Question 1

Empowerment is simply giving employees the authority to make decisions on the customer's behalf.

Accepted Answer

Empowerment involves not only giving employees the authority to make decisions but also providing them with the skills, resources, and support they need to make those decisions effectively and responsibly.

Question 2

Through its external marketing efforts,a company makes promises to its customers regarding what they can expect and how it will be delivered.

Accepted Answer

This is true. External marketing involves communicating with customers and making promises about the company's products or services. These promises may include things like quality, reliability, convenience, and affordability, among others. It is important for companies to make sure they can deliver on these promises in order to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Question 3

The reliability dimension of service quality - delivering the service as promised - is often totally within the control of frontline employees.

Accepted Answer

Frontline employees are responsible for delivering the service as promised and meeting customer expectations, which directly impacts the reliability of the service. Therefore, they have a significant impact on the reliability dimension of service quality.

Question 4

Benford Bank recently opened a school with kindergarten through fifth grade classes run by the county school system and a child-care center at its headquarters office park.By providing "work-and-family" benefits designed to help employees balance the stresses of a demanding job and family life,Benford Bank is:

Accepted Answer

By providing work-and-family benefits, Benford Bank is treating its employees as customers and addressing their needs beyond their job responsibilities. This approach can lead to increased loyalty, productivity, and morale among employees.

Question 5

Firms can train employees to develop technical skills by teaching them to engage in pleasant conversation,ask questions,or use humor as they interact with customers.

Accepted Answer

Technical skills refer to the specific knowledge and abilities required to perform tasks related to science, engineering, technology, or other technical fields, which are distinct from the interpersonal skills involved in engaging in pleasant conversation, asking questions, or using humor with customers.

Question 6

FedEx honors a handful of non-management employees with its Golden Falcon award each month,recognizing efforts that are "above and beyond their customary line of duty." This award includes a gold pin with the gold falcon emblem and ten shares of FedEx stock.By giving deserving employees the Golden Falcon award,FedEx is using which of the following human resources management strategies for closing provider gap 3?

Accepted Answer

By recognizing and rewarding non-management employees who go above and beyond their duties, FedEx is promoting employee retention and creating an employee-oriented culture. This is a strategy for addressing provider gap 3, which is the gap between service delivery and external communication. By retaining the best employees, FedEx can improve the consistency and quality of its service, thus reducing the discrepancy between the expected level of service and the actual service delivered.

Question 7

Many service organizations have discovered that,to be truly responsive to customer needs,frontline employees need to be ___________ to accommodate customer requests and to recover on the spot when things go wrong.

Accepted Answer

Empowering frontline employees means giving them the authority and tools to make decisions and solve problems on the spot, without the need for constant approval from higher-ups. This creates a more efficient and effective customer service experience, as employees are able to quickly accommodate customer requests and address any issues that may arise. Socialization, tutoring, lecturing, and promoting may all be helpful in certain contexts, but empowering employees is generally the most important factor in creating a responsive service organization.

Question 8

All of the following are potential benefits of empowering frontline service workers EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Empowering frontline service workers can lead to many benefits such as quicker responses to customer needs, increased employee satisfaction, more positive interactions with customers, and quicker recovery for dissatisfied customers. However, there is a risk that employees may give away too much or provide excessive discounts that can negatively impact the business's profitability.

Question 9

When an on-duty lifeguard must interact with people in a pleasant and professional manner and go repeatedly into the pool even though he has severe sunburn,the lifeguard is performing empathetic labor.

Accepted Answer

The lifeguard is performing emotional labor, as they are required to manage their feelings and expressions to fulfill the emotional requirements of their job.

Question 10

A person/role conflict is most likely to arise in jobs where the service provider relies on commissions rather than a salary for his or her income.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A person/role conflict is most likely to...

Question 11

A service firm that conducts periodic internal marketing research to assess employee satisfaction and needs is using which of the following human resource strategies for closing provider gap 3?

Accepted Answer

Providing needed support systems is the correct strategy for closing provider gap 3, which involves addressing issues related to the delivery of the service, including ensuring that employees have the support they need to perform their jobs effectively. Conducting internal marketing research to assess employee satisfaction and needs is a way to identify what support systems are necessary.

Question 12

Which of the following is a strategy for ensuring that internal support systems are customer-oriented?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a strategy...

Question 13

Harrah's Entertainment,a casino hotel company,has a company incentive program weighted toward team results.A relatively small percentage of compensation is based on individual goals.Everyone in the organization is rewarded based on customer service scores.Harrah's Entertainment is:

Accepted Answer

Harrah's Entertainment is promoting teamwork by weighting their incentive program toward team results and rewarding everyone based on customer service scores. This encourages employees to work together to provide excellent customer service and achieve shared goals.

Question 14

At Harrah's Casinos and Hotels,a portion of employee compensation is linked to customer satisfaction scores,so employees have an investment in achieving excellent service levels.Employees also have a vested interest in the performance of the entire team in serving customers exceptionally well.Outstanding employees are recognized with special Chairman's Awards,and their names are published in Harrah's annual report.Harrah's is using which of the following human resources management strategies for closing provider gap 3?

Accepted Answer

The strategy of linking employee compensation to customer satisfaction scores and recognizing outstanding employees with awards and publication in the annual report is a part of employee retention strategy. This strategy helps in closing provider gap 3 by ensuring that employees have a vested interest in providing excellent service and are motivated to work towards achieving service quality goals.

Question 15

At AT&T Universal Card's Customer-Service Center in Jacksonville,Florida,customer service representatives are given immediate access via their computer screen to information and tools they need to serve the customer efficiently.When a customer calls,the representative can view the customer's account records and any notes from previous telephone calls from the customer.The representatives also have information on commonly asked questions.By providing immediate access to customer files,AT&T Universal Card is using which of the following human resource strategies for closing provider gap 3?

Accepted Answer

By providing immediate access to customer files and information on commonly asked questions, AT&T Universal Card is providing its customer service representatives with the needed support systems to efficiently serve customers and close provider gap 3.

Question 16

From the customer's point of view,internal marketing activities,as defined by the service marketing triangle,are the most significant.

Accepted Answer

Internal marketing activities are primarily focused on engaging and empowering the employees within an organization, not directly on the customers. The external marketing efforts are the ones most visible and significant from the customer's point of view.

Question 17

In a service culture,good service is a way of life and it comes naturally to the members of the organization because it is an important norm.

Accepted Answer

In a service culture, providing good service is a core value and expectation that permeates throughout the organization, making it a natural part of daily operations.

Question 18

Boundary spanners provide a link between internal departments of an organization.

Accepted Answer

Boundary spanners are individuals or teams that operate at the interface or boundary between different parts of an organization, as well as between the organization and its external environment. Thus, they provide a link between internal departments and also bridge the gap between the organization and its external stakeholders.

Question 19

Because Bella Harasian,certified medical doctor,does not like to deal with people,she can be described as having service competencies but not service inclinations.

Accepted Answer

Service competencies refer to the skills and knowledge required to perform a service, such as those of a certified medical doctor, while service inclinations refer to the desire or preference to serve or interact with others, which Bella lacks due to her dislike of dealing with people.

Question 20

One of the potential costs in employee empowerment is:

Accepted Answer

Empowering employees often means providing them with additional training and resources, or paying higher wages to attract and retain more skilled workers, which can lead to higher labor costs.

Quiz 11: Employees Roles in Service Delivery