What is the service encounter and how is it managed in the hospitality Essay

What is the service encounter and how is it managed in the hospitality industry - Essay Example â€Å"A service encounter is defined as the period of time that a customer interacts with a service†.The description of a service encounter is wide and comprises of a customer’s contact with customer-contact staff, machinery, computerized systems, physical services, and any other service related components (Massad and Crowston, 2003). Service encounter is a very crucial event for an organization while conducting a service oriented business. In its essence, it refers to any contact or interaction between the customer and the organization providing the service (Johnston and Clark, 2008). As previously mentioned, this interaction may be in various different forms. It could be a person to person interaction between a seller and the customer, a communication between the organization and the customer through an advertisement, or even the customer’s encounter with the actual product of the organization, that is, the service it is providing (Johnston and Clark, 2008).As previously mentioned, this interaction may be in various different forms. It could be a person to person interaction between a seller and the customer, a communication between the organization and the customer through an advertisement, or even the customer’s encounter with the actual product of the organization, that is, the service it is providing (Johnston and Clark, 2008... An interesting fact regarding services is that it is a personal experience. That is, a person goes through the entire process of the service himself and has a much closer contact with the organization and its personnel as compared to a tangible product, in which case a person might never come in contact with the organization itself (Johnston and Clark, 2008). Moreover, the services have a more personal impression on the customers (for example a medical examination with the doctor, a haircut with the barber, a dress design session with the tailor, a wedding plan with the event manager, a birthday party at a restaurant etc.) and have a deeper impact on their lives as compared to the tangible products (like soaps, shampoos, clothes, shoes, and even cars, etc.) Therefore, the customers are more particular about choosing the service provider and once they are satisfied, they tend to stick to a particular service provider and hesitate to switch (Kotler, Bowen and Makens, 2005). Thus, if a series of service encounters, also called a service relationship, turns out to be a positive experience for the customer with a particular service provider, he becomes loyal to that organization and tends to stick (Johnston and Clark, 2008). Furthermore, the customer would talk about it happily with his peers and colleagues, that is, a positive word of mouth will be spread about the service being provided. Hence they become a service encounter themselves for potential new customers. This can work wonders for the reputation for the service provider since when it comes to services, most people refrain from experimenting and blindly follow referrals from close friends and family (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2006). Service Encounter and Hospitality