globalresearchers
Name: Ali Husain
Professor: Janina Fengisen
Date: Nov/6
Subject: Service Encounter/ First draft
SERVICE ENCOUNTERS
Details of the observation exercise
I contacted this observation on 2nd November 2015 at Subway in Dallas. Subway is a famous fast food restaurant that serves a variety of fast foods. This is a Restaurant that has enhanced diversity in culture because it accommodates different cultures. There are several cultures namely: Americans, Chinese, Africans, and Indians etc. In my observations, I was able to record three encounters between attendants and people of different ethnicities.
Service Encounters
First Service encounter
The first encounter was between an African American attendant and an African American customer. The attendant was a female employee aged between 25-28 years and the customer was a man aged about 30 years. The two people were chocolate in complexion and they looked jovial. I recorded the conversation as follows:
1. Attendant: Need any drink? We have variety.
2. Customer: .Mmmmh, maybe I can have some water. Good to see you!
3. Attendant: Just take any brand you want. Good to see you too. I missed you
4. Customer: Missed you too. I was away for holiday in Cairo
5. Attendant: Welcome back. Hope to see you tomorrow
6. Customer: me too. Take care
7. Attendant: Take care too. Thanks for being loyal to Subway
Second Service encounter
The second encounter was between an Indian attendant and an African American customer. The attendant was a female employee aged between 35-40 years and the customer was a man aged about 50 years. The attendant looked serious while the customer was a bit relaxed and jovial. Both of them were tall. I recorded the conversation as follows:
1. Attendant: Anything else?
2. Customer: Nop. I am okay. How are you
3. Attendant: we really appreciate your loyalty at Subway restaurant
4. Customer: Thanks have a good day and take care
5. Attendant: Thanks. I will
Third Service encounter
The final encounter was between an African American attendant and white American Customer. The attendant was a male employee aged below 25 years and the customer was a man aged above 70 years. The attendant looked jovial but the customer was a bit serious and unhappy. The customer was tall and he looked like an ex-military while attendant was short, dark and handsome. I recorded the conversation as follows:
1. Attendant: Good to see you sir. We also have variety of drinks, you can serve yourself
2. Customer: No. thanks. I am good
3. Attendant: we really appreciate your loyalty at Subway Restaurant
4. Ok. Get me the bill please
5. The bill is here sir. Have it. Thanks for having your lunch at Subway Restaurant
6. Good
7. Welcome again sir. we really appreciate you loyalty
Analysis of the conversations
First Service encounter
Presence of an uptake in the first conversation is evident. The customer and the attendant seem to enjoy the conversation. When the attendant uptake, the customer’s comments and expands the conversation further and discloses the details of his holiday. The two people seem to appreciate each other. They are compatible in an important way. Although these are people from opposite gender, there is some sense of customer satisfaction for the services that are offered at Subway restaurant
Second Service encounter
There is absence of uptake in the second encounter. The attendant seems to ignore the question that is posed by the customer. When the customer asks the attendant how she is, the attendant becomes silent which means she refuses to uptake the conversation and pretends to be a ‘serious business lady’. Although she appreciates the concern of the customer when the customer tells her to take care, she doesn’t comment on the side of the customer. May be the most reasonable thing she should have told the customer is ‘Thanks. Take care too’. But she is silent on this, which means she does not uptake the conversation at all.
Final Service encounter
In the third service encounter, the customer seems to be very serious. His answers are short and they seem to be unfriendly. The man doesn’t entertain the attendant. He seems to be unhappy with either the service or the attendant. He doesn’t uptake the conversation. The attendant tries desperately to please the customer but his efforts are fruitless. The customer seems to be a no-nonsense man.
Suggestions based on Bailey’s work
The first conversation seems to be jovial. There is an uptake and the conversation is expanded. This may be due to the compatibility of the two cultures. There seems to be a great understanding from both sides
In the second conversation, there may be some linguistic differences. Probably because the Indian attendant does not understand the African American language properly, but that doesn’t mean that the cultural tension is ruled out