Chapter-8

Designing Service Process

Service Process
• Processes the architecture of services.

• Processes describing the method and sequence in which service

operating systems work.
Flowcharting service delivery
• Technique for displaying the nature and sequence of the different steps in
delivery service to customers.
• Offers way to understand total customer service experience
• Describes an existing process in a fairly simple form
• Shows how nature of customer involvement with service organizations varies
by type of service:
o People processing
o Possession processing
o Mental Stimulus processing
o Information processing
Flowcharting service delivery
Simple Flowchart for Delivery of a People-Processing Service
Flowcharting service delivery
Simple Flowchart for Delivery of a Possession-Processing Service
Flowcharting service delivery
Simple Flowchart for Delivery of a Mental Stimulus Processing Service
Flowcharting service delivery
Simple Flowchart for Delivery of a Information-Processing Service
Designing and Documenting Service Processes –
Blueprinting (1 of 2)
• Map customer, employee and service system interactions

• Show full customer journey from service initiation to final delivery

of desired benefit

• Show key customer actions, such as

• how customers and employees interact (the line of interaction),
• front-stage actions by service employees and
• how back-stage activities and systems support these
Designing and Documenting Service Processes –
Blueprinting (2 of 2)
• Show interrelationships among
• employee roles,
• operational processes,
• supplies,
• IT and customer interactions

• Help bring together marketing, operations and HRM within a firm

• Consequently develop better service processes, designing fail points
and excessive customer waits out of processes and setting service
standards and targets for service delivery teams
Developing a blueprint for a service process
• Developing a Blueprint:
o Identify key activities in creating and delivering service

o Specify linkages between activities

o First, develop a simple flowchart documenting process from customer’s perspective

o Next, add more details (design characteristics of a service blueprint)

• Advantages of Blueprinting:
o Distinguish between “frontstage” and “backstage”

o Clarify interactions between customers and staff, and support by backstage activities and systems

o Identify potential fail points; take preventive measures; prepare contingency

o Pinpoint stages in the process where customer commonly have to wait

Service Blueprint Components
Customer Actions

line of interaction

“Onstage” Contact Employee Actions

line of visibility

“Backstage” Contact Employee Actions

line of internal interaction

Support Processes
• Onstage contact employee actions include
• The steps and activities that the contact employee performs that are visible to the
customers.

• Backstage contact employee actions include

• The steps and activities that are performed behind the scenes to support the onstage
activities.

• Support processes section of the blueprint covers

• The internal services
• Steps
• And interactions that take place to support the contact employees in delivering the
service.
Service Blueprint Components
Design Characteristics Of A Service Blueprint
• Front-stage activities map overall customer experience

• Physical evidence of front-stage activities involves what customer can see and use to assess service quality

• Line of visibility distinguishes between what customers experience (front-stage) and activities of employees
and support processes (back-stage)

• Backstage activities that must be performed to support a particular front-stage activity

• Support processes and supplies

• Potential fail points are instances where there is a risk of things going wrong, resulting in diminished service
quality

• Identifying customer waits

• Service standards and targets should be established for each activity to reflect customer expectations
Develop a blueprint for a
service process
• Key Components of a Service Blueprint:
o Define standards for front-stage activities
o Specify physical evidence
o Identify main customer actions
o Line of interaction (customers
and front-stage personnel)
o Frontstage actions by customer-
contact personnel
o Line of visibility (between front
stage and backstage)
o Backstage actions by customer contact personnel
o Support processes involving other service personnel
o Support processes involving IT
Blueprint for Express Mail Delivery Service
Truck Truck
Packaging Packaging
EVIDENCE
PHYSICAL

Forms Forms
Hand-held Computer Hand-held Computer
Uniform Uniform
CUSTOMER

Customer Customer Receive

Calls Gives Package
Package

Line of interaction
Driver
(On Stage)

Picks Up Package Deliver

Package
CONTACT PERSON

Line of visibility
(Back Stage)

Customer
Service
Order

Line of internal interaction

Airport Fly to Load
Dispatch Unload
Receives Sort Fly to
SUPPORT PROCESS

Driver & On
& Loads Center Destination Truck
Load on Sort
Airplane

Sort
Packages
Blueprint for Overnight Hotel Stay Service
EVIDENCE
PHYSICAL

Hotel Exterior Cart for Desk Elevators Cart for Room Menu Delivery Food Bill
Parking Bags Registration Hallways Bags Amenities Tray Desk
Papers Room Bath Food Lobby
Lobby Appearance Hotel Exterior
Key Parking
CUSTOMER

Arrive Give Bags Call Check out

Go to Receive Sleep Receive
at to Check in Room Eat and
Room Bags Shower Food
Hotel Bellperson Service Leave
(Back Stage) (On Stage)

Line of Interaction
Greet and
CONTACT PERSON

Process Deliver Deliver Process

Take
Registration Bags Food Check Out
Bags

Line of Visibility
Take
Take Bags Food
to Room Order
Line of Internal Interaction
SUPPORT PROCESS

Registration Prepare Registration

System Food System
 Reduced number of service
failures.

Redesign Reduced cycle time from

customer initiation of a service
efforts focus on process to its completion.

achieving the
following four Enhanced productivity.
key objectives:

Increased customer satisfaction.

Steps In Service Process Redesign

Examining
Addressing
the service Eliminating
bottlenecks Shifting to
blueprint non-value
in the self-service
with key adding steps
process
stakeholders