Team Services Analysis Paper & Presentation
Due July 19th
Group of 5-7 students. 10-15 pages. APA format. The purpose of the service encounter paper is
to analyze service encounters from all students in the group. This paper will consist of four parts.
1. CHRIS & IVAN In the first part of the paper, write about (2) organizations from services
experience assignment that has not met customer standards of satisfactory service.
Based on your reading of the textbook and issues we discussed in class, diagnose the
problem(s) through the GAPs method with the service and then recommend the most
important actions management should take to improve the service. Use concepts from
the class to support your diagnosis and suggestions. Be selective and focus on the most
important issues. Be sure to address any problems with customer or provider gaps
[ch2-3] and to illustrate customer expectations of service at different levels [ch 3]. 25
points
2. FUGA & LAUREN In the second part of the paper, write about (2) organizations from
your service experience assignment that is doing an excellent overall job of services
marketing. Again, base your analysis on the GAPs method from the textbook and class
discussions. Demonstrate your knowledge of services marketing concepts by
discussing what this organization does that makes it successful. 25 points
3. JUN Describe the critical service process system & customer experience through a
service blueprint of two organizations. One doing a great job and the other failing to
meet expectations. Explain each blueprint. 25 points
4. DYLAN In the last part of the paper, please describe the lessons you learned by
addressing the following questions: What did you learn from this assignment about
yourself as a consumer? How is service marketing unique in customer service
expectations and challenges? What did you learn from this assignment that will help
you be a better manager? 25 points
The paper will be evaluated based on the following: the depth and substance of your observations,
your ability to diagnose probable causes of problems and match them with appropriate solutions
based on material discussed in class and/or in your readings, as well as the quality of writing.
Note: Given the main purpose of this assignment is to evaluate your understanding of course
concepts, be sure that you use services marketing concepts in your paper. Presentation is 50 pts.
2 Negative Experiences
I own a 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 with a diesel engine that I bought from Browning Dodge back in
2019, brand new. I purchased the extended warranty along with my purchase of the truck. I
walked into Browning Dodge this particular time after I have had a myriad of issues. Mainly
electrical issues that had to do with my seat warmers and coolers, my seat adjusters, and my
hand controls on my steering wheel. They eventually fixed them, and it took months. The new
issue here was being stranded out by Moreno Valley on the side of the freeway. Which is far
considering I live by the border to Corona. I looked under the hood and it turns out diesel fuel
leaked into the engine block which is disastrous. I was naturally already pretty annoyed having
to go back and take my work truck back to the dealership. My issue this time was a check
engine light that came on randomly one day. I took it in for a diagnostic so they could determine
the exact issue. The dealership mechanics let me know immediately that it would take a week
or so for them to even take a look at it. I was given a loaner vehicle, unfortunately it was not a
truck. I adamantly asked for a truck, even a small pickup truck so I could fit my tools onto. They
ran the diagnosis and confirmed by suspicion of diesel fuel leaking into the engine, which
completely killed the engine. The dealership tried to tell me I misused the vehicle and it was a
user error. I told them, “how in the world is that possible?” They tried to invalidate my warranty.
I became livid. I went all the way to corporate to argue my point, all while I had to give back my
loaner vehicle. Left me down a vehicle, while dealing with the back and forth with my case
worker with corporate. Eventually, I was able to negotiate a credit with Enterprise to get a
loaner vehicle, but only up to $500. Still wasn’t sufficient especially because I had to pay upfront
out of pocket, then I’d get reimbursed. Eventually, after weeks of back and forth, the
corporation approved my claim. They finally got approval to replace my engine. Unfortunately, it
took weeks for it to come in because it was backordered. After weeks, it finally came in and they
flipped it out. Within a day of receiving my vehicle, the check engine light came back on. I was
beside myself. I immediately took my truck back to the dealership and came to find my
mechanic was let go. So now it took them longer to diagnose it again because a new tech had to
go through the whole process. The dealership then went through a sale, and could not give me
another loaner because they had to take inventory and insurances had to be switched over. I am
back to square one, no truck, no car to use. I am fortunate to own other vehicles and wasn’t
completely left stranded, but it was annoying. Turns out the truck now needed another catalytic
converter. Go figure that part was also on backorder, took weeks to get the part, and to be
installed. Finally, I got my truck back on the 24th of June. So far it has been good. The
Communication gap and the Listening gaps were violated. The Communication Gap was violated
because they advertise that the diesel engines are the best there is and they can easily last 1
million+ miles. I didn’t even get 50k miles out of it. They also advertise that the extended
warranty will cover any issue and labor costs as long as the vehicle is within the mileage. Clearly,
the Dodge company was trying to tell me it was conditional. Citing “negligence.” Which is
asinine considering I do not drive the truck far or that often. The Listening gap was violated
because I received an experience I was not expecting. I was expecting a simple experience. They
diagnose the problem and they fix it. I do not mind that the parts were back ordered, we are in
a different world now and supply lines have been depleted. What bothered me was the manner
this issue was handled.
