Marketing Services and the Customer Experience

Module Handbook 2020/21

Module Name: Marketing Services and the Customer Experience

Module Code: UMKD6R-15-3

Module Leader Name: Dr. Mario Vafeas

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Aim of the Handbook

The handbook is a guide for students in the Department of Business and Management. The information in the handbook can also be found in a number of other electronic or paper sources and the document provides links to the definitive data sources wherever possible.

Please note that the electronic version of the handbook will be kept up to date and you will be notified of any significant changes. If you have taken a hard copy of any information please remember to refer back to the electronic version to ensure that you are working with the most up to date information.

Contents

1. Module team information page 2

2. Module enhancement page 2

3. Module specific information page 2

4. Programme page 3

5. Assessment page 4

6. Submission details page 4

7. Submission feedback page 4

8. Reading list and additional information page 4

9. Communication page 5

10. Advice and support page 5

11. Study unit briefing page 7

1. Module team information

Module Leader: Dr. Mario Vafeas

Module Teaching Team: Dr. Mario Vafeas; Joe Liddiatt

External examiners from other institutions are appointed to each module to act independently and work with the module team in the management of threshold academic standards. The external examiner appointed to this module can be found at http://www2.uwe.ac.uk/services/Marketing/about-us/cas/Extnl_Exam_Allocation_to_Mods.pdf

2. Module enhancement

No substantive changes as a result of student feedback (feedback was very positive in 2019/20). Content continually updated to reflect changes, opportunities, and challenges in the services sector.

3. Module specific information

Why study Marketing Services?

The service sector accounts for a significant proportion of the GDP of western economies (80% in the UK, according to the ONS) and is growing as a proportion of GDP in emerging markets. Furthermore, most products that we buy include some element of service in them (e.g. Apple’s iCloud as a supplementary service for its devices). For those of you who decide to pursue a career in marketing, more than half of you will work in services marketing at some point in your career.

Aim of the module

The aim of this module is to develop your understanding of the distinctive nature of services marketing. Most of your studies to date will have focused on the marketing of physical goods. While the principles of marketing remain the same, the particular characteristics of services demand an adaptation and development of traditional marketing concepts. We will build on the knowledge you have acquired to date by exploring the range of strategic and tactical issues that the marketer needs to manage in a services context.

4. Programme

Study Unit	W/C	Lecture	Interactive task	Tutorial
1	8 February 2021	Definitions, classifications, trends	The digital customer experience, Bain & Co. (video)	Introduction to services
2	15 February 2021	Distinguishing features of services	The key to good customer service, Virgin Atlantic (video)	Classifying services
3	22 February 2021	The service encounter and service delivery	Service as experience, TGI Friday (video)	Evaluating online services
4	1 March 2021	Service quality and satisfaction, part 1	Service delivery, Noodles & Co. (video)	‘Creating a drama at TGI Friday’
5	8 March 2021	Service quality and satisfaction, part 2	Customer service, The Bottom Line (podcast)	The service process and blueprinting
6	15 March 2021	Managing people	Managing the customer experience, Jerry Angrave guest lecture (video)	Coursework Q and A (1)
7	22 March 2021	Service failure and recovery	Service recovery, United Airlines/Ritz Carlton (video)	The Ritz Carlton’s Ladies and Gentlemen
	29 March 2021
	5 April 2021
8	12 April 2021	Managing capacity and demand	Managing demand, The Bottom Line (podcast)	Review of module concepts to date
9	19 April 2021	Physical evidence	Servicescape, T Mobile and Apple (video)	Capacity and demand in a creative studio
10	26 April 2021	Pricing	Pricing discretionary services, The Bottom Line (podcast)	‘Red Design’s graphic design studio’
11	3 May 2021	Building customer relationships	No task. Work on coursework	Coursework Q and A (2)

5. Assessment

There is one assessment component. It is an individual assignment. Question 1 of the assignment relates to a case study and the maximum word count is 2,500. Question 2 of the assignment is a critical reflection and the maximum word count is 700 words. The assignment brief is on Blackboard.

6. Submission details

Please note that the submission deadlines are absolute and based on UWE server time, therefore you are strongly advised to submit work well ahead of the deadline dates to avoid situations where penalties could be incurred. Penalties are imposed if a submission is made up to 24 hours after the deadline, and the highest mark you can receive will be the minimum pass mark (if the assessment is passed). After the 24 hours have passed, the work will not be accepted for marking.

