At your Service!
Nov 1st, 2010 by Kimberley Chung
Busy Weekend. Halloween Fun.
Back to Marketing Reality.
A few classes ago, we began the discussion on the first “p”, product. I use to always think that a product was either a good or service because that was the way we were taught way back when concepts had to be simple. Tamar mentioned that anytime she says the word “product”, she could also be referring to things that are intangible, such as a new ideas and political aspects.
As I stand at the check-out counter at Meinhardts Grocery Store, I think about how being a cashier covers the four aspects of a service.
Intangible – The service I provide as a cashier is to scan the items being purchased and complete the payment transaction. For example, swipe the credit or debit card, or receive cash and give back the correct change. As my job is categorized as a customer service job, it is intangible. Intangible is a characteristic of a service; it cannot be touched, tasted, or seen like a pure product can. Because I am serving customers and assisting them in their procedure to purchase groceries, I am a service and my service cannot be physically touched or purchased in any way.
Variable – At the moment, all purchases must be made by cashiers and therefore by humans. Recently, a few Safeway’s have implemented self-checkout counters. But at Meinhardts, we currently still have person to person customer service. The more humans are needed to provide a service, the more likely there is to be variability. Variability is a quality that may vary because it is provided by customers. Everyone is different and everyone displays different levels of customer service. It can depend on your mood, attitude, on the situation, etc. With customer service, if things go wrong, it’s too late to change it. For the most part, I give excellent customer service, although I have a few days on the tired and gloomy side. Everyone is allowed to have a bad day once in a while.
Inseparable – As a cashier, the customers bring all the items they want to the check-out and I process the order and receive payment. Therefore, the consumption of the goods is present and the service needed to complete the process is present. Inseparable is another characteristic of a service; it is produced and consumed at the same time, that is service and consumption are inseparable.
Perishable – As I deal with the same or different customers, I can never store my service for another day. I’m either there helping customers, or I’m not. Perishable means that the service cannot be stored for future use. Customer service is more of an on-the-spot kind of thing. We immediately respond to the situation and react with the appropriate response. We are there to help make your visit more pleasant and satisfy all the needs of the customers at the moment.
After a busy day at work, I know I’ve got marketing stuck in my head!