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Faculty of Business and Law

aCADEMIC YEAR 2018/19

assessment brief

Module Code:	UMKD6R-15-3
Module Title:	Marketing Services
Submission Deadline:	Wednesday 13th March 2019
Assessment Component	Coursework
Assessment Weighting:	50 per cent of total module mark
Marking and feedback deadline (20 working days)	10th April 2019

Assessment Instructions

This is an individual case-based assignment that requires you to answer a question in relation to the case study below: ‘Woodchurch Furniture’.

Question: Using services marketing theory, analyse and explain Woodchurch’s loss of customers and recommend how it might improve the customer experience. (100 marks)

General Guidance

· The coursework requires you to select and apply theories, frameworks, and concepts from the first six study units of the module.

· It is your decision as to what theories/frameworks/concepts to use to inform your answer. There is no recommended minimum or maximum number, but generally, quality of application is more important than the quantity of frameworks applied.

· Remember that the requirement is to apply rather than describe theory.

· You may use subheadings in your answer, but avoid excessive use of bullet points.

· Do not reiterate passages from the case study. Obviously, you will need to refer to the case, but do this as succinctly as you can.

· Evidence of relevant reading beyond the lecture slides, with appropriate application of this reading, will be rewarded. Besides textbooks, you may want to explore relevant articles from Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Research, or Service Industries Journal. Other journals will have relevant articles, but, as implied by their titles, these three focus on services.

· Include a title page, contents, and references. There is no need for an abstract or executive summary. Please number your pages.

Marking Criteria

Please see the grid below:

Criteria Grading	Analysis (35%)	Recommendations (35%)	Structure (20%)	Literacy, presentation, referencing (10%)
80-100 PASS Exceptional	Insightful analysis with originality of thought. Identifies underlying issue(s). Excellent application of theory. Demonstrates excellent integration of relevant literature from outside the module reading list.	Highly appropriate, with originality of thought. Consistent with issues raised in the analysis. Exceptional clarity and detail. Supported wherever possible by theory / literature.	Exceptional organization and flow of material with excellent connections between ideas. Introduction is specific and signposts. Conclusion synthesises and may highlight implications of recommendations.	Exceptional standard of literacy and presentation. Near faultless referencing.
70-79 PASS Excellent	Insightful analysis. Identifies underlying issue(s). Excellent application of theory. Demonstrates excellent integration of relevant literature from outside the module reading list.	Excellent and appropriate, with some originality of thought. Consistent with issues raised in the analysis. Excellent clarity and detail. Supported wherever possible by theory / literature.	Excellent organization and flow of material. Ideas are well connected. Introduction is specific and signposts. Conclusion synthesises and may highlight implications of recommendations.	Excellent standard of literacy and presentation. Referencing is excellent but there may be one or two slips.
60-69 PASS Very good / good	Good analysis. Identifies underlying issue(s) though may not discuss in depth. Good application of theory. Demonstrates good integration of relevant literature, with some from outside the module reading list.	Good and generally appropriate. Largely consistent with issues raised in the analysis. Good clarity and detail. Some recommendations supported by theory / literature.	Good organization and flow of material with ideas that are mostly well connected. Introduction is largely contextualised and signposts. Conclusion provides a good summary.	Good standard of literacy and presentation. Just a few errors. Referencing is good, though there may be a few errors or omissions.
50-59 PASS Competent	Competent analysis. May miss underlying issue(s). Reasonable application of theory though not always systematic or accurate. Evidence of reading beyond the lecture slides.	Competent and generally appropriate. There may be inconsistencies with issues raised in the analysis. Some recommendations lack clarity and detail. Limited theoretical support.	Competent organization of material but flow may not always be logical. Ideas not always connected. Introduction is general with limited signposting. Conclusion provides an incomplete summary.	Competent standard of literacy and presentation. Referencing is competent but there may be several errors or omissions.
40-49 PASS Adequate	Adequate analysis. Misses underlying issue(s). Adequate application of theory but not systematic and with evidence of a lack of understanding in places. No evidence of reading beyond lecture slides.	Adequate though not all appropriate. A lack of consistency with the analysis. A substantial lack of clarity and detail. Limited or no theoretical support.	Some attempt to structure the report but not always effective. Ideas often unconnected. Introduction is superficial with limited/no signposting. Conclusion is weak or absent.	Adequate literacy and presentation but with several areas of weakness. Many instances of incorrect or missing references.
35-39 FAIL Inadequate	Superficial analysis. Misses underlying issue(s). Limited and unsystematic application of theory, demonstrating a lack of understanding. No evidence of reading beyond the lecture slides.	Inadequate and with limited appropriateness. A lack of consistency with the analysis. A substantial lack of clarity and detail. No theoretical support.	Vague structure with little or no logic to the flow of material. Ideas unconnected. Introduction and conclusion are superficial or absent.	Inadequate literacy and presentation, with substantial areas of weakness. Many instances of incorrect or missing references. Significantly under or over word count.
0-34 FAIL Poor	Poor analysis. Misses underlying issue(s). Very limited and unsystematic application of theory, demonstrating a lack of understanding. No evidence of reading beyond the lecture slides.	Very few, and largely inappropriate, recommendations. A lack of consistency with the analysis. A substantial lack of clarity and no detail. No theoretical support.	Very disorganized with no logic to the flow of material. Poor connections between ideas. Introduction and conclusion are superficial or absent.	Poor literacy and presentation. Many instances of incorrect or missing references. Significantly under or over word count.