Please see the assignment brief for the submission deadline.

7. Submission feedback

You will receive informal feedback verbally through all teaching sessions. Your submitted assignment will be returned to you with written feedback and consists of comments made by tutors on students’ assessed work which enables students to understand how they have met the defined assessment criteria, and identifying areas for further improvement. The period for providing feedback will not normally exceed 20 working days (excluding University closure days) following the deadline for submission of the assessment concerned. Where the period is greater than 20 working days, students will be informed of the deadline and the rationale for the extension. Outcomes which have not been confirmed by an examining board shall be considered as unconfirmed. MyUWE is used to communicate unconfirmed marks, provide cover sheets for assessments and to submit work.

8. Reading list and additional information

Your full module reading list can be accessed online, through the module’s Blackboard page.

The short video available on the library’s website will introduce you to some of the key features of the online reading list system: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/searchforthingsa-z/databases/a-z/r.aspx#readinglists

The core textbook is: Palmer, A. (2014) Principles of Services Marketing. 7th ed. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill.

This is the most comprehensive of all the services marketing textbooks, hence the decision to recommend it as the core textbook. Other useful texts include:

Grönroos, C. (2015) Service Management and Marketing. 4th ed. Chichester: Wiley.

Hoffman, D. and Bateson, J. (2016) Services Marketing: Concepts, Strategies, and Cases. London: Cengage.

Lovelock, C. and Wirtz, J. (2011) Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy. 7th ed. Harlow: Pearson.

Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V., Bitner, M.J., and Gremler, D. (2016) Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm. 3rd ed. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.

A guide to referencing can be found at: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills/referencing.aspx

The University’s policy on word count can be found here:

http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/policies.aspx

9. Communication

You will receive regular communication from the module leader and also administrative staff. It is your responsibility to ensure that you read everything that you are sent and act upon it where appropriate.

The main communication channel used is the Blackboard. Blackboard provides the main communication channel for module specific information and these too should be checked regularly for new content and announcements. Please see http://info.uwe.ac.uk/myUWE/guidance/default.asp for further information on all aspects of your myUWE portal.

10. Advice and support

There are a range of facilities and services available to go to for advice and support depending on what the issue is. Remember - asking for help at the earliest possible stage will help you in the long run. Your first point of call should always be your Academic Personal tutor, as they will be able to sign post you to the right services and will be able to deal with specific matters relating to teaching and learning. If you are not able to contact your Academic Personal tutor for any reason go to an Information Point, details of which can be found at http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/informationpoints.aspx

Student Support Advisers are available and can also be contacted through the Information Points. See http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/academicadvice/studentadvisers.aspx for information on how they might be able to help. However, you are more than welcome to talk to other members of UWE staff depending on who you feel most comfortable talking to.

11. Study unit briefing

Study Unit 1: Definitions, classifications, and trends

Essential reading: Palmer, chapter 1 and pp. 51-53.

Supplementary reading:

Frow, P., Ngo, L., and Payne, A. (2014) Diagnosing the supplementary services model. Journal of Marketing Management. 30 (1/2), pp. 138-171.

Lightfoot, H., Baines, T., and Smart, P. (2013) The servitization of manufacturing. International Journal of Operations and Production Management. 33 (11/12), pp. 1408-1434.

Lecture: Definitions, classifications, and trends (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video (Bain & Co.) and questions on the digital customer experience (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Introduction to services

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial

Tutorial brief in class:

1. What do we mean by services (or a service firm)?

2. Is ‘customer service’ something different? In fact, is ‘service’ something different again?

3. Identify a variety of services and consider to what extent the service offering is intangible.

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 1.

Study Unit 2: Distinguishing features of services

Essential reading: Gabbott, M. and Hogg, G. (1994) Consumer behaviour and services: A review. Journal of Marketing Management. 10 (4), pp. 311-324.

Supplementary reading:

Bednall, D., Oppewal, H., and Laochumnanvanit, C. (2018) A trial engagement: Innovative, free, and other service trials. Journal of Services Marketing. 32 (1), pp. 46-56.

Ding, Y. and Keh, H-T. (2016) A re-examination of service standardization versus customization from the consumer’s perspective. Journal of Services Marketing. 30 (1), pp. 16-28.

