Program Overview

Course Overview

The Services Marketing course is designed to explore the unique characteristics and challenges faced by service organisations. This course addresses the essential nature of services and how to successfully design and manage service experiences that enhance value creation and long-term relationships with customers.

Course Description

Dominating the global economy, services contribute to more than half of the GDP in advanced and developing economies. Exploring the unique characteristics and challenges faced by service organisations, this course addresses the essential nature of services and how to successfully design and manage service experiences that enhance value creation and long-term relationships with customers. Students will also acquire knowledge of contemporary service thinking, both scholarly and practical, and its implications in managing service organisations in the digital era.

Course Content

The topics in this course include the following:

• Services marketing: the central concepts and frameworks
  • Customer expectations and perceptions of service
  • Service Design and the Servicescape
  • Designing service processes and customer interfaces
  • Strategic Issues: managing demand and capacity
  • Implications for HRM
  • Improving service quality and productivity
  • Customer Relationship Management in Services
  • Emergent technologies in Services

Enrolment Requirements

Assumed Knowledge

MKTG1001

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Develop service marketing plans and strategies that incorporate relevant services marketing theories.
2. Propose justified strategic options to improve service quality, customer relationships and satisfaction, and firm performance.
3. Critically evaluate service market offerings, identifying and analysing issues and making practical recommendations.
4. Employ service marketing concepts and terminology to develop an omni-channel service blueprint.

Availability

Semester 1

• Location: Gosford
  • Delivery mode: Blended Learning
• Location: Newcastle City Precinct
  • Delivery mode: Blended Learning

Singapore Trimester 3

• Location: Singapore PSB
  • Delivery mode: Blended Learning

Contact Hours

Integrated Learning Session

• Description: Students are expected to complete 4 hours of guided learning via online preparation, lectures, interactive workshops, tutorials, discussion groups or self-directed learning and an additional 6 hours of independent study per week.
• Duration: 2 hour(s) per week
• Number of sessions: 12 week(s)
• Starting week: 1
• Delivery mode: Face to Face On Campus

Assessments

Service Blueprint Report

• Type: Written Assignment
• Description: The student will be required to prepare a two-part view of the service experience by developing a customer journey map and service blueprint report for an Omni-channel service provider of their choice.
• Weighting (%): 30
• Formative or Summative: Summative
• Individual or group work: Individual
• Compulsory requirement: Must obtain 50% in this assessment item to pass the course.

Case Study Analysis

• Type: Written Assignment
• Description: You will be required to use a consultant lens in applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills in applying services marketing theory to a real-world situation.
• Weighting (%): 30
• Formative or Summative: Summative
• Individual or group work: Individual

Service Delivery System (SDS) & Customer Experience Analysis

• Type: Written Assignment
• Description: The students' task is to prepare a SDS and Customer Experience Report for a service-based organisation of their group's choosing.
• Weighting (%): 40
• Formative or Summative: Summative
• Individual or group work: Group

Additional Information

This course is available to be undertaken as an elective.

Course Details

• Study level: Undergraduate
• Course level: 3000-level
• Units: 10
• College: College of Human and Social Futures
• School: Newcastle Business School