82
MARKETING COMMUNICATION IN SERVICE
PROCESS
Zbigniew Widera
ABSTRACT
Consumers are involved in the process service. They are seen as an important element of the
service having an impact on the assessment and the degree of satisfaction from it. In addition
to the importance of not service process to assess the quality of the service, its efficient course
can also be an important factor in attracting customers to a service and often constitutes an
important element of its competitive advantage.
KEY WORDS
marketing, media, mass communication, public relations, service process
Article
Consumers are involved in the process service. They are seen as an important element of the
service having an impact on the assessment and the degree of satisfaction from it. In addition
to the importance of not service process to assess the quality of the service, its efficient course
can also be an important factor in attracting customers to a service and often constitutes an
important element of its competitive advantage. These conditions make the marketing of
services - service processes is regarded as one of the tools of the marketing mix. This means
that it should be planned as carefully as the other instruments: price, promotion and
distribution. This process is accompanied by a marketing communication, as a bridge between
providers of product or service and their customers, attractiveness of the created media.
Communication note, regardless whether built on its traditional area of new media and should
be professionally managed and based on ethical principles. Failure to comply with the latter
becoming merely an absolute pressure sales to obtain it.
"Services" opposed to "products", are the largest sector in terms of employment and
gross national product being a matter worthy of consideration, that although we are in the
twenty-first century among scholars of the problem there is no consensus on the distinction
between the concepts of "product "and" service ". Moves this point in its work by J. Durlik48
giving the example of IBM, where many people see the company exclusively as a
manufacturer of computers, others argue that the main scope of its activities are provided - in
the form of advice on the use, helping customers to use, maintenance or repair their
48
DURLIK I.: Inżynieria zarządzania .Strategia i projektowanie systemów produkcyjnych, Gdańsk
1996. s. 157 – 168.
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equipment. In fact, the boundary between the two contexts generates revenues is smooth and
the company may be a supplier on the market for goods and services. Most of the marketing
mechanisms is based on the same base and their goal is always to achieve a successful
conclusion of the exchange transaction, between the bidder and the buyer.
Design development services requires process technology, as in the service
participates live responsive entity - the customer who can virtually substantially affect the
results of the technology of the service. This fact distinguishes the product technology of
technology services.
J. Durlik states, "technology service process is at least as much, and perhaps more
varied as the processes of production. Services have a number of options for the number of
contacts with the client and labor input as opposed to the manufacturing of products”. As a
result, we have various problems and results, and also with different powers and uniqueness
within the huge technology services. "These indicate a particularly occurring between the
factors - customer contact and intensity of the work relationship - define four specific types of
service processes:
1. Productions apparent.
2. Mass services.
3. Social services.
4. Professional Services.
Reaching into practice - many service businesses clearly be attributed to one of the cells of the
matrix of service processes. Also sentence authors such as: M. Brzezinski, A.
Payne, J. Mazur a matrix of service processes can be classified as one of the types of service
processes49
.
The service is a sequence of actions taken by the service provider in a specific order
and time, and of sufficient duration. Accordingly the inseparability of the production and
consumption of services in the activities that make up the whole process involved the
customer. The share of the customer and his activity during the purchase of the service
depends on the nature of the process.
Describing the service process
Ch. Lovelock50
distinguishes four service processes. These are:
1) Processes in which the consumer participates personally (personal processes) relate to
services in which actions are taken directly to the individual client (for example,
dental services, hairdressing, beauty), or require his physical presence (eg. transport,
accommodation services and catering).
In most of these services, there is a need of a large existing customer participation in
these processes, although its nature may be very different. This may include, for
example on the expression of expectations for the appearance of hair, inform your
doctor about being and feeling during treatment, order a meal in a restaurant, while
you wait for the bus at the bus stop, etc.
49
MAZUR J.: Zarządzanie marketingiem usług, Warszawa 2001, S. 45.
50
LOVELOCH CH.: Services Marketing, London 1996, s. 29-32.
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2) Processes on the ownership of the consumer. They have a place in services is not
addressed directly to the consumer, but the things that are in his possession (repair
various types of equipment, car washing, dog care, renovation, home insurance, etc.).
These services do not require a lot of client involvement in the process of their
benefits. Their participation is limited mostly to order services, to present and discuss
the problem, sometimes the delivery of the goods to the supplier and the end to pay
the bill.