My expectations were not met, in fact they were completely nonexistent. I had zero hope after
Dodge gave me a tough time about my “negligence.” Servicescape was clearly defined. I know
who I was dealing with and I never felt I was getting the runaround. I still feel Dodge is a good
company and are synonymous with Americana. I will always trust good ol Americana. The
experiences7 of those around me have diesel trucks and some of them even have a Dodge truck
with a diesel engine and they have told me they have had no issues. One truck is a 1995 and still
running strong, so naturally that’s what I expected, especially with the price tag of the truck.
The biggest piece of technology that was used was the machine to properly diagnose my truck.
Not much else was used to, “enhance my experience.” I would say competence and
incompetence was the most prevalent. Competence because the technology that was used was
competent. But, the persons handling the dealership were incompetent. It was quite shocking.
The Communication Gap was violated because they advertise that the diesel engines are the
best there is and they can easily last 1 million+ miles. I didn’t even get 50k miles out of it. They
also advertise that the extended warranty will cover any issue and labor costs as long as the
vehicle is within the mileage. Clearly, the Dodge company was trying to tell me it was
conditional. Citing “negligence.” Which is asinine considering I do not drive the truck far or that
often. The Listening gap was violated because I received an experience I was not expecting. I
was expecting a simple experience. They diagnose the problem and they fix it. I do not mind
that the parts were back ordered, we are in a different world now and supply lines have been
depleted. What bothered me was the manner this issue was handled.
Another example of a company which has not met service expectations is Fitbit. I used to own a
Fitbit. I spent over $150 on it. I bought it because it was cheaper than some of the other options
and because it was advertised as being specifically for exercise and fitness tracking. After all, Fit
is literally in the name. However, 3 months after I bought it, it randomly stopped connecting to
my phone. It would still track certain things, but because it would not connect to my phone, it
could not update. I tried calling Fitbit and was on hold for over an hour. Once I finally spoke to
someone, I had to perform all kinds of tests and reboots that took me over an hour and a half to
finish. They tried to get it to connect to their system. Once it was connected through my home
internet, they determined that there was nothing wrong with the fitbit. Finally, they spoke to
their manager and agreed to send me a new one.
Four months after the initial incident, the new device began to have the same issue of not
connecting to my phone through bluetooth. Like last time, I called customer service, waited for
over an hour, and spoke to someone who made me run the same diagnostic tests and factory
resets for over an hour. Once again, their system said there was nothing wrong with my device.
However, this time, I asked for a refund. They started by saying that they didn’t give refunds.
After demanding to speak to a manager, and then that person’s supervisor, I spoke to someone
who said that they would send me a third fitbit and that if I had the same issue with that one,
they would give me a refund. The lady said that she put a note in the system so they would see
it if I called back. This second call took over 4 hours from start to finish.
The new fitbit only lasted about a month and a half. Like the previous times, I called and waited
on hold. This time, however, I was ready to just demand my refund. However, the person I spoke
to this time said that they had to verify that it didn’t work before they could try to issue a
refund. By this time I knew the steps so I was able to get all the tests done in about 1 hour.
Upon completing the steps, I asked for my refund and the guys asked me to hold on. Once he
came back about 15 minutes later, he said that he just found out that it was actually company
policy that they did not do refunds, only replacements. Naturally, I tried to speak to a manager.
3 supervisors later, the person I was speaking to informed me that they would not transfer me
again and that the best they could offer me was $150 in credit at the Fitbit store. Due to
personal pettiness, I used that credit to buy a new fitbit and then gave it to my cousin.
I used to have an Android phone and had always had android phones, specifically Samsung. My
wife uses Apple products and told me to look into it. After seeing that connectivity is something
they advertise and how great/accessible their warranty services are, I switched my phone from
android to iPhone and bought an Apple Watch. That was over two years ago and not only do I
have an apple watch, I bought one for my wife, bought airpods for both of us, and am buying
my oldest son an iphone before he goes back to school. Due to the issues I had with one
product and another company’s ability to not only provide a superior product, but superior
service, I am a loyal Apple customer now.
2 Positive Experiences
From my experience, Starbucks does an excellent overall job of services marketing. The
Starbucks location I arrived at met the service marketing rules in Provider Gap 1, The Listening
Gap, on Relationship Focus, and Provider Gap 2, the Service Design and Standards Gap, on the
Presence of Customer Defined Standards. Starbucks performed strong service marketing from
the Gaps model which helps the company succeed in the coffee industry.
