The service industry is increasingly identified as contributing to worldwide business growth and is seen as a critical source of employment. Furthermore, the provision of services is playing an increasingly important role in the marketing strategies of goods manufacturing companies, because B2B manufacturers seek to differentiate their offerings by including significant value-adding service components. However, services possess unique characteristics, justifying the consideration of whether traditional marketing management concepts and models need to be adapted to better account for service-dominant economies, and for the successful marketing of services. This unit focuses on developing your knowledge of the specific characteristics of services, and how to manage and market them. This unit will help you to create and manage relationships with customers to deliver superior services. It will focus on the processes underpinning the creation and delivery of high-quality services, the extended services marketing mix, and managing internal marketing within service firms. This unit also examines the service environment, and managing capacity and demand to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to market service firms. This unit will integrate the necessary knowledge and skills to market service firms.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

1.	Explain the specific characteristics of service offerings and markets and discuss how marketing services differs from goods.
2.	Critically analyse the extended marketing mix to manage to position a service firm in a target market.
3.	Suggest different strategic options collaboratively to improve customer performance in service firms.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule

ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Online tests	See the MyLO site for the due date	30 %	LO1, LO2,
Assessment Task 2:	Case Analysis	See the MyLO site for the due date	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Service Audit	Refer to Assessment Description	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Online Tests

Task Description:

For this assessment, students are required to complete five (5) online tests, designed to test your understanding of the key concepts covered in each of the learning modules/workshops. Each test will be randomly constructed for every student. The test may be taken at a time of your choice during the designated week (see below). Students will need to log on to MyLO using their University electronic mail username and password. A time limit of 10 minutes will apply for each test. Please note that each test will open at 9.00 am on the Monday and close at 5.00 pm, Australian time on Saturday of each designated week

Task Length:

Ten (10) questions per test. Questions will be a collection of multiple choice, true or false, fill in the blanks, and short answer questions. You will need to complete the required readings prior to starting each test.

Due Date:

Test 1: Week 3

Test 2: Week 5

Test 3: Week 7

Test 4: Week 10

Test 5: Week 13

Weight:

30%

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Explain the differences between goods and services.	LO1
2	Explain how the characteristics of services affect the marketing of services and service firms.	LO1
3	Describe customer behaviour in service encounters.	LO1
4	Explain and analyse the marketing mix in service industries.	LO2
5	Outline service innovation and service delivery channels.	LO2
6	Critically analyse a service firm’s creation and delivery of a service.	LO2
7	Critically analyse problems in managing capacity and demand in services.	LO2
8	Analyse market segments and competitive positions in service contexts.	LO2

Assessment Task 2: Case Analysis

Task Description:

The case study analysis presentation will assess students’ ability to analyse a case, marshal their thoughts and ideas and communicate them via an oral presentation. The aim of case study analysis presentation is to apply theory to solve the case and answer the case questions. For each case study, two groups will be involved: presenters and reviewers.

Students must develop their presentation in terms of addressing an audience. This is to be done in groups of 4 which will be established by the end of the second week of semester by the lecturer. The lecturer allocates students to different groups and releases the group list on MyLO by the end of the second week. Students will not be permitted to change groups.

Students will be briefed in workshop about the content and format of this assessment task. Groups must submit their PPT slides and

minute of meetings to the lecturer prior to the presentation. However, students will be marked individually based on their ability to answer case questions and lead the discussion/question section. Other student groups are expected to ask questions to the presenting group. Asking questions to the presenting group will be a part of your workshop participation marks.

Peer-review:

Each student will evaluate the contributions of their group members (not themselves) in Week 12 using a Peer Assessment Tool on the unit MyLO site. Each group member will be required to complete and submit a Peer Assessment form. Distance students will be required to submit a soft-copy of their peer assessment forms to assignment box in MyLO. No marks will be allocated unless all members submit a peer assessment form. A Peer Assessment form, including criteria for

assessment, will be available on the MyLO site.

