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Case Write-ups

Each student is required to submit a one-page, single-spaced and typed, write-up of each case that is scheduled for class discussion. Your write-up should indicate an appreciation of the problem/s facing the service provider, as well as recommendations that you have that will address those problems. These are to be used during class discussions and will be turned in to me at the end of each case discussion. From time to time, I will ask a student to be responsible to lead a case discussion, in which case I would expect his or her write-up to be lengthier, but not in excess of 5-6 double-spaced typed pages.

Group Assignment

For the purpose of this assignment, at the start of the semester, you will form groups consisting of four persons. The size of each group, though, will depend ultimately on the class size. Let me know the names of group members as soon as you have formed your groups. Your task is to select a service company in the Eastern Province area that, in the estimation of group members, needs help with the development of a strategy to improve the quality of the service that it provides to its target market. Additionally, you will do the following:

1. Provide background information on the service industry in which this company operates, as well as background information on your particular company.

2. Provide a SWOT analysis of your company, with particular focus on the factors that caused your group to determine that this company needed assistance with its strategy.

3. Conduct an interview with a member of the management team of this company to get a better understanding of how the company perceives its operations and areas that need to be addressed.

4. On the basis of this, come up with a strategy for the company to improve its service operations. Be sure to make feasible recommendations, given the size and nature of the business you have selected.

5. Provide a written report to me by the due date indicated in the syllabus, as well as make an in-class presentation of your project.

I will speak more about this assignment at the start of the semester, and will take questions about this project at any time. In order to ensure that you are keeping pace, I will establish the following critical junctures:

1. 20/9/2000. Groups should have been formed and names of group members submitted to me.

2. 10/10/2000. Your group should have decided on the company that you will study and you should submit a brief description of this company to me.

3. 28/10/98. Interview with member of management of the company should have been scheduled by this date. Inform me of the person to be interviewed and the date of the interview.

4. During October, your group should be working on its analyses and recommendations.

5.8/12/2000. Each group will make an in-class presentation and submit the written report.

Please ensure that each group abides by these deadlines. If you have any questions about the group assignment, please ask them of me. I know that there may be concerns about working in groups, but as currently-employed and potentially employable business students, it is part of your task to address all the issues of group dynamics and problems of working in groups that may arise during the course of working on this assignment. The end product may be indicative of how well your group accomplishes this task.

Service Marketing Journal

Each day, week, or month, we avail ourselves of various services from various service providers, sometimes without even stopping to reflect on the nature and quality of the service that we have received. We visit the bank, or the ATM, to withdraw or deposit money, we visit the doctor or other health practitioner for health-related reasons, we eat at a restaurant, we fly with a particular airline, we stay in a particular hotel (or flat services), among other things. As budding service marketers, you will have a chance to reflect on some of your service encounters during the course of this semester.

Your task is to complete an eight-week journal detailing your encounters with various service providers. My assumption is that each week you have at least one service encounter. Therefore, for each week of the eight weeks-to be decided by you-you are required to make at least one entry into your journal. At the end of the eight-week period, however, your journal should contain  at least 8  entries.

Each entry should indicate the following:

(1) the nature of the service encounter, that is, whether it was a visit to the bank, a retail store, a car dealer, the dentist, or the doctor, a cruise, air travel, hotel stay, or if you sent a parcel by one of the overnight service providers;

(2) the date and time of the encounter;

(3) the service providers you considered prior to making the final choice;

(4) the reason that you selected this particular service provider;

(5) specific information about the service encounter;

(5) a completed scale that you developed to evaluate the quality of the service (you may want to develop a scale of no more than five items to be used to evaluate your various encounters); the scale should provide information on your perception of the service quality, your level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the service provided, as well as your likelihood of using that service or service provider in the future.

In addition, I want you to detail how you handled each service encounter, whether the encounter was good, bad or mediocre. I encourage you to write at least one letter of commendation if you have received excellent service from a provider, and at least one letter of complaint if you have been the recipient of poor service. Include these, along with any responses from these service providers, in your journals.

A journal that will obtain a good grade is one that meets the following criteria:

1. It has at least 8 entries.

2. There is diversity, in terms of the nature of the service encounters.
 
3. It displays effective communication skills on the part of the journal keeper.

4. Entries reflect utilization of concepts discussed in class

5. It is not late.

The deadline for submission of ALL journals is the, December 12, 2000. Each person will be required to make a 8-10 minute class presentation on his or her journal, focusing on encounters and other aspects of the journal that he or she finds interesting. These presentations will take place at the last week of the course.

 

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

General guidelines

1. Please come on time

2. Please participate; what you put into the class will determine what you get. Some people are hesitant to speak up, if you have such problem please contact me.

3. It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared and present for exams. The exams are on the timetable and argue that to mark them on your calendar now. Missing an exam without good reason will result in a Zero for that exam.

4. Graded exams will be returned and discussed in the class as quickly as possible. But you are welcome to come by during the office hours or by an appointment to discuss your exams in more details if you wish.

5. I expect students to read before they come to the class, please do so.

6. No late assignment will be accepted without penalties.

More readings and assignment will be added depends on the class size.

Your responsibility is to read this syllabus. It is your guide to policies regarding this course.