To begin, Starbucks meets the service marketing rules from Provider Gap 1, The
Listening Gap, on Strong Relationship Focus, which helps the company succeed in the coffee
industry. To understand the service expectations of different customer segments, Starbucks gives
customers the freedom to fully customize drinks to their liking. This helps the company
understand and meet the service expectations of different customer segments. Customers
continue to purchase from Starbucks for this personalized coffee experience. Allowing drink
customizations helps the company maintain a competitive advantage which helps Starbucks
succeed in the coffee industry. In addition, to focus more on customer relationships over
transactions, Starbucks employees make the effort to create customer connections. The
Starbucks cashier made the effort to get to know me by asking how my day was. I could see the
employees caring about customer connections and were not solely focused on completing our
transactions. This strong customer service also motivates customers to return to Starbucks which
helps the company succeed. All in all, meeting the service marketing rules from Provider Gap 1,
The Listening Gap, on Relationship Focus, helps the company succeed in the coffee industry.
Starbucks also meets the service marketing rules from Provider Gap 2, the Service
Design and Standards Gap, on the Presence of Customer Defined Standards, which helps the
company succeed in the coffee industry. Regarding the effectiveness of Starbucks service
standards, the company adequately trains its baristas on strong customer service to meet service
standards. The company effectively trains its baristas to make customers feel welcomed and
appreciated at Starbucks. In addition, the company trains its baristas on communicating with
customers and creating genuine connections. The employee training for strong customer service
helps the company meet its service standards. In addition, Starbucks customers value strong
customer service and Starbucks service standards satisfy these expectations. Meeting customers
expectations with strong customer service helps Starbucks succeed in the coffee industry.
Starbucks stores also have an effective way to track service quality goals by encouraging
customers to complete a survey regarding their service experience. The survey is emailed to
customers. The total customer results accumulate a service quality score for the Starbucks store.
This helps the store track and meet its service quality goals. It also helps motivate Starbucks
employees to strive toward a higher service quality score to better satisfy their service standards.
Striving to satisfy service standards that meet the service expectations helps the company
succeed in the coffee industry. All in all, meeting the service marketing rules from Gap 2, the
Service Design and Standards Gap, on the Presence of Customer Defined Standards, helps
Starbucks succeed in the coffee industry.
I frequently visit a barbershop called Headliners Barbershop in Menifee for my haircuts.
Of the dozens of barbershops that I’ve visited in the years, this on by demonstrates the best
service marketing and perfectly displays the 4 gaps.
As I mentioned before, I go to this Barbershop quite often (every 2-3 weeks). Ever since
the first time I’ve gone, my expectations have either been met or exceeded by the staff there.
Here, in the listening gap, is where Headliners really shines and makes customers feel like they
are being heard. I always set up an appointment, so I expect to walk in and have a maximum wait
of 5-10 minutes. I also expect my barber to have a good idea of what kind of haircut I want
because I had been there so many times before. Not only does my barber get me to his clean
chair right away, but he also knew exactly what kind of haircut I wanted. Above all, he gave me
a haircut that had me looking and feeling better by the end of the session.
A large part of why this barbershop (and my barber in particular) is so unique to me is
because of its service design. I’m used to telling a barber what I want, seeing the result at the
end, and paying with a smile regardless of whether or not I liked the cut. Most barbers that I’ve
seen here usually ask to confirm that the customer is satisfied with their work during the service.
Instead of leaving the customer in the dark for the whole service, the barbers keep them engaged
to make sure that they leave the chair happy. The staff there creates a very positive and inviting
environment. I can tell that the other customers feel the way I do because there is a lot of open
conversation and interaction between customers and employees. Everyone seemed very
comfortable which seems like something most people would look for in an ideal barbershop. The
employees there understood very clearly that they were meant to create a comfortable
environment where people come in and get quality haircuts that don’t take up too much of your
day.
This is a very small company. As far as I know, it is owned by one of the barbers there
and it is the only one of its kind. I believe that this plays a large role in the service performance
gap of this company. Because the owner and CEO works alongside the other employees, the
other employees know exactly what is expected of them. As long as the owner is setting a good
example and the employees are mimicking him, there is virtually no service performance gap. As
I mentioned before, the staff creates a warm and inviting environment so, clearly, they’re doing
something right. Also, because the boss is so close to the employees, he can keep an eye on the
people he hires and can determine if they are someone that keeps the service performance gap
close or someone that widens it.
The communication gap is probably the most important gap to keep close for a service
like a barber shop where your promises (evidence of your work) must match the actual work.
Headliners Barbershop does a fantastic job of this. Haircuts that you see on their Instagram or
TikTok will be the exact same haircuts you see when you walk into the barbershop. No camera
tricks or embellishing. The haircuts look just as good online as they do in person. In an industry
where the quality of the service heavily depends on its visual appeal, this is a crucial gap to keep
track of, and this company significant job at that.
In conclusion, I always enjoy my experiences at Headliners Barbershop because the do a
great job of keep all 4 gaps real close. The main part for why they are successful is that they
listen to their customers. They’ve also made sure that everyone on the staff has understood and
sticks to their unique service design which covers gap 2 & 3. Most importantly, their service
matches their promises perfectly. They meet all expectations and there int really much more you
can ask for from them.
