MBA 843 Syllabus
Services Marketing
2005

Professor:  Dr.  Neeli Bendapudi
Office:   556 Fisher Hall
Office Hours:  By appointment
E-mail:  bendapudi_1@cob.osu.edu
Phone:   292-2959
Fax: 292-0879
Please choose one of the following.


Required Course Materials Course Description and Objectives Course Conduct
Grading Scheme and Course Policies Service Diary Customer Correspondence
Services Project Examination .
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Course Schedule
Fisher College
The Ohio State University


Course Materials

Readings available from Website
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Course Description and Objectives

This course is designed to equip students to become more effective executives of service organizations, or of good-producing organizations that emphasize the service dimension of their products, as well as more enlightened customers of service firms.

The primary objective of the course is to help students succeed in their potential roles as executives of service-producing organizations, or of goods-producing organizations that wish to emphasize the service dimension of their product offering for competitive advantage.  Towards this end, the course will explore the particular challenges in the delivery of superior service, whether it is face-to-face or electronic.  For instance, we will focus on the challenges inherent in the design and implementation of service processes where a service may be consumed as it is produced; and inventory--if it exists--is highly perishable.  We will also explore issues in the development of frontline personnel who are often a critical part of the 'product' purchased by customers.  Drawing upon this understanding of what services marketing involves, students will investigate the critical success factors in the services arena.  The service quality paradigm will form the basis of our discussion of this section.

The second objective of this course is to encourage students to adopt a constructive, critical posture as customers of service organizations. Many service organizations are committed to providing great service and, in this course, you will study about a few of these.  Unfortunately, there are also many other organizations that offer mediocre service at best.  The popular press is replete with reports of the decline in service quality even as the services sector assumes greater significance in the national economy. One possible reason for the poor service quality is that dissatisfied customers rarely complain.  Instead, they let their feet do the talking, taking their business elsewhere.  This may have the unfortunate effect of perpetuating poor service.  In a small attempt to counter this trend, students will be asked to carefully evaluate the services that they encounter as consumers and to write a letter of constructive criticism to an organization that fails to live up to their expectations.

These two objectives are intended to be mutually reinforcing.  Hopefully, this course will instill a life-long analytical posture in students whereby their perceptions as service mangers will enable them to function as enlightened service customers and vice versa.
 

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Course Conduct

The course is designed to encourage active learning by all participants, both within and outside the classroom setting.  The class sessions will be built around lectures, discussion of cases and assigned readings.  Outside the classroom, students will be encouraged to develop an understanding of services through participant observation, and critical study through a variety of experiential exercises.

My goal is to facilitate your learning process.  If you need any special accommodations because of a disability, please do not hesitate to contact me.  For optimal results, I encourage you to contact me within the first two weeks of classes.
 

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Grading Scheme and Course Policies

The major grade components and their weights are listed below.
 
Component  Points
Service Diary 200
Customer Correspondence Assignment  25
Examination 1  250
Services Project--Group 325
Class Participation 200
TOTAL  1000

Make-up examinations will be given only if the student gets permission prior to the exam day.   Each of the components is discussed in detail below.
 

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Service Diary Assignment

This is a group assignment.  Early in the quarter, each of you will keep a diary of all of your service encounters with both profit and non-profit organizations, for any two days of your choosing.  This will include in-person, e-commerce, and telephone encounters.  Please record factual information (where, when, nature of transaction) as well as your perceptions and feelings about each service experience.  It is imperative students make their entries on the same day as they experience the service.

After each of you completes the diary entries, you are required to sit together as a group and select 15 entries that provide the greatest insights, opportunities for learning.  There must be at least one entry from each member of the group.  After the selection of entries, you must prepare no more than five pages of "lessons from the service diary" and append this material to the end of the diary.  In these pages, you will present the most important insights you have gained about service quality from your experience keeping a service diary. The diary should be comprehensive, detailed and organized in a consistent manner.

The diary and appendix will count 20% toward your course grade.  Grading criteria include the organization, range, and depth of your diary entries, the quality of writing, and evidence of learning as reflected in the diary and the appendix.  All students will be asked to be prepared to briefly discuss their worst or best service experiences in their diaries. 
 

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Customer Correspondence Assignment

This is an individual assignment.  For this component, you will each select the worst service experience and the best service experience from your service diary and contact the companies or organizations. Mail them or email them to the company at the earliest opportunity to increase the chance of a timely response for class discussion.  Copies of the letters must be turned in to the instructor. One of these letters may be by e-mail.

Each letter should be about one full page and no more than two pages long.  You must describe the service experience, compare the service received to the service expected and offer suggestions for improvement, or feedback on the aspects of the service that were especially satisfying.  Students are free to write to the owner, local manager, or senior corporate officer.

Grading criteria include the clarity with which students describe the service delivered and their expectations; the sense of understanding of service operations and quality the letters convey; constructive suggestions in the letters; and the overall professionalism and customer cues of the correspondence which may encourage a response. 

All students must be prepared to present their letters in class in week 8 and to discuss the response, if one is received.

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Services Project

Each group should secure the instructor's approval on a topic pertaining to services marketing by the beginning of the third week.  Students may choose to focus on a particular industry or firm, or address an important development in services marketing. Grading criteria include the insights developed by the team, the knowledge of services marketing demonstrated, the ability to integrate relevant course concepts into the discussion, and overall writing quality. The reports should be no more than 20 pages in length.
 

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Examination

The exam will consist of essay questions and/or case analyses.  Students are required to draw upon class lectures, discussions, guest speaker presentations, the service diary experience, and all assigned readings.  The exam will count for 25% of your course grade.
 

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Class Participation

Participation is a must for success in this class, and accounts for 20% of the course grade.  Please note that attendance is a necessary but not sufficient condition for good participation.   In a departure from usual practice, at the end of the quarter, you will evaluate your own participation and assign yourself a score based on the following scheme.  This will hopefully develop your ability to evaluate yourself critically.  You must also submit a one-page justification of the grade you have given yourself.  So, please keep track of days/topics where you believe you have taken an especially active, leadership role in class discussion.  I reserve the right to adjust the final participation grade if I deem it necessary.
 
 
Scale  Description
A+ A consistent leader in the work of the class.  Always prepared and has worked out an analysis of assigned readings.  An initiator of class discussion.  Excels in interacting with class fellows in a professional manner.  Comments are focused, integrative, demonstrate preparation, and indicate active listening.

Quality participation based on sound preparation.  Regularly responds to instructor’s comments and questions.  Also responds to comments of classmates.  Occasionally takes the lead in class discussion.  Often volunteers illustrations about the subjects being discussed.

Occasional contributions to class based on solid preparation.  Occasionally responds to the remarks of the instructor and/or classmates.  Rarely, if ever, volunteers to begin a discussion.

Answers questions from the instructor.  Responds to other students, but not consistently.

Answers questions from the instructor.  Otherwise, does not take part.
E Takes no part in classroom discussion or activities.

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