Lecture: Distinguishing features of services (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video (Virgin Atlantic) and questions on the key to good customer service (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Classifying services

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial

Tutorial brief in class:

1. Choose a service and analyse it by classifying it according to the characteristics in the table below. For example, to what extent does the service you have chosen require high customer participation?

Low or high customization

Low or high customer participation

Low or high level of service provider judgement

One-time episodes or long-term relationship/contract

Utilitarian or hedonic service

Wide or narrow demand fluctuations

Capacity constrained or flexible

Customer to organization or organization to customer or remote interaction

2. What are the implications of the characteristics you have identified?

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 2.

Study Unit 3: The service encounter and service delivery

Essential reading: Palmer, pp. 53-57, 64-74, 94-102, and chapter 4.

Supplementary reading:

Lemon, K. and Verhoef, P. (2016) Understanding the customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing. 80 (November), pp. 69-96.

Ramdas, K., Teisberg, E., and Tucker A. (2012) Four ways to reinvent service delivery. Harvard Business Review. 90 (12), pp. 98-106.

Lecture: The service encounter and service delivery (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video (TGI Friday) and questions on service as experience (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Evaluating online services

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial

Tutorial brief in class:

In groups in class, explore the website of a service firm (e.g. dentist; restaurant; financial advisor). Analyse how the firm attempts to aid/influence the customer’s decision-making process. How important is it for the firm to reduce the perception of risk associated with the purchase, and how successful is the firm in achieving this?

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 3.

Study Unit 4: Service quality and satisfaction, part 1, definitions and dimensions

Essential reading: Palmer, pp. 276-283.

Supplementary reading:

Barnes, D., Collier, J., Howe, V., and Hoffman, D. (2016) Multiple paths to customer delight. Journal of Services Marketing. 30 (3), pp. 277-289.

Berman (2005) How to delight your customers. California Management Review. 48 (1), pp. 129-151.

Mittal, B. (2016) Retrospective: Why do customers switch? The dynamics of satisfaction versus loyalty. Journal of Services Marketing. 30 (6), pp. 569-575.

Lecture: Service quality and satisfaction, part 1, definitions and dimensions (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video (Noodles & Co.) and questions on service delivery (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: The service encounter

Preparation for tutorial: In advance of the tutorial, please read the case study below: ‘Creating a Drama at T.G.I Fridays’.

CREATING A DRAMA AT T.G.I. FRIDAYS

(Palmer, A. (2014) Principles of Services Marketing. 7th ed. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill).

Is it a pub? Is it a restaurant? Is it theatre? The operators of T.G.I. Fridays would hope that their customers see it as all three. For diners who tire of the scripted industrialized service processes of many fast-food chains, the service encounter at a branch of T.G.I. Fridays may come as welcome relief. T.G.I. Fridays is a themed American restaurant and bar group started in 1965 in the USA and which has been operated as a franchise since 1986 in the UK by Whitbread plc (in 2007 Whitbread sold operating rights of its 45 UK restaurants back to a consortium consisting of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide and ABN Amro Capital).

The credo of T.G.I. Fridays, according to Richard Snead, President and CEO of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent company of T.G.I. Fridays, is ‘to treat every customer as we would an honoured guest in our home, and it is reflected in everything we do’. Four crucial components of the company’s philosophy contribute to successful service encounters at their restaurants:

Employees – these are seen as the key to service quality; this applies not only to front-line staff who visibly contribute to guests’ experience, but also to back-room staff

Product – a meal is a focal point of a customer’s visit and consistency of standards is important

Package – this comprises the building and furnishings, which must be well maintained

Ambience – this is an important part of the meal experience that is difficult to specify, but is memorable to customers.

The first T.G.I. Fridays was opened at First Avenue and 63rd Street in New York City in 1965 and featured the now familiar red and white stripes. Inside were wooden floors, Tiffany lamps, Bentwood chairs, and striped tablecloths. Decor has become a key element in the T.G.I. Fridays experience, transforming an otherwise bland and boring industrial-type building into a theatrical stage. For T.G.I. Fridays’ interior decor, a fulltime antique ‘picker’ travels extensively to auctions and flea markets. Memorabilia has to be authentic and, if possible, unique to the area where a new restaurant is to be located.

