The service-product bundle

Pike Place Fish (www. pikeplacefish.com) Visit this site to learn how friendly and fun employees can lead to satisfied customers and a world-famous company. Explain how they do it!
Describe the service-product bundle for each of the following services:
a) Hospital
b) Lawyer
c) Trucking firm
Critique the customer contact model. What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Identify the front office and back office services for the following organizations. Could these services be improved by increasing or decreasing the degree of customer contact? By separating low- and high-contact services?
a) Hospital
b) Trucking firm
c) Grocery store
d) Appliance repair firm

Pike Place Fish Pike Place Fish is a world-famous fish market in Seattle, Washington. The company is known for its friendly and fun employees, who are known for tossing fish to each other across the counter. This unique experience has helped to make Pike Place Fish a popular tourist destination, and it has also helped to create a positive and memorable customer experience. Here are some of the ways in which Pike Place Fish employees create a positive customer experience:
  • They are always smiling and welcoming.
  • They are knowledgeable about the fish they sell.
  • They are willing to answer questions and make recommendations.
  • They make the process of buying fish fun and exciting.
The positive customer experience at Pike Place Fish is a result of the company's commitment to providing excellent service. The company's employees are trained to be friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They are also encouraged to be creative and have fun, which helps to create a memorable and enjoyable shopping experience. Service-product bundle A service-product bundle is a combination of goods and services that a customer receives when they purchase a product or service. The service-product bundle can include both tangible and intangible elements. Here are some examples of service-product bundles:
  • A hospital provides a service-product bundle that includes medical care, as well as food, lodging, and other amenities.
  • A lawyer provides a service-product bundle that includes legal advice, as well as research, writing, and advocacy.
  • A trucking firm provides a service-product bundle that includes transportation, as well as loading, unloading, and other logistics services.
The service-product bundle can vary depending on the specific product or service being offered. However, the service-product bundle is an important part of the customer experience, and it can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction. Customer contact model The customer contact model is a framework for understanding the different levels of customer contact in a service delivery process. The model identifies three levels of customer contact:
  • Low-contact services: These services have little or no direct contact with customers. For example, a self-service gas station is a low-contact service.
  • Medium-contact services: These services have some direct contact with customers, but the contact is usually brief and routine. For example, a fast food restaurant is a medium-contact service.
  • High-contact services: These services have a lot of direct contact with customers, and the contact is often complex and demanding. For example, a law firm is a high-contact service.
The customer contact model can be used to understand the different challenges and opportunities associated with different levels of customer contact. For example, low-contact services are often more efficient, but they can also be less personal and less satisfying for customers. High-contact services are often more personal and satisfying for customers, but they can also be more expensive and more difficult to manage. Front office and back office services The front office is the part of an organization that interacts directly with customers. The back office is the part of an organization that supports the front office, but does not interact directly with customers. The front office and back office are often separated into different departments or divisions. This separation can help to improve efficiency and effectiveness, as the front office can focus on customer service and the back office can focus on operations. However, the separation of the front office and back office can also create challenges. For example, the front office may not have a good understanding of the back office's operations, which can lead to problems. Improving customer contact The degree of customer contact can be improved in a number of ways. For example, organizations can:
  • Increase the number of employees who interact with customers.
  • Provide training to employees on how to interact with customers effectively.
  • Use technology to improve the customer experience, such as by providing self-service options or by using online chat.
The degree of customer contact can also be improved by separating low- and high-contact services. For example, a hospital might have a separate department for handling high-contact services, such as emergency care. This would allow the hospital to focus its resources on providing the best possible service to those patients who need it most.    

Sample Solution

Pike Place Fish is a world-famous fish market in Seattle, Washington. The company is known for its friendly and fun employees,