Formative feedback and Support

Formative feedback

Formative feedback provides opportunities to reflect on your ongoing work and preparation for your assignment. Time will be set aside in every lecture prior to the submission date for you to ask questions and receive feedback about the assignment. If you prefer not to ask your question aloud in the lecture, you can email it in advance to the module leader. Weekly tutorial tasks are designed to give you the opportunity to apply theory that you may choose to use in your coursework, thus giving you the opportunity to receive formative feedback in class. In addition, a ‘frequently asked questions’ document will be made available on Blackboard and updated regularly.

Formatting

Please use the following file format: Microsoft Word file with a .doc or .docx file extension. We cannot ensure that other formats are compatible with markers’ software.

All work should be word processed in 12-point font Times New Roman or Arial and single spaced. Please number your pages.

The first page of your coursework must include:

· Your student number

· The module name and number

· Your word count

Word Limit

The maximum word limit for this coursework is 2,500.

· This word count includes everything in the main body of the text (including headings, tables, citations, quotes, lists, etc.).

· References, title page, contents page, and appendices are NOT included in the word count.

· There is no direct penalty for exceeding the word count, but the marker WILL stop reading once the maximum word limit has been reached and nothing further will be taken into account in the allocation of marks.

You can view the UWE word count policy here: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/policies

Referencing:

Please adhere to the principles of good academic practice and ensure you reference all sources used when developing your assessment, using the UWE Harvard system. Failure to properly reference your work to original source material can be grounds for the assessment offence of plagiarism and may result in failure of the assessment or have more serious implications.

For further guidance on correct referencing go to:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/referencing.aspx

Details of what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it can be found here:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/readingandwriting/plagiarism.aspx

For general guidance on how to avoid assessment offences see:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessments/assessmentoffences.aspx

Instructions for submission

You must submit your assignment before the stated deadline by electronic submission through Blackboard. Notification that the electronic submission portal is open for your assignment is displayed (usually two weeks before the submission date) in the Coursework tab in myUWE, the Coursework tab in Blackboard and via an announcement in the Blackboard course.

Please allow sufficient time to upload your assignment, noting that the system becomes busier and slower as the deadline approaches. Only your final upload will be counted. Ensure all your information is submitted at one attempt to avoid ‘overwriting’ your intended submission. Always check and retain your receipts.

Late submission in the 24 hours following the deadline will be accepted but the assignment mark will be capped at 40%. Submissions after 24 hours will not be accepted. For full guidance on online submission through Blackboard, see:

http://info.uwe.ac.uk/online/Blackboard/students/guides/assignments/default.asp

Submissions of coursework by any other method (including a paper copy, on disk or by email) are NOT permissible for this module unless specifically agreed in advance of the submission date.

Before submitting your work, please ensure that:

· You have proof read you work thoroughly to ensure your work is presented appropriately

· You have addressed all the required elements of the assessment

· You have referenced in accordance with the guidance provided

· You have addressed each of the marking criterion

· The submission is in the correct format

Final feedback and marks release

Students will normally receive marks and feedback on their submission within 20 working days of the submission deadline (not including any public holidays or university closure days). Any delay in returning students’ work will be communicated by the module leader via Blackboard. Feedback on this module is not limited to the written comments you will receive on individual written assessment submissions.

Feedback and marks for this module will be available by 10th April 2019.

For further guidance on feedback, please refer to the module handbook.

Further Guidance and Support

General guidance on study skills is available at: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills.aspx

Specific study skills pages relating to this module include:

Writing skills:

https://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/readingandwriting/writing.aspx

Support from the FBL Academic Success Centre:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/bl/bbs/aboutus/studentexperience/academicsupportcentre.aspx

Guidance on UWE assessment regulations and terminology: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessments/assessmentsguide.aspx

Guidance on using the library: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/usingthelibrary.aspx

Personal Circumstances

If you are experiencing difficulties in completing a piece of assessment on time due to unexpected circumstances (for example illness, accident, bereavement), you should seek advice from a Student Support Adviser at the earliest opportunity.