T.G.I. Fridays offers ‘mass customization’ in which the company offers a standard service to all customers, but customers can personalize their meal through an extensive range of menu permutations. The company’s approach to managing the service encounter distinguishes between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ elements. Hard elements include core service processes and tangible elements of the product offer, such as car-parking facilities, the menu offered, and target service times. The fundamental design of T.G.I. Fridays restaurants is remarkably similar throughout the world, with a large central bar area with dining facilities surrounding the bar and authentic American decorative memorabilia. Even the location of the toilets is standard, and an American guest visiting the T.G.I. Fridays’ restaurant in Coventry would immediately know where to look for them. Red and white striped awnings, wooden floors, Tiffany lampshades, cane chairs, and striped tablecloths create an aura of the American bar/diner. Each restaurant offers a range of approximately 100 American/Mexican food menu items and approximately the same number of cocktails. Service target times form part of the ‘hard’ element of the service encounter and the company requires that starters should be served within seven minutes of receipt of a customer’s order. A computer program helps managers to monitor the achievement of these service times. The ‘hard’ elements of the service encounter tend to be specified by head office, and branch managers are expected to achieve specified standards. Menus and the product range are designed and priced centrally at head office.

However, it is the ‘soft’ elements of the service encounter that distinguish T.G.I. Fridays from its competitors. Crucial to this is the empowering of employees to take whatever actions they see fit in order to improve customers’ experience. Employee performance requires, therefore, more than the traditional acts of greeting, seating, and serving customers. Employees have to be able to provide both the behaviours and the emotional displays to match customers’ feelings. Getting serving staff to join in a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ may not be easy to script, but spontaneous singing when a meal is served to a group of diners celebrating a birthday can make all the difference in customers’ experience of their meal. Of course, recruitment of the right kind of people becomes crucial, and prospective candidates are selected as much for their sense of fun as on the strength of their CV. Initial interviews take the form of ‘auditions’ in which potential recruits are set individual and group tasks to test their personality type. Opportunities are given for trained staff to express their personality and individuality – for example, by wearing outlandish clothes that make a statement about their personality.

T.G.I. Fridays has become a preferred place of employment for restaurant staff, who have enjoyed relatively good working conditions, above-average earnings for the sector – especially when tips are taken into account – and a sense of fun while at work. The chain has won numerous awards as a good employer, including the UK’s third best workplace according to the Sunday Times’ 2013 ‘Survey of Best UK Places to Work’. It was also the fourth most fun place to work according to the FT. Staff said that managers were ‘excellent role models’ and they felt motivated to give their best every day.

Is the pattern of service encounters developed by T.G.I. Fridays a sustainable business model? Among the portfolio of restaurant formats operated by Whitbread plc, T.G.I. Fridays has been a star performer, in contrast to some of its more traditional formats, such as Beefeater, which have become less popular with consumers. A glance at the customer review site www.ciao.co.uk provides an insight to customers’ experience of the service encounter. Overall, contributors seem to be happy with the format, although a number of people observed that service standards could decline when a restaurant becomes very busy. It may be fine for serving staff to sing to customers when times are quiet, but how can they do this and still meet their service delivery time targets when the restaurant is busy? A number of customers also commented on very high prices charged by T.G.I. Fridays, with more than one person describing them as ‘rip-off prices’. But in order to get the best staff who can create a memorable experience, is it worth paying staff a little more and passing this on to customers as higher prices?

Tutorial brief in class:

Using the ‘Servuction’ model or the ‘Theatre’ model, analyse the service encounterdescribed in the case study and identify what elements contribute to a positive customer experience.

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 4.

Study Unit 5: Service quality and satisfaction, part 2, measurement and management

Essential reading: Palmer, pp. 284-309.

Supplementary reading:

Dixon, M., Freeman, K., and Toman, N. (2010) Stop trying to delight your customers. Harvard Business Review. 88 (7-8), pp. 116-122.

Lecture: Service quality and satisfaction, part 2, measurement and management (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Podcast (from The Bottom Line) and questions on customer service (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: The service process and blueprinting

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial. The task will be briefed in class.

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 5.

Study Unit 6: Managing people

Essential reading: Palmer, chapter 10.

Supplementary reading:

Dixon, M., Ponomareff, L., Turner, S. and DeLisi, R. (2017) Kick-ass customer service. Harvard Business Review. January-February, pp. 112-117.

