The Service Encounter

Moments of Truth
• Each customer contact is called a moment of truth.

• You have the ability to either satisfy or dissatisfy

them when you contact them.

• A service recovery is satisfying a previously

dissatisfied customer and making them a loyal
customer.
 Cycle of Service
Begin Service Encounter
End Service Encounter

= MOT
The Service Encounter Triad
Service
Organization

Efficiency Efficiency
versus versus
autonomy satisfaction

Contact
Customer
Personnel Perceived
control
 Definitions of Culture
• Schwartz and Davis (1981) - Culture is a pattern
of beliefs and expectations shared by the
organization’s members.
• Mintzberg (1989) - Culture is the traditions and
beliefs of an organization that distinguish it from
others.
• Hoy and Miskel (1991) - Culture is shared
orientations that hold the unit together and give a
distinctive identity.
 The Service Organization
• Empowerment
Invest in people
Use IT to enable personnel
Recruitment and training critical
Pay for performance
 Contact Personnel
• Selection
1. Abstract Questioning
2. Situational Aspects
3. Role Playing
• Training
Unrealistic customer expectations
Unexpected service failure
 Difficult Interactions with
Customers
Unrealistic customer expectations Unexpected service failure
1. Unreasonable demands 1. Unavailable service
2. Demands against policies 2. Slow performance
3. Unacceptable treatment of 3. Unacceptable service
employees
4. Drunkenness
5. Breaking of societal norms
6. Special-needs customers

Use scripts to train for proper response

Service Encounter Success Factors
Customer Service Provider
Human Machine
Employee selection User friendly
Interpersonal skills Verification
Human Support technology Security
Engender trust Easy to access
Easy to access Compatibility
Fast response Tracking
Machine Verification Verification
Remote monitoring Security
  

Satisfaction Mirror
 
 
 
 
  

More More Familiarity with

Repeat Customer Needs and
Purchases Ways of Meeting Them

Stronger Tendency Greater Opportunity for

to Complain about Recovery
Service Errors from Errors

Higher Customer Higher Employee

Satisfaction Satisfaction

Lower Costs Higher Productivity

Better Results Improved Quality

of Service