Service Marketing for Woolworths-myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theService Marketingfor Woolworths. Answer: Flowchart of backstage and front stage activities Figure 1: Backstage and front stage activities flowchart (Source: Created by author) Significance of service encounter The chosen company for this assignment is Woolworths. Woolworths is one of the largest supermarket and grocery chain of Australia. They specialise in selling groceries and stationary items. Along with these items, they sell clothing and home decor items as well. Being a leader in the Australian market, the service encounter of the grocery chain is significant enough (Ahsan and Rahman 2016). As an employee of Woolworths, I have to ensure that I am able to maintain the customer service level that the company has set for the world. I need to endure that the customers of Woolworths are able to shop with a good shopping experience. The customers are often unable to understand the price of the products, according to the weight. As a customer service manager, it is essential that I assist them in understanding the price they have to pay for a certain quantity. Moreover, the customers have to be assisted and guided in finding certain items. Woolworths provides assistance to the elderly custo mers. They need physical assistance as well as guidance to find the products that they are looking for. Thus, the assistance given to the elderly customers are essential. Along with the in-store assistance, the online customers also need assistance. The customers, buying their products online, often complain that their products that are delivered are not up to the expected standard or does not match with the one displayed in the website. Moreover, the customers, booking their products online often feel that they need guidance regarding the products they would buy. Thus, it is essential that the customer service managers assist those customers. Online payment issues are also faced, and customers are unable to pay online. Hence, assistance is needed from the customer services executives. However, the service encounter is much more than just assisting the customers. It is defined as the transactional interaction between the customers of Woolworths and the representatives of the company. The service encounter is not only limited to the transactional interaction with the customers, but also includes the establishment of a relation with the customers. The m oments of interaction with the customers are significant, since it is that moment when the impression on the customers is made. This moment is often known as the decisive moment or the moment of truth. In this moment of interaction, the customer is either satisfied or dissatisfied. Another essential aspect of the service encounter is the recovery of the services of the dissatisfied customers, such that they could be retained as loyal customers. The significance of the service encounter lies in the fact that it has a significant impact on the quality perception of the customers of Woolworths. If the customers are happy and satisfied with the services provided by the customer service representatives, then the level of satisfaction of the customers increases (Lovelock and Patterson 2015). While the customers have a negative experience regarding the customer interactions, then they are deflected from the company. As an employee of Woolworths I need to ensure that the interaction with the customers are positive and the level of customer satisfaction is achieved. Satisfying each customer is a key to success for any organization. In Woolworths, every customer is given importance and the customer interactions are significant. The qualities of the services that are provided to the customers are superior and ensure that the customers could be retained successfully (Bijmolt et al. 2014). The loyal customers are given loyalty bonus and special discounts such that the company is able to retain the customers successfully. Failure to provide the expected level of customer services might destroy the long built reputation of the business organization. Hence, the service encounter activities are significant enough to retain the reputation of Woolworths. Analysis of managerial implications Managerial implications refer to the practical utilization of the collected data and information. The information that is used is collected from practical scenario and decisions. The managerial implications highlights the fact that the collected information is used to understand, whether the decisions taken by the manager are appropriate in the given scenario or not. In case of Woolworths, the managerial implications include the backstage activities that has to be taken up, in order to ensure that supply chain management activities are taken up effectively, such that the satisfaction of the customers are achieved (Armstrong et al. 2014). As a store manager, it is important to ensure that the back stage tasks are completed successfully. As a manager, I have to check the availability of the products in the store and place an order to the suppliers accordingly. The supply chain management activities have to be monitored and ensured the timely delivery of the products. The suppliers of t he raw materials have to be traced for timely delivery (Ryan 2016). Moreover, the backend activities, such as quality check of the groceries, proper packaging and such activities have to be monitored from time to time by the manager, in order to ensure that the best quality of the products are delivered in store and to the customers who placed their products online. The backend services and processes ensure that the front-end activities are taken up and completed successfully. For example, if the supply chain management is not done effectively, then the products will not reach the stores on time, and thus will delay the overall process and will reduce the sale of the products (Batt 2014). Moreover, if the backend activities are not monitored and managed, then the customers will not be able to get the products as and when required, thus triggering customer dissatisfaction. The managerial implications thus are essential for the effective operations in Woolworths. The guidance of the managers are important in order to ensure the successful and effective operation of Woolworths. Thus, the efficiency of the managers and the management operations highlight the effectiveness of service encounters and helps the company to achieve customer satisfaction. Regular feedback is taken from the dissatisfied customers such that the managers are able to win them back as loyal customers, with high level of customer services being provided. With efficiency in both the front end and the back end operations Woolworths will be successful in retaining its position as a leader as a grocery chain and retailer. As given in the flowchart, the backend activities are dependent on a variety of factors such as suppliers, logistics and the contractors (Hollensen 2015). Thus, as a manager it is essential to co-ordinate all the activities such that effective management could be displayed which is essential for achievement of customer satisfaction. Developing various policies such as co-ordination with the suppliers, looking for alternatives, quality assurance, checking and eliminating the product that do not match with the standards of Woolworths (Fernie and Sparks 2014). The effective waste management and CSR activities also needs to be given importance, as a part of the back end activities. Thus, it could be concluded the service encounter has a special significance in the business operations. The managerial implications are also needed for the back stage operations of Woolworths. As an employee, I have to ensure that the customer satisfaction activities are given importance, along with the managerial implications. Both these activities have to be given importance and completed with diligence, in order to ensure smooth operations. References Ahsan, K. and Rahman, S., 2016. An investigation into critical service determinants of customer to business (C2B) type product returns in retail firms.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management,46(6/7), pp.606-633. Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014.Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Batt, P.J., 2014. How do consumers differentiate between fresh food stores. InXXIX International Horticultural Congress on Horticulture: Sustaining Lives, Livelihoods and Landscapes (IHC2014): XVII 1103(pp. 61-68). Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014.Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan page publishers. HA Bijmolt, T., KRE Huizingh, E. and Krawczyk, A., 2014. Effects of complaint behaviour and service recovery satisfaction on consumer intentions to repurchase on the internet.Internet Research,24(5), pp.608-628. Hollensen, S., 2015.Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Lovelock, C. and Patterson, P., 2015.Services marketing. Pearson Australia. Ryan, D., 2016.Understanding digital marketing: marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation. Kogan Page Publishers.