Please note the module leader cannot grant personal circumstances or extensions.

Appointments with a student adviser can be made via an Information Point or online at:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/studentadvisers.aspx

The Student Support Adviser will advise as to whether you should submit an application for ‘Personal Circumstances (PCs)’, how to do so and what evidence is required to support the application.

Further details on ECs can be found here:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/assessments/personalcircumstances.aspx

Woodchurch Furniture

We are a medium-sized UK firm that designs and manufactures functional, but aesthetically pleasing, furniture. Our target market includes small, office-based businesses, and independent, premium restaurants and hotels. In the time since our founding in 1990, we have built a reputation for high quality and innovative products.

In the period from 2008 to 2010, with the UK in the grip of a recession, our revenues began to fall. Many of our target audience regarded high quality furniture as a luxury and switched to cheaper, and in our opinion inferior, furniture. While we did our best to reduce our costs and prices, we could not match the prices of imported, mass-produced furniture. In an effort to increase our sales revenue, we decided to introduce a furniture ‘repair and care’ service. The service includes repairs to damaged furniture, maintenance work to prolong the life of furniture, and cleaning and re-upholstery of chairs. We offer this service as an annual contract for our customers. This comprises twice-yearly visits (we call them ‘audits’) to inspect furniture and carry out any required maintenance. In addition, customers can call us, when necessary, for emergency repairs.

Initially, many of our customers signed up for this service. They were pleased to have their furniture cared for by the firm that manufactured it. However, overall, we have not seen the uplift in revenue that we expected. In fact, after a couple of years, a worrying trend developed. Our customers began cancelling their service contracts.

In order to find out the reason why, we conducted a survey. The results of the survey suggested that customers were dissatisfied with our service. We could not understand why, because we know that we manufacture high quality furniture and that we have skilled technicians who understand everything there is to know about maintaining and repairing furniture. We decided to run a marketing communications campaign to remind existing and prospective customers that we are one of the UK’s leading, quality-furniture manufacturers. Yet 12 months later, the problem persisted – more customers had cancelled their contracts.

In an effort to ‘dig deeper’, we decided to conduct interviews with 20 of our customers who had recently terminated service contracts with us. Below is a summary of the findings, reported in the words of a respondent.

I realize that you manufacture high quality furniture, and that you have skilled technicians. In fact, I recently discovered that many of your Repair and Care technicians are actually furniture makers from your factory. While I find it reassuring to know that my furniture is being cared for by the person that made it, I am sorry to say I am not happy with the way in which you carry out your service. Up to now, I have resisted complaining, but since you are asking, I will tell you what I think.

You are often vague about when your technicians will arrive, and even when you commit to a day and time, you often do not arrive when expected. I also find that you have restricted appointment times. I run a small business and need to schedule repairs and maintenance outside office hours. I find it difficult to fit in with your appointment calendar. Whenever I call to make an appointment, I find I am ‘on hold’ for several minutes before I get to speak to one of your customer service representatives. Then, when I finally get through to a representative, they ask me questions about the furniture that I cannot answer, such as the range and model types, date of purchase, date of last service visit, and so on. This usually means having to end the call, find the information (which is difficult and time-consuming to locate), and call back, only to be put on hold again.

My contract states I am entitled to two audits per year. However, I find that it is up to me to instigate these visits. I have never had a call from you to say it is time to book my furniture audit. There also seems to be an unwillingness to come out for jobs that you consider small. They may appear small to you, but if a chair or desk needs repairing, we do not want to wait up to six months for the next audit.

Although a small number of your technicians are attentive, many are rather dismissive and show no concern about arriving late to an appointment. There are times when technicians leave partway through a job without telling me why. I used to think they were taking long coffee breaks. Later I discovered that they left to return to your office to get tools or products required for the repairs. This clearly lengthens the time required to finish the work.

While working on the repairs, technicians often receive calls from your office. From what I can deduce, they are being asked when they will finish the job and when they will arrive at their next appointment. I find this rather concerning and irritating. Will they rush the repairs to get to the next appointment?

Each time I have a problem, you send a new technician that I have never met before. Sometimes I do not even recognise them as your employees; do you subcontract work? I also find I have to repeat all the information about a problem that I told the customer service representative. This is annoying and makes me wonder if you talk to each other. I have been a customer of yours for many years, but I do not feel this is reflected in how I am treated.

Sure, you know how to manufacture furniture, but as for the rest…

N.B. Woodchurch Furniture is a fictitious company