Ekinci, Y. and Dawes, P. (2009) Consumer perceptions of frontline service employee personality traits, interaction quality, and customer satisfaction. Service Industries Journal. 107 (125), pp. 503-521.

Grönroos, C. (2012) Conceptualising value co-creation: A journey to the 1970s and back to the future. Journal of Marketing Management. 28 (13-14), pp. 1520-1534.

Lecture: Managing People (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video guest lecture from Jerry Angrave, customer experience consultant (on Blackboard)

Tutorial: Coursework Question and Answer session

Preparation for tutorial: Please come to the session with any questions you have related to the coursework. Please watch the briefing video on Blackboard first, because this will answer many of your questions.

For those unable to attend class, please watch the assignment briefing video on Blackboard in the ‘Assignment’ tab. Questions and answers from the tutorials that aren’t covered by the video will be posted on Blackboard.

Study Unit 7: Service failure and recovery

Essential reading: Palmer, pp. 58-63.

Supplementary reading:

Hoffman, D., Kelley, S., and Rotalsky, H. (1995) Tracking service failure and service recovery efforts. Journal of Services Marketing. 9 (2), pp. 49-61.

Rosenmayer, A., McQuilken, L., Robertson, N., and Ogden, S. (2018) Omni-channel service failures and recoveries: Refined typologies using Facebook complaints. Journal of Services Marketing. 32 (3), pp. 269-285.

Lecture: Service failure and recovery (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video (United Airlines and Ritz Carlton hotels) and questions on service recovery (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Managing people

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial

Tutorial brief in class: Based on the videos seen in class on Ritz Carlton, answer the following:

Question 1: The word ‘culture’ is used in the videos. What do we mean by corporate culture, and what is meant by service culture?

Question 2: Why are Ritz-Carlton’s contact employees important to the firm?

Question 3: If you were recruiting for a Ritz-Carlton hotel, what skills/traits would you look for in an interviewee?

Question 4: How do you think the firm wins the commitment of its employees?

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 7.

Study Unit 8: Managing capacity and demand

Essential reading: Palmer, chapter 12.

Supplementary reading:

Klassen, K. and Rohleder, T. (2001) Combining operations and marketing to manage capacity and demand in services. Service Industries Journal. 21 (2), pp. 1-30.

Lecture: Managing capacity and demand (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Podcast (from The Bottom Line) and questions on managing demand (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Review of module concepts (first half of module)

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 8.

Study Unit 9: Physical evidence and the service environment

Essential reading: Palmer, pp. 88-94.

Supplementary reading:

Harris, L. and Goode, M. (2010) Online servicescapes, trust, and purchase intentions. Journal of Services Marketing. 24 (3), pp. 230-243.

Mari, M. and Poggesi, S. (2013) Servicescape cues and customer behaviour. Service Industries Journal. 33 (2), pp. 171-199.

Lecture: Physical evidence (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Video (T Mobile and Apple) and questions on the servicescape (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Capacity and demand management

Preparation for tutorial: No preparation required in advance of the tutorial

Tutorial brief in class: Based on the scenario briefed to you in class, answer the following questions:

There are times when one or more of the designers is under-utilised. Similarly, there are times when there is a large influx of work. What are the potential consequences of these scenarios? As a manager, how would you manage each of these scenarios?

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 9.

Study Unit 10: Pricing

Essential reading: Palmer, chapter 11

Supplementary reading:

Avlonitis, G. and Indounas, K. (2005) Pricing objectives and pricing methods in the services sector. Journal of Services Marketing. 19 (1), pp. 47-57.

Lecture: Pricing (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: Podcast (from The Bottom Line) and questions on pricing discretionary services (on Blackboard, with feedback)

Tutorial: Physical evidence

Preparation for tutorial: In advance of the tutorial, please read the case study below: ‘Red Design’s graphic design studio’.

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 10.

