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Services are created as they are
consumed, and the customer is
often involved in the service delivery process, enabling service
providers to cater to the specific needs of individual customers. Some
services, like public transport and fast food restaurants, offer standardized
service with limited options/menu. But there are also restaurants offering a
base menu which can be developed to a meal as per customers'
preferences. For example, Noodle Bar is a restaurant, where the menu lists all the
basic ingredients, such as the type of noodles, vegetables and the range
of spices offered. Customers have to indicate their choice of various options
so that the dishes are prepared as per their preferences, resulting in a
customized service, often to the delight of customers.
Service delivery is one of the finer aspects that needs consideration.
The amount of time required for delivering a service varies from a few
minutes, like in a bank transaction, to a few years, like in an educational
institute. Here, depending upon the duration of service delivery,
additional facilities, which include water, restroom and canteen services
have to be provided. The speed of delivery can create a USP (Unique
Selling Proposition) for an organization.
All of us come in contact with services or service providers day in
and day out, be it through Internet banking, school teachers of our
children or the cartridge refilling service. But how many of us are actually
satisfied and happy with what we are getting? All of us have different
expectations and perceptions of the service being provided. Sometimes, our
expectations can be genuine and at other times impractical
from the service provider's viewpoint. |