To assist in assessing the contribution of each of group member, brief minutes should be made for each group meeting, noting who

was assigned what task and if completed. Further, individual group members should keep a journal detailing all the activities undertaken in relation to their project. It is important that each member of the group records their activities and contribution to the project on a regular basis in a journal. If there are any complaints or disputes about the performance of a group member, the lecturer can request that an individual submit his/her journal. The journal is not for marking purposes, it is only used if any dispute arises.

Task Length:

15 mins. in-class presentation + 5 mins. Q&A

Maximum of 10 PPT slides, reference slides included

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Explain the differences between goods and services.	LO1
2	Explain how the characteristics of services affect the marketing of services and service firms.	LO1
3	Describe customer behaviour in service encounters.	LO1
4	Explain and analyse the marketing mix in service industries.	LO2
5	Outline service innovation and service delivery channels.	LO2
6	Critically analyse a service firm’s creation and delivery of a service.	LO2
7	Critically analyse problems in managing capacity and demand in services.	LO2
8	Analyse market segments and competitive positions in service contexts.	LO2
9	Explain the gaps that can occur in the firm’s effort to manage service quality, and strategies for building ongoing relationships.	LO3
10	Identify and discuss the different strategic options for building customer lifetime value.	LO3
11	Manage the process of service recovery and complaint handling.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Service Audit

Task Description:

This assessment item is designed to test your application of services marketing theory to a real-life service organisation of which you have been a customer.

Students must register their choice of service organisation by end of Week Three of the semester on MyLO (information about this process will be provided in Week One of semester). Once this has been approved by your local lecturer, you can commence researching your chosen service organisation using ONLY secondary data and participant observation. Please note you are not permitted to interview staff or customers.

Part One of your service audit should contain a critical analysis of your service experience, including discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation’s service delivery. You should select services marketing theories that best underpin your analysis and discussion; therefore selection of the theory is your obligation. You should outline and discuss the issues relating to quality management in this service organisation, the extended marketing mix (i.e., physical evidence, people, process, product, promotion, price and place), and any issues that relate to the involvement of customers in service delivery. Service blueprint should also be developed for the chosen service and included in the audit as a separate section. This section of your report should be 1500 words.

Part Two of your service audit is dedicated to your recommendations. Based on your knowledge of the extended marketing mix, make at least three (3) recommendations as to how your service organisation could improve the customer experience and the overall quality of their service. You should discuss each recommendation separately, and use headings, where necessary. It is very important that your recommendations relate clearly to your critical analysis. Your recommendations must also be logical, applicable, and supported by evidence (e.g., photos, recall of your experience, and references to theory). This section of your report should be 1500 words.

Task Length:

3000 words excluding appendices and references - A minimum of 10 academic references are required.

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Explain the differences between goods and services.	LO1
2	Explain how the characteristics of services affect the marketing of services and service firms.	LO1
3	Describe customer behaviour in service encounters.	LO1
4	Explain and analyse the marketing mix in service industries.	LO2
5	Outline service innovation and service delivery channels.	LO2
6	Critically analyse a service firm’s creation and delivery of a service.	LO2
7	Critically analyse problems in managing capacity and demand in services.	LO2
8	Analyse market segments and competitive positions in service contexts.	LO2
9	Explain the gaps that can occur in the firm’s effort to manage service quality, and strategies for building ongoing relationships.	LO3
10	Identify and discuss the different strategic options for building customer lifetime value.	LO3
11	Manage the process of service recovery and complaint handling.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need to refer to online reading material each week posted on MyLO.

Other required resources

In addition to the texts/software recommended above, you are also expected to be familiar with the key academic journals in the discipline from which useful insights may be derived. In particular, you are encouraged to review regularly the relevant papers that are published in:
- Journal of Services Research
- Journal of Services Marketing
- Journal of Service Management
- Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services
- Service Industries Journal
- Services Marketing Quarterly
- International Journal of Service Industry Management
- Australasian Marketing journal
- European Journal of Marketing
- Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
- Journal of the Market Research Society
- Journal of Marketing
- Journal of Retailing
- Journal of Business Research
It is also advised that you read publications such as Marketing Magazine, B&T, AdNews, and Business Review Weekly (BRW), or subscribe to their electronic newsletters and email updates.