‘Red Design’s Graphic Design Studio’

We put a lot of thought into the location and the whole atmosphere of the office. We wanted to encourage our clients (marketing managers of FMCG companies) to visit us, rather than us visiting them in their ‘soulless’ offices off the M25. We knew we could build bonds more easily if they visited us in our environment and met the whole team (10 in total). We were something of a ‘boutique’ agency – not a one-man band but neither one of the big, impersonal London agencies. However, we prided ourselves on being just as professional as the bigger firms, and far more friendly, flexible, and adaptable. The location was just off junction 18 of the M4, so it was easy for clients to access, whether from Bristol or London, and yet we were buried in countryside, on the edge of the Cotswolds. The view from the office was one of green fields, a small stream, and old oak trees (the odd cow, buzzard, and woodpecker would appear at times too). The building itself was a barn, converted into an office, replete with original wooden beams. There were no other buildings within a quarter of a mile.

The office was ‘open plan’ aside from a meeting room that was used for presentations to clients. The office was painted a bright ivory. Lighting was both natural (one side of the office had ceiling to floor wooden-framed windows) and artificial (ceiling spotlights). All the desks, together with the square table and six chairs in the meeting room, were made from solid American oak – clean, fresh, and light in appearance (the owner’s son-in-law was a carpenter so he made all the office furniture apart from the red filing cabinets). The walls were uncluttered; there were just a few large prints from landscape photographs taken by members of staff. There was a selection of quirky items (a miniature rocket and an art deco lamp, for example) around the office. They were red in colour – to complement the agency’s name (Red Design). The ‘rustic’ appearance was contrasted (but enhanced we thought) by state-of-the-art computers. Designers only use macs (they won’t touch PCs!) and so every desk had a beautifully-designed large Apple monitor, keyboard, and mouse (no computer ‘boxes’). While most design now takes place on computers, we were keen to preserve a little of the feel of a traditional design studio, so we carefully ‘planted’ design pads, marker pens, and pantone colour fans around the office. We also scattered several A2 sheets of art paper with design ‘scribbles’ on several desks, to give the impression of creativity in progress.

Phil, the owner and creative director, loved gardening and so there were numerous flower boxes outside the entrance to the office. He was also a keen motoring enthusiast and his old Porsche 911 and Harley motorbike were parked outside the office. The car park was big enough both for staff parking and for clients visiting the agency. The car park was just a few metres from the office.

Inside the small kitchen was Red’s ‘secret weapon’: the espresso coffee machine. Mark, the client services director, wouldn’t let anyone else touch it, and would personally make coffee for clients when they visited – the best coffee in Bristol (or so he thought!). We were fortunate to be round the corner from a little village that contained ‘Hobbs House Bakery’ that makes the finest cakes (and bread) in England. So, whenever a client visited the office, a member of staff would make a dash to Hobbs and pick up a selection of cakes or sandwiches to go with coffee. If clients had a little more time, lunch could be had at the seventeenth century pub, ‘The Dog’, which was a three-minute drive from the office.

Aside from the office itself, we took care over the appearance of other items that clients saw or touched. Portfolio bags (to carry artwork to clients) were red, envelopes were red, and paperclips were red. Careful consideration was also given to paper stock for the stationery; paper was of a substantial weight and had a matt rather than gloss finish. Company brochures (which were square and just too large for clients to hide away, and lose, in a filing cabinet) were matt laminated but with occasional gloss varnish ‘spots’ for photographs. To round off the atmosphere, music was played (at a low volume) all day long. The favourite radio station was BBC Radio Six Music.

Tutorial brief in class:

Question: What responses (cognitive, emotional, and physiological) are Red Design hoping to trigger from their clients, and what stimuli will achieve these responses?

For those unable to attend class, tutorial material with feedback will be available on Blackboard at the end of week 10.

Study Unit 11: Building customer relationships

Essential reading: Palmer, pp. 164-184.

Supplementary reading:

Harrison, M., Beatty, S., Reynolds, K., and Noble, S. (2012) Why customers feel locked into relationships. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice. 20 (4), pp. 391-406.

Karantinou, K. and Hogg, M. (2009) An empirical investigation of relationship development in professional business services. Journal of Services Marketing. 23 (4), pp. 249-260.

Lecture: Building customer relationships (Panopto recording on Blackboard)

Interactive task: No task this week to allow time for you to work on your coursework

Tutorial: Coursework question and answer session

Preparation for tutorial: Please come to the session with any questions you have related to the coursework. Please watch the briefing video on Blackboard first, because this will answer many of your questions.

For those unable to attend class, please watch the assignment briefing video on Blackboard in the ‘Assignment’ tab. Questions and answers from the tutorials that aren’t covered by the video will be posted on Blackboard