Service Modules
Service Modules Used in the Study “Updating Service Operations”
Sulek and Hensley (475) seek to develop ways through which service operations can be improved in an organization. The said improvement relies entirely on customer-oriented systems. In so doing, Sulek and Hensley hope to provide information on how a given organization can gather data on existing service delivery systems. With the help of the data collected, the management can make the necessary changes. Fitzsimmons (6) illustrates the various service modules that can be used in such an instance. Reliability, ‘tangibility’, assurance, empathy, and responsiveness are the core modules that can be employed.
Sulek and Hensley (479) use two modules in their study. The two are tangibles and responsiveness. They are used to address the issue of service delivery in the organization. The application of tangibles is evident in the way Sulek and Hensley (479) refer to the service setting. The two argue that the attractiveness and cleanliness of an organization provide the customer with a general perception of the quality of services offered.
As aforementioned, Sulek and Hensley (479) make use of responsiveness as a service module. The use of this module is made evident in what they collectively term as the intangibles. Using this service module, a customer is capable of making an informed opinion on the quality of services offered. The customer’s opinion is determined by their ability to gauge the technical and interpersonal skills of the staff in an organization (Katzan 187).
Effectiveness of the Service Modules Used
Katzan (83) points out that an organization can gain an advantage over its competitors by understanding how best to improve service delivery. In the case of Sulek and Hensley (484), the modules used to improve service delivery give significant and positive results. The business type referred to in the study is a restaurant that required improvements in customer satisfaction. Cleanliness is used as a tangible module in the organization. It elicits positive remarks from clients.
The members of staff were advised to improve their interpersonal skills when interacting with clients. In this regard, responsiveness as a module gave positive results (Sulek and Hensley 484). The results are made evident in the way front-line members of staff were complimented on how they responded to requests from customers. Similarly, the waiters were very keen on the time required to deliver the order to clients. Quality in the waiting service was significantly improved in the manner through which attention was paid to the customer’s menu specifications. Thus, the modules adopted were effective in improving service delivery.
Usage of Other Modules
According to Fitzsimmons (6), various service modules can be applied in an organization to improve the quality of services delivered. In the case of the business cited by Sulek and Hensley (484), reliability is also applicable. Customers who visit an eatery want to be certain that they can rely on the service providers to meet their demands. Also, an organization seeking to improve its service delivery can apply empathy as a service module. Empathy allows the service providers to take the place of the client and judge whether the service provided is qualitative or not (Katzan 90).
Applicability of the Modules to a Different Business Type
In the opinion of Katzan (107), it is not possible to exhaust all customer satisfaction techniques. Consequently, the service modules applied in the organization highlighted by Sulek and Hensley can work in other business types. For example, the air transport industry serves many clients who seek satisfaction. Katzan (108) points out that all five modules apply to such a business. Quality service delivery is pivotal to customer satisfaction at all times. Thus, all the modules cited in this paper can be applied to any business organization.
Works Cited
Fitzsimmons, James. Service Management: Operations, Strategy, Information Technology, New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print.
Katzan, Harry. Service Science: Concepts Technology, Management, Indiana: iUniverse, 2008. Print.
Sulek, Joanne, and Rhonda Hensley. “Updating Service Operations.” Managing Service Quality 20.5 (2010): 475-489.