Unit schedule (Dates TBC)

Week	Date beginning	Topic/ Module/ Focus Area	Activities	Resources/ Readings/ Further Information
1	26 February	Lecture 1: Housekeeping. Lecture 1: Marketing in the service economy.	No workshop	Please refer to Online quiz submission schedule described in assessment 1
2	4 March	Lecture 2: Customer behaviour, culture, and service encounters	Workshop 1: Understanding the nature of services. Workshop Activities	In-class
3	11 March	Lecture 3: Positioning services in competitive markets.	Workshop 2: Role and script and different levels of service encounter. Workshop Activities	In-class
4	18 March	Lecture 4: Developing service products: core and supplementary service elements.	Workshop 3: Applying positioning strategies. Workshop Activities	In-class
5	25 March	Lecture 5: Distributing service through physical and electronic channels.	Workshop 4: Identifying and managing service product. Workshop activities for all	In-class
6	1 April	Lecture 6: Balancing productive capacity and demand.	Workshop 5: high-touch vs high-tech service delivery. Workshop activities for all	In-class
7	8 April	Lecture 7: Understanding costs and developing pricing strategy and integrated services marketing communications.	Workshop 6: Capacity management and demand smoothing. Workshop activities for all Individual Essay Activity due	In-class
8	15 April	Lecture 8: Managing people for service advantage.	Workshop 7: pricing services and managing communication channels.	In-class
9	22 April	Lecture 9: Crafting the service environment.	Workshop 8: managing people in service firms. Workshop activities for all Service Audit due	In-class
10	29 April	Lecture 10: Customer satisfaction and service quality.	Workshop 9: The functional and strategic role of the physical evidence. Workshop activities for all
11	6 May	Lecture 11: Managing relationships and building loyalty	. Workshop 10: Managing service quality.	In-class
12	13 May	Lecture 12: Handling customer complaints and managing service.	Workshop 11: Managing relationships. Workshop activities for all	In-class
13	20 May	Lecture 13: Managing the customer service function	Workshop 12: Service recovery. Workshop activities for all	In-class
Study Period: 3 June to 7 June
Exam Period: 11 June to 25 June

AACSB Accreditation

The Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE) gained initial Business Accreditation from the AACSB International (AACSB) in July 2021 – the lead program for accrediting business schools globally. AACSB seeks to connect educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal – to create the next generation of business leaders.

AACSB is the most reputable standard in business education and TSBE is now one of an elite group of the world’s business schools. By being an AACSB accredited School, TSBE has joined a global alliance committed to improve the quality of business education around the world, and to share the latest innovations in business education.

Gaining Business Accreditation with AACSB means that we have satisfied a multi-year process involving TSBE demonstrating our performance against the 15 accreditation standards.

TSBE has joined a select community of accredited business schools, with only five percent of all business schools globally accredited with AACSB. This will further enhance the reputation of TSBE, as well as the global recognition of your qualifications. To find out more about AACSB click here.

Sustainability

The College of Business and Economics is now a PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) signatory. We are committed to the six PRME values of Purpose, Values, Method, Research, Partnership and Dialogue and you will see in various units how we embed sustainability values in our teaching and research and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Across all sustainable development goals, our university is ranked at 25 overall globally, and for Sustainable Development Goal 13 – Climate Action – UTAS is the number one university. For more information about PRME, click here.

Contents

What is the Unit About?

Unit Description

Intended Learning Outcomes

How will I be Assessed?

Assessment schedule

Assessment details

How your final result is determined

Submission of assignments

Requests for extensions

Late penalties

Review of results and appeals

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Recommended reading materials

Other required resources

Unit schedule (Dates TBC)

AACSB Accreditation

Sustainability