Marketing Services Versus Products Part II - Assignment Example

Marketing Services versus Products – Part II Total Number of Words: 444 Response to John Perez To market products and services, John mentioned that both service and product can be customized such that products are physically configured whereas services are customized in the form of service delivery (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy, 2014). A good example of product customization includes giving the customers the option to decide on what interior design and electronic gadget to include in their desired car model.

A good example of service customization is the guided tour. Depending where the tourists would want to go, travel agencies can arrange for a guided tour that will satisfy the tourists’ expectations. Other similarities and differences between products and services include the fact that products are tangible whereas services are intangible by nature and that both products and services can be promoted through advertising and public relations. The fact that products are tangible significantly affect the customization of products in the sense that customization of products allows the end-users to customize the product physically based on what they have specified.

Customization of services is much more different in the sense that it focuses on the provision of easy ordering and faster delivery service to the customers. It is important to note that standardization and customization are two different things when it comes to developing the quality of service. For example, as compared to standardization, customized service allows the customers to enjoy more flexibility when it comes to service they receive from the provider (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2013). It means that standardized services are less flexible.

Response to Reggie Cole In relation to the marketing mix, Reggie mentioned that both products and services should satisfy the need requirements of each customer. For instance, products which refer to both products (i.e. smart phone) and services (i.e. legal services) should create positive experience to each customer whereas promotion should advertise or create public awareness about the quality and uniqueness of the company’s products and services. Additional similarities between the marketing of products and services include the fact that both products and services can be differentiated through branding (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy, 2014).

Differences between the marketing of products and services include the fact that products can be marketed through its packaging but not in the case of marketing services. Therefore, the marketing of tangible items like washing machine can be customized through its packaging but not in services like hair cutting. Even though the use of customized hotel services can increase customer satisfaction, it is more common for each hotel to have a standardize hotel services (Sandoff, 2005). This is true due to the fact that the characteristics and operations of hotel services can be difficult to predict.