Service Blueprint in the Airline Industry - Assignment Example

Service Blueprint Name Class Unit 1. Describe why you choose this particular organization to blueprint; (1 mark) Service blue print is a tool that can help in solving problems in service provision and identify point of failure (Pearce & Barbier, 2000). Service blueprint is simple which enables the stakeholders and employees to learn and utilise it (Kerner & Crawford, 2000). There are five main components in service blueprint which are; customer actions, visible/ invisible contacts, support processes and physical evidence. The airline is thus a busy service industry. Airline industry faces several problems such as rising oil prices, limited pricing power, overcapacity, subdued demand and changes in the economy which makes it ideal to analyse its service blueprint (Fojt, 2006). Using the service blueprint in the airline industry, it is possible to describe and come with ways of improving the interaction between the airline and its customers (Disend, 1991). The service blueprint will also help airline industry to identify the weak points and areas which they are supposed to innovate. Airline industry, thus offers the best organisation in the service industry to look at its service blueprint. 2. Describe three key elements of physical evidence revealed in the blueprint (photos/images of these elements should be included in the visual portion of the blueprint) and discuss how they influence the customer’s experience; (4 marks) The physical evidence is the evidence that the customers come into contact with. The physical evidence is always placed at the top position in a service blueprint. These are tangible things that the customers come into contact with and have an effect on the service quality. The airline industry has several physical variables, which include computers, airport, conveyors, seats, baggage claim, parking, terminal and credit cards. Among these physical evidences, the three main ones are; airplane, terminal and baggage claim. The airplane is the major physical evidence since it acts as the carrier for the passengers and their luggage. The airplane condition has a major influence on the customers’ perception on the airline. The customers expect the airplane to be in good condition before boarding. The customers can shun an airline that has their airplanes involved in accidents or any malfunction (Fojt, 2006). This makes it vital for the airlines to ensure that they service the planes regularly and make also have clean records of accidents. The customers are also attracted to airlines which have a recent model of airplanes. The plane industry has been evolving at a faster rate and hence new model of planes have been invented. For the airline to maintain their customers, they have to ensure that they have the best model of planes and outdated models are phased out. Terminal is a major physical evidence in the airline industry. This is building where the travelers are able to board and disembark. The terminal allows the customers to buy plane tickets, go through security check and have their luggage handled. Large airports have large terminals which can be multiplied (Fojt, 2006). The quality of the services offered at the terminal has profound effects on the customers. The waiting line in the queue is a major problem in many large airports. The customers are supposed to queue as they purchase tickets, have luggage check and other services at the terminal. When the customers are forced to wait for a long time, they may become dissatisfied with the airline. This is one of the problems with the airline industry as the customers are supposed to wait in some areas of the terminal. The terminal is supposed to be comfortable and convenient to the customers. This implies that the terminal should have fast and efficient services such as good ground transportation and ticketing. The last major physical evidence is baggage claim. When the passengers disembark a plane, they have to claim their baggage (Fojt, 2006). The area has conveyors and baggage carousels which make it possible for the customer to receive their baggage. The area also serves as a point where the customers can claim lost baggage. In an airport, baggage claim helps to reduce cases of theft and loss. The area should be well monitored to avoid confusion and long queue. If the customers loses their baggage or faces confusion in the baggage claim area, they may feel discouraged by the airport way of operation. Baggage claim is thus a very sensitive area in the airport operations. Service blueprint for an airline Physical evidence computers Airport desk Conveyor belt Metal detector Seats Airplane Baggage claim Credit card parking Ticket Terminal 3. Identify, number, and describe three potential fail points (points in the process where problems may occur) and/or bottlenecks (points in the process where backups or slow delivery may occur); In an airline, the potential fail points and bottlenecks occurs in the Check in, making reservations and baggage claim (Fojt, 2006). These are three main areas in which the airport may face problems during its operation. The customers may face long queues or problems in online reservations. This occurs when the servers are not able to handle the increase in the number of airline passengers or there is a technical failure. When making reservations at the terminal, long queue is a major problem that the consumers face. Check in is another potential fail point in the airports. The customers may face long queue and time consumption as they use the airport check in. in baggage claim, theft, confusion of luggage and damage may be the main problems. The baggage claim area may face problems if they are using outdated technology to identify and check luggage. 4. Suggest possible solutions/alternatives to address these (potential) problem areas; To address these potential problems in reservations, check in and baggage claim, there are several measures that can be used. In the reservation area, the airline can introduce more payment options and use new technologies (Fojt, 2006). