1 - Dwayne D. Gremler Teaching Services Marketing An Opportunity to Practice What We Preach Dwayne D. Gremler Bowling Green State University [email protected].

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Teaching Services MarketingAn Opportunity to Practice What We Preach

Dwayne D. GremlerBowling Green State [email protected]

2007 SERVSIG Doctoral ConsortiumSan Francisco, CA

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Setting the Stage

Who in the audience has taught? At what level? What classes? What was your experience like? What was the most surprising event that occurred? What will you do differently the next time you teach?

What would you like to take away from today’s teaching session?

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

What Do We Preach?

Customer Expectations

Service Quality

Customizing Services

Co-Production

Service Guarantees

Service Excellence

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Understanding Customer Expectations

When you teach students, who are the customers? Are students customers? clients? products?

Good service providers do not assume they know what their customers’ expectations are

Conduct service research to determine: Who are my customers? What are their interests? What are their backgrounds? What experiences do they have in this field? What are their career goals?

First week of class: students are asked to provide:

specific characteristics of what would be considered good service performance by the instructor

and, of what would be good customer performance in this context responses are presented on course web site

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Customer Expectations Set Expectations

communicate customer’s (client’s) roles discuss students’ roles and behaviors

provide a realistic service preview first day – detailed overview of syllabus some students may self-select out of the class

reduce customer anxiety and uncertainty essay exam study questions provided one week in advance a subset of questions selected

Exceed Customer Expectations (customer delight!) provide a unique first day experience – punch & cookies play music before class (if technology is available) develop a course-specific web site make PowerPoint overheads available

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Service Quality Dimensions

reliability ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately

responsiveness willingness to help customers and provide prompt service

assurance employee’s knowledge/courtesy and ability to inspire the

customer’s trust and confidence in the service provider empathy

caring, individualized attention given by the firm and its employees to customers

tangibles appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, or printed

materials

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Demonstrating Service Quality

Reliability do what you promise!

come early to class keep your office hours always be prepared hold to dates in syllabus as much as possible

be consistent use rubrics when grading papers, essay exams, or any

assignment with “subjective” assessment Responsiveness

provide next day turnaround on evaluation of assignments, exams, quizzes, etc.

respond quickly to students’ e-mails, telephone calls be available to help outside of office hours

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Demonstrating Service Quality

Assurance know what you are taking about…be prepared, be confident communicate your background and expertise use current examples to demonstrate knowledge bring in guest speakers

Empathy learn students’ names

via 3" x 5" cards, pictures demonstrate care outside of the classroom

attend a cross-country meet! offer to serve as a reference or to write recommendation letters

Tangibles pay attention to classroom, lighting/temperature, syllabi keep the classroom clean make handouts attractive and clear model professional dress use stamps!

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Customizing Service Delivery

Allow students to select teams (for in-class assignments) Allow students to select from a choice of assignments

service encounter journal international service watch company complaint letter & analysis service blueprint new service development case analysis

Allow students to select from among essay questions on the exam select four questions to answer from among six

Allow students to select service topic for final (take-home) exam legacy assignment…contribution could be a video clip, comic strip,

business press article, digital images for use in class, or other possibilities

Allow students to evaluate themselves on their class participation each student assigns his/her own class participation score and justifies it

with a one-page paper

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Co-Production

Have Student Make Presentations students identify business press articles and new

services of relevance to the course Provide Discussion Questions (on course web)

students can anticipate (and prepare for) what will be discussed in class

questions provided for: textbook chapters cases assigned articles

Illustrate Customer Roles in Service Delivery Instructor as student!!!

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Co-Production Role Reversal

Instructor as student:

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Service Guarantees

Service Guarantee = a pledge or assurance that a service offered by a firm will perform as promised

(Zeithaml, Bitner, and Gremler 2006)

Why provide a service guarantee in the classroom? (the ultimate way to) practice what we preach learning exercise accountability WOW! factor reach disillusioned students competitive advantage/differentiation

(Gremler and McCollough 1997; McCollough and Gremler 1999)

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Maintaining Service Excellence Find your own style

There are many approaches to leading a class: The Comic The CEO The Obsessive The Techie The Performer

Experiment…determine what works for YOU Whatever your style, be passionate!

Seek continuous improvement Observe great teachers

consider both WHAT they teach and HOW they teach Examine others’ syllabi

emulate/borrow what works for you, ignore what does not share materials with others

Ask for advice; obtain peer evaluations

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Maintaining Service Excellence

Managing challenges Balance challenges:

private vs. professional life research vs. teaching prep time lecture vs. active discussion in class breadth of material vs. depth of material

Time management time flies…whether you’re having fun or not!

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

Practicing What We Preach

Provide an example of excellent service delivery by:

meeting (exceeding?) customer expectations

customizing service delivery

encouraging and facilitating student co-production

demonstrating/providing service quality in the classroom

offering a service guarantee in the classroom

continually striving for service excellence

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- Dwayne D. Gremler

It’s lunch time…time for food and drink!