Question

Essay Questions (marketing management)

4.) What are the key service characteristics a company must consider when designing marketing programs? Briefly describe each characteristic.

Answer 1

Four key service characteristics a company must consider when designing marketing programs:-

The four special characteristics of services are :intangibility,inseparability,variability, and perishability.

1. Service intangibility means that services cannot be seen,tasted, felt, heard, or smelled before they are bought.

2. Service inseparability means that services cannot be separated from their providers, whether the providers are people or machines.

3. Service variability means that the quality of services depends on who provides them as well as when, where, and how they are provided.

4. Service perishability means that services cannot be stored for later sale or use.

Services offered by a massage therapist are more intangible, inseparable, variable, andperishable than those offered by a grocery store because a massage therapist offersmore of a pure service than does a store that sells merchandise. Compared to theservices offered by a store, it is more difficult to evaluate the quality of the serviceprovided by a therapist prior to the visit. The customer must be present for themassage to be performed, and the time spent creating the service cannot be stored forlater purchase if the customer misses an appointment.