Nature of Services1

System: ID:
Description:
[1] The Realm of
the Experience
Customer Participation Comments
Passive Active
Environmental
Relationship
Absorption
Immersion

[2] The Servie
Process Matrix
Degree of Interaction and Customization Comments
Low High
Degree of
Labor Intensity
Low
High

[3] Nature of the
Service Act
Direct Recipient of the Service Comments
People Property
Nature of the
Service Act
Tangible
Intangible

[4] Relationships with
Customers
Type of Relationship between Service
firm and its customers
Comments
"Membership"
relationship
No Formal
relationship
Nature
of the
Service
Delivery
Continuous
Delivery
Discrete
Transactions

[5] Customization and
Judgement in
Service Delivery
Degree of Customization Comments
High Low
Extent to which
customer contact
employees
exercise judgement
in meeting
customer needs
High
Low

[6] Nature of Demand
for the Service
Relative to Capacity
Extent of Demand
Fluctuation over Time
Comments
Wide Narrow
Extent
to which
Demand
exceeds
Capacity
Peak Demand
met with
major delay
Peak Demand
regularly exceeds
Capacity

[7] Method of
Service Delivery
Availability of Service Outlets Comments
Single Site Multiple Sites
Nature of
Service
Delivery
Customer travles
to Service Firm
Service Firm
Delivers
Transaction
at arm's length


1 Materials are drawn from J. Fitzsimmons & M. Fistsimmons, Service Management, 6th ed., McGraw Hill Irwin, 2008.