The first time Terry brought his car to Auto Lube to have the oil changed he was very satisfied with the service. The service manager consulted him several times while his car was being serviced, asked him if there were any problems with the car, recommended when additional services should be performed and answered questions directly and politely. However, when Terry went back to Auto Lube after three months to have his oil changed again, he was not satisfied with the service. The manager spoke to him only when he arrived and when he paid his bill. In addition, the manager was impatient and unfriendly during the interaction. Terry's experience at Auto Lube illustrates the _____ of services.
A) Intangibility
B) Heterogeneity
C) Simultaneous production and consumption
D) Perishability
E) Divisibility

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Terry's experience at Auto Lube illustrates the heterogeneity of services, meaning that the quality of service can vary depending on the individuals providing the service. In this case, Terry received excellent service the first time he visited, but the second time the service was not as good due to the behavior of the service manager. The other options don't apply to Terry's experience as intangibility, simultaneity of production and consumption, perishability, and divisibility are factors that affect all services, regardless of the quality of service provided.

The First Time Terry Brought His Car to Auto Lube