customers become dissatisfied with employee performance
E)New customers are needed to maintain sales volume

Question 33

To attract the best people to apply for jobs, a company needs to:

A)offer an attractive value proposition for prospective employees
B)have an image as a good place to work
C)delivery high quality services which make employees feel proud
D)have a reputation of corporate social responsibility
E)all of the above

Question 34

'Empowerment' means giving staff the _______ and _______ to make discretionary decisions.

A)authority; knowledge
B)permission; information
C)information; authority
D)right; personality
E)procedure; authority

Question 35

Which of the following is likely to happen in a company caught in the cycle of mediocrity?

A)Dissatisfied customers display hostility to employees
B)Employees counter rudeness with rudeness
C)Employees become defensive and withdraw
D)Customers have little incentive to cooperate with the organisation to achieve better service
E)All of the above

Question 36

Service firms can identify the best people for the job by employing all of the following EXCEPT:

A)observing behaviour
B)conducting personality tests
C)interviewing applicants
D)relying on what applicants tell them they can do
E)providing applicants with a realistic job preview

Question 37

New employees need to learn:

A)the organisation's vision and culture
B)interpersonal skills such as attentive listening
C)technical skills such as rules concerning processes
D)service knowledge to be able to explain service features
E)all of the above

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a factor which would be likely to make an organisation a preferred employer?

A)Having a positive image in the community
B)Delivering high quality products
C)Delivering high quality services
D)Having an image of corporate social responsibility
E)None of the above

Question 39

Singapore Airlines, which has small units of employees fly together, illustrates one of the more successful methods of encouraging the delivery of service excellence in large organisations.That method is to:

A)create a team culture
B)pay higher salaries
C)give extra leave
D)have strict guidelines
E)increase supervision

Question 40

Newsletters, corporate magazines, intranets, displays, prizes and recognition programs are all examples of:

A)corporate marketing
B)Internet marketing
C)employee marketing
D)internal marketing
E)corporate promotion

Question 41

Simplifying work routines and hiring workers as cheaply as possible often leads to firms being trapped in a cycle of failure.

Question 42

A solid understanding of the organisation's vision is needed only by top management.

Question 43

Frontline employees need to be empowered in order to make discretionary decisions.

Question 44

Past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour so hiring individuals who have won service excellence awards and have customer references is a good idea.

Question 45

The way a service is delivered by the frontline can be an important source of differentiation.

Question 46

A service culture can be defined as 'shared perceptions of what is important in an organisation and shared values and beliefs of ________'.

A)who should lead the organisation
B)what will be the organisation's strategy
C)why those things are important
D)how to nourish employees' energy
E)transformational leadership

Question 47

In a study of Holiday Inn employees, managers' behavioural integrity was correlated to employees' ____________.

A)demands for higher pay
B)belief in the company's profit objectives
C)level of person-role conflict
D)trust, commitment, and willingness to go the extra mile
E)definition of the company's core values

Question 48

It is the responsibility of frontline employees to foster a strong service culture with passion for service and productivity.

Question 49

Some of the core values that have been found in excellent service firms are innovation, joy, teamwork, and integrity.

Question 50

Internet-based personality tests are of very little value in assessing a future employees' suitability for a job.

Question 51

Boundary spanners link the various departments within a service organisation.

Question 52

Frontline staff perform many roles, often resulting in role conflict and role stress.

Question 53

To compete effectively in the labour market requires an employer to have a positive image in the community and produce high quality products.

Question 54

The use of employer branding has been shown to have very little effect on attracting high-quality staff.

Question 55

Frontline employees never deliberately provide bad customer service.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT a tool used to maintain and nourish a corporate culture founded on service values?

A)Internal communications from senior managers to employees
B)Individual perceptions of service requirements
C)Employee training
D)Core principles
E)Company celebrations

Question 57

Which of the following media do companies use for effective internal communications?

A)Email to employees
B)Newsletters
C)Intranets
D)a and b
E)All of the above

Question 58

Emotional labour is a very real problem facing frontline staff.

Question 59

Which of the following qualities is associated with a strong service culture?

A)Top-management focus on today's revenues
B)An organisation-wide focus on the frontline as the business's lifeline
C)A view that the frontline's role is to support middle management
D)A view that the frontline's role is to support top management
E)A diversity of beliefs about what is important in the organisation

Question 60

To avoid the employee cycle of failure, it is important to narrowly define responsibilities and have well-established rules covering all aspects of employment.

Question 61

Empowerment of frontline staff is appropriate for all service firms and all service personnel.

Question 62

You have just been appointed as the manager of a call centre handling customer service enquiries and complaints for 20 different firms across Australia.Explain the different types of stress that your call centre operators might experience and strategies you would adopt to try to reduce each type of stress.

Question 63

What changes could a struggling retailer make to get on the cycle of success?

Question 64

Goals that are specific, difficult but attainable, and accepted by staff are strong motivators.

Question 65

Staff performance is a function of motivation and ability.

Question 66

Teams are more likely to set lower performance standards for themselves than management would set.

Question 67

'Getting it right means hiring the right staff.' As the human resources manager for a major consulting firm with offices around the Asia-Pacific, discuss the strategies you would adopt to ensure that you hired the 'right' staff for each location.

Question 68

Sources of conflict are a constant problem for frontline staff.Select three experiences which you have witnessed and discuss them in terms of the stress which they created.

Question 69

You have just opened a hair salon and day spa in an area of Sydney where there are several well-established salon/spas within walking distance.What role does your frontline staff play in service differentiation and generating sustainable competitive advantage?

Question 70

Discuss the most cost-effective and relevant methods for internal marketing in an educational institution such as a high school or university.

Question 71

In your opinion, is the cycle of mediocrity a major problem or just one of the facets of employment generally? Justify your answer in terms of a situation you or a colleague have experienced.

Question 72

All frontline employees should be empowered to deal with customers as they see fit.Discuss why this may not always be the best policy, and provide specific examples.

Question 73

When the term 'owner' is applied to a team of workers it refers to the section of the organisation from which the team is derived.

Question 74

Top management wants to establish a company as a strong business that represents a great investment.Using the model of the service profit chain, explain how management's treatment of employees can contribute to achieving this objective.

Question 75

Explain the importance of frontline staff, using examples from your own customer service experiences.