3) Processes affecting the mental sphere of the consumer. They occur for example in
education, information services and entertainment. These processes require a strong
commitment on the part of consumers. While the processes belonging to this group
first (personal) is often sufficient merely physical presence, whereas in this case, the
client must be an active participant in the process.
Flying by plane, the passenger can sleep, even though it receives the essence of
service - will be at the destination, but sleeping in the lecture the student will not be
the recipient of educational services. Services consisting of such processes are often
made to the service provider (such as a show at the theater, lecture at the university),
but can also be provided at a distance, by means of modern communication tools (eg.
Television Theatre, educational programs on TV and interactive in Internet).
4) IT processes - provided by modern technology and information, at a distance, without
having to visit the customer service office. Such processes occur such as banking or
insurance services.
They need the active participation of the client, because he alone supports devices that
allow you to use the service.
The criterion to the above distribution service processes is the level of activity and
participation of the customer51
. From the point of view of process design and management
division is important because the services provided with greater customer participation
require greater flexibility preparedness actions abnormal situations than those performed
without or with little of its participation.
Each service process goes through phases of visible and invisible to the customer. The
degree of visual availability may vary at different stages of the process. It is also possible that
after a certain number of steps invisible, suddenly strengthen to contact customer service. An
example would be a visit to a specialist doctor in the laboratory after much analysis of
samples taken from the patient. So the pattern of each service process consists of two main
parts: the steps visible to the customer services and activities performed outside.
Marketing communication
In the process of providing services is particularly important to marketing communications. It
is carefully designed to create the foundation of the relationship between the organization and
51
PAYNE A.: Marketing usług, Warszawa, s. 214-216.
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its current and potential customers. It creates the conditions not only to provide market
information on the services provided, and all its aspects, not only allows you to obtain
information about the level of market acceptance of their offer, offers competitive but more
importantly allows you to skillful customer involvement in building your own offer.
Contributing to the optimal business model based on satisfying the needs, incorporation of the
emotions of the buyer but what is most important to co values.
The approach of marketing has evolved over the development of civilization.
According to P. Kotler52
in "industrial age - when technology was superior industrial
machinery - in marketing meant for the sale of goods produced by the factory. Products are
not distinguished by anything in particular and was intended for the broad market. The aim
was to standardization and mass production to reduce costs and thus lower prices of products,
making it available to an even wider range of buyers. By illustrating a principle attributed to
the production of the Ford Model T car, which could be in any color as long as it was black
called the phase of marketing, marketing 1.0.
Marketing 2.0 was born in modern times - in the era of information. Now, the key role
played by information technology, marketing is not so simple. Consumers are well informed
and can easily compare several similar offers. The value of the product is defined precisely by
them, and their tastes are very diverse.
Marketer must divide the market into segments and develop a great product, the sales
of which will be targeted to a specific market. In accordance with the principle of "customer
is king". Today's marketing experts are trying to move the hearts and minds of the consumer.
Unfortunately, such assumptions where the focus is the customer, linked to the assumption
that the consumer is merely a passive purpose of marketing campaigns. So marketing is a
recognized characteristic of the era of customer orientation.
At present, apply a new approach to marketing processes in which communication is
the bridge between the provider and the customer. The platform, which not only connects the
two sides of the future transaction but will meet them at the center. Marketing 3.0 is a symbol
of the era of focus on value. For retailers there is no longer an ordinary customer, which
directed its efforts to persuade him to buy. Today, the consumer - it replaces man. It can be
mind, heart and soul.
More and more of those customers trying to find a solution to their concerns something
that makes the world would be better. In a world where nothing is certain, look for
companies that are in your mission, vision and goals are distinguished by a set of values that
meet their deepest desire for social justice, economic and environmental, not only expect that
the product or service meets their needs in terms of functional and emotional .
Now the market, hoping to also meet the spiritual. P. Kotler marketing clearly
associated with a restatement of opportunities close relationship with the consumer bidder.
"This is the first building block consisting of the Marketing 3.0. Companies practicing
Marketing 3.0 want to change the world, but fail to do the same. The economy, which is now
a network of connections and interdependence, must cooperate with each other, with equity
partners of distribution channels, with their employees, and finally, the consumers
52
KOTLER P.: Marketing 3,0, Warszawa 2010, s.17- 27.
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themselves. " This describes the marketing 3.0, as a forum for the necessary cooperation
between the parties with similar desires, sharing similar values.
