Gordon Street Garage: Service Provider - Case Study Example

Service Provider Analysis Gordon Street Garage which looks to work in the service industry has to focus on specific areas and have to aim at developing a process through which customer satisfaction can be maximized. This requires that the employees looking to work on behalf of the service provider should look towards maximizing the satisfaction level of the customers and should look towards understanding the customer needs. This increases the role and importance of the front line employees as they are the ones who come in direct contact with the customers and have to ensure that they understand the customer requirements in the best possible manner. Understanding the customers will ensure that the service provider is able to develop its services in such a manner that it focuses on satisfying the needs and requirements of the customer. The role of front line service provider will be of immense importance as they are the ones who will come in direct contact with the customers and if they are able to understand the customer and pass on the correct message to the management than the required changes can be done so that better services are further provided to the customers (Cateora, Mary & Graham, 2009). The organization has given special emphasis on the required area and has provided the required training to the employees who will help to ensure better service and match the requirements of the customers (Laric & Lynagh, 2009). This clearly highlights that the script for the service provider especially those working on the front line has been well drafted and designed and will have a positive role in shaping the overall performance of the employees. Gordon Street Garage has further ensured that the performance is properly measured based on different dimension of reliability, assurance, empathy, and responsiveness by developing a standard code based on which the performance will be measured. To maximize the efficiency the organization has identified the different parameters based on which the performance will be measured and has developed the required code through which efficiency and reliability will be measured (Cook & Dave, 2004). Further, the organization has also visualized a standard which will be used to find out the manner in which the organization is able to contribute towards better customer satisfaction. Gordon Street Garage on the first instance needs to understand that the front line employees are the representative for the organization which will determine the brand image and the quality that the organization will provide to its customers. Since, the organization apart from providing the basic services of a garage looks to provide a different environment and experience where people can dine when there car or other vehicle is being repaired required better service quality (Gooderham & Nordhaug, 2003). This has increased the importance of hiring the best talent who represents the organization so that the first image which is created is long lasting and influences the customers towards their product and services. The area of concern for Gordon Street Garage is the external factors which might have an impact on the performance of the front line employees. Despite having proper training and employing the best employees from the market Gordon Street Garage might face different issues related to employment payment, lack of friendly environment within the department and similar other factors which might have an impact on the performance of the employees (Firoziyan, Hasangoli & Stiri, 2009). This are the areas which Gordon Street Garage needs to watch out for and needs to develop strategies from the beginning so that they are able to focus on the correct areas and bring the required transformation through which chances of rendering better services are possible. The situation also requires that at times emotional stability will be required in the working of the employees because at times the situation might unfold in such a manner that the overall efforts leads towards a situation where working becomes difficult. Since, the organization looks to deal with humans and situations might arise where a customer might react in such a manner that the employee will have to demonstrate coolness and emotional stability to handle the situation in the most positive manner (Chen, 2003). This will help to bring the required transformation and will thereby help to develop the business environment in such a manner that overall development becomes possible. Gordon Street Garage to deal with the customers has to ensure that the employees at all levels including the front line employees are provided with a certain degree of empowerment. This will help the employees to take decisions and will thereby provide a framework through which issues which requires immediate decisions can be taken. While looking to empower the employees care and precaution has to be ensured that the employees don’t misuse the powers which have been entrusted on them as it could further lead towards complicating the matter Thus, the overall analysis suggests that Gordon Street Garage has looked to empower the employees and have provided the required training to the correct employee so that they are able to satisfy the needs and requirements of the employees. This has further been aided by the fact that the correct and the best employees have been selected as front line employees who will help in brand building and look towards maximizing the satisfaction level of customers so that they become loyal and look for the same services again and again. Current Pricing Strategies Gordon Street Garage has adopted a competitive pricing strategy where they look to price their products and services very near to the competitor. The strategy of having a similar pricing as other players working in the garage industry has helped Gordon Street Garage to get a slight edge as the garage apart from providing the basic facilities of repairing the vehicle is also aims at increasing the overall satisfaction level of customers by providing a different experience to the customers (Jeffrey, 2003). This will help them to give a competitive edge as it will help them to differentiate from the others in the market and provide an opportunity through which customer satisfaction gets enhanced. The pricing strategy further followed by Gordon Street Garage is one of cost plus pricing where the garage looks to charge a nominal profit over and above the service quality being provided to its customers (Bateman & Snell, 2004). The pricing strategy has been developed after analyzing the market and understanding the manner in which different factors have an influence in decision making of customers. The pricing strategy thereby looks towards attracting all type of customers from all segment and society because the different offerings have been priced in such a manner that it suits the pocket of most. The importance of the pricing strategy has been fully understood by Gordon Street Garage and has thereby helped them to develop a pricing strategy which is aimed at ensuring that the prices is justified by the service which the customers get. This will thereby act as a strategy through which the pricing