Modern technology in marketing
Principles are through communication with people. Using both traditional forms of verbal and
nonverbal communication, effectively implemented the process of public relations, promotion
and advertising, using media and direct marketing as well as the use of new media. Internet
communication in which the client can become very fast interactive partner. Identified by the
service provider with which it contacts with the opportunity to make changes based on
customer feedback and participation.
Marketing communications supported by modern technology offers great opportunities
to broaden their offerings. Attractive in it and modify it. Standing looking at the progress of
the competition and thereby eliminate their own mistakes.
Modern communication, however, poses a serious condition. With the presence of new
opportunities, targeted messages and increase the volume of marketing messages that reach to
each individual customer, it becomes more challenging. Earning the trust of consumers is
because today more difficult than ever before. When the cycle begins marketing, integrated
into the process to provide services, customers expect tailored to their specific needs,
personalized interactions.
It can be seen that the times of blindly issuing standard offers and promotional
messages, in the hope that someone wants to use them. Replaced them with active game in
which exposed not only to express a negative opinion of him but more for its dissemination.
To forward it to other customers, who, on this basis build their ideas. Such as "the booking"
Internet hotel booking facilities filled with millions of opinions creates conditions for
development for the best with the client does not get filled with platitudes on advertising
space far from his imagination. Communication in the new media provides opportunities but
killed while those who have not yet adapted to the new era of interactive forms of market
sales53
.
The service is an important part of the marketing - mix of service providers, the
efficiency of its course determined to a very large extent on consumer evaluation of the
service itself. Consumer perceptions of long waiting times and the organization has a
significant impact on the evaluation of the entire service.
This is because having to wait often causes irritation and dissatisfaction. Length of
waiting for service and occurring sometimes delay may become so critical determinants of
service quality and customer satisfaction. It is necessary to emphasize the importance of
marketing communication that reinforces the suppliers and customers helps to notice the
offer, the first assessment and consequently the possibility of a permanent relationship with
the buyer.
53
BRZEZIŃSKI M.: Organizacje i sterowanie produkcją. Projektowanie systemów produkcyjnych i
procesów sterowania produkcją, Warszawa 2002, S. 68.
87
Distribution of service processes
The distribution of service processes is the level of activity and participation of the customer.
From the point of view of process design and management division is important because the
services provided with greater customer participation require greater flexibility preparedness
actions abnormal situations than those performed without or with little of its participation54
.
Another important criterion for the allocation of service processes is the level of direct
contact with the customer service company. There are here:
Services where there is a high level of direct contacts. This group includes all processes
personal as well as part of the processes belonging to other groups, such as education.
1. Services at the average level of direct contacts. These are services that require a
customer visits the service company or its employee contact at home or elsewhere, but
do not require his presence in the whole process of service or in the process to contact
the property is limited.
Examples of such services are, on the one hand, such as credit repair services or a
bank (we show in the bank to deposit the instruments, and then signing the contract,
the procedure of processing the application and the granting of the loan is done
without our involvement), and other services are provided by supermarkets, motels
and restaurants a Fast Ford, where contact with the employees is limited only to the
necessary minimum.
2. Services for low-level direct contacts, the ones that do not require direct physical
meeting customer service. These are all services provided at a distance, often using
information technology, such as credit cards, electronic banking, cable, etc.55
Also, the distribution of services is important from the point of view of process design
services. Design process to provide services with a high level of contacts required, because
the account of three areas: direct contact zone (zone purchaser), supporting facilities and areas
and the links between them, while the process design services with a low level of contacts
includes the ways of working area booster. In addition, the planning process from the first
group should include a range of self-determination decision of workers directly in contact
with customers and the procedures for the taking.
Accordingly, depending on the group to which services are provided by the company, the
design process involves the provision of different elements and units in the company. With
faster and wider development of information technology, there are more and more
opportunities to develop the type of customer and the extent of their participation in the
service provided. Designing service process requires a fundamental decisions concerning:
1. Type and frequency of customer contact with the service provider.
2. The complexity and diversity of the process.
54
PAYNE A.: Marketing usług, Warszawa, s. 226.
55
LOVELOCH CH.: Services Marketing, London 1996, s. 46.
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Zbigniew Widera, Ph.D.
Wyższa Szkoła Humanitas
ul. Kilińskiego 43,
41-200 Sosnowiec
POLAND
zbigniew@widera.pl
tel.: +48 513 189 375