strategy will ensure maximum customer attraction and will help to increase the reach of their product and services. Current Promotional Strategies Gordon Street Garage has also focused on highlighting the different offerings and manner in which customer experience will be enhanced when they visit the garage. Since, the garage is different from other traditional garage which works in the area this will thereby act as a mechanism through which they will be able to promote their garage by highlighting the different services which the customer can avail. Apart from it the promotional strategy also focuses on highlighting the pricing strategy that has been adopted as the business clearly looks to make the customer become aware of the fact that the organization has looked towards at having the lowest possible price and looks to provide its customers something extra at the nominal extra price which will thereby help to multiply the experience for the customer (Fletcher and Crawford, 2011). Gordon Street Garage looks towards using audio, visual and billboards along with newspaper to advertise about their services. The prime reason for choosing the method is to ensure maximum penetration and to be able to attract the correct section of the society. Gordon Street Garage has ensured that the promotional media which has been identified will ensure that hey are able to reach to a large audience. Further, the impact of the promotional campaign should be large enough and should ensure that the customers are able to remember and associate with the same. The promotional strategy developed by Gordon Street Garage aims towards highlighting the actual characteristics that the business has and will thereby help to attract more and more people towards the product or services by using the different medium which will help them to increase their reach and attract more and more people towards the services. Method to Manage Supply & Demand Gordon Street Garage has aimed at identifying the different suppliers who will supply the required raw materials which will help to maximize the chances of providing better services to the customers. To manage the supply chain Gordon Street Garage has looked towards tying up with different suppliers and looks to evaluate the different options which is available in the market (Cable & Judge, 2006). Identifying the correct method through which the raw materials will be sources will ensure that the customers will be provided the same at the correct price. While looking to identify the potential suppliers Gordon Street Garage has looked towards ensuring that the suppliers supplying the products ensure product is of the finest quality and will thereby help to provide the customers with the correct quality products and services. In addition to it Gordon Street Garage has aimed at measuring the demand for their product and services by developing a framework which will help to find out the period when the flow of customers is the maximum. This will ensure that Gordon Street Garage procures the required raw materials which will be converted into finished products and sold to the customers. This will ensure that the different products which are served are fresh and will ensure easy acceptance within the customer (Alvarez & Casielles, 2005). Matching the demand and supply will further ensure that the organization is able to identify the manner in which the service quality will improve and the overall satisfaction for the customer will enhance. This will thereby ensure that the business is able to gain efficiency and bring the required change and have the required inventories through which the demand will be better met. Analysis of Customer Quality, Satisfaction, Perceived Value and Customer Retention Efforts Gordon Street Garage has developed a strategy where they look to evaluate the customer satisfaction by developing different parameters which will help to understand the overall satisfaction level of customers. To gauge the satisfaction level of customer Gordon Street Garage looks to conduct research on a continuous basis. The research at this point looks to evaluate the satisfaction level of customer and then looks towards developing the different areas which when improved will help to improve the overall level of satisfaction for the customers (Czinkota & Ronkainen, 2004). This will thereby help to make the required changes and will help to develop strategies through which customer satisfaction can be enhanced. To develop customer relationship Gordon Street Garage aims at finding out the different areas which customers think is important and looks to find out those areas by having a questionnaire provided to people who come to their garage where they are asked about their experienced and different areas which they liked about the garage (Cohen, 2007). This will thereby help to find out the relevant areas which when worked on will help to improve the level of customer satisfaction and will thereby ensure that the business is able to satisfy the customers in a better manner. The different measures which has been adopted by Gordon Street Garage to find out the attractiveness of the garage by relying on quality, satisfaction or perceived value for the customers so that the organization is further able to make the required changes through which customer becomes better satisfied. This will look towards identifying the different areas which will increase the perceived value for the customers and will thereby act as a method through which customer satisfaction gets enhanced. References Alvarez, B. & Casielles, R. 2005. Consumer evaluations of sales promotion: the effect on brand choice, European Journal of Marketing, 39 (1/2), pp. 54-70. Bateman, T. & Snell, S. 2004. Management: The New Competitive Landscape. 6th Edition, McGraw Hill, New York Cable, D. & Judge, T. 2006. Person-organization fit, job choice decisions, and organizational entry. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 67(3), 294–311 Czinkota, M.R. & Ronkainen, I. A. 2004. International Marketing, 7th edn. South-WesternPublishing:Australia. Cateora, P.R. & Mary, C. G. & Graham, J.L. 2009. International Marketing, 14th edn. Irwin: McGraw-Hill. Chen, I. 2003. Understanding Customer relationship management: people, process and technology. Business Process Management Journal, 9 (5), 672-688 Cook, D. & Dave, D. 2004. Structural element of service quality product. International Journal of Business Performance Management, 6 (2), 189-207 Cohen, E. 2007. Leadership without borders: successful strategies from world-class leaders.John Wiley & Sons, Inc Firoziyan, M., Hasangoli, T. & Stiri, M. 2009. Investigation of the effectiveness of the services on different processes affecting consumer decision. Commercial Management Magazine, 1 (3), pp.125-146. Fletcher, R. and Crawford, H. 2011, International Marketing: An Asia-Pacific Perspective, PearsonAustralia. Gooderham, P. & Nordhaug, O. 2003. International Management Cross-Boundary Challenges.Blackwell Publishing Jeffrey S. 2003. Strategic Management of resources and relationships,John Wiley & Sons, Inc Laric, V. & Lynagh, M. 2009. The New Marketing, IMC and the role of Online Promotion, Proceedings of ASBBS, ASBBS Annual Conference: Las Vegas, 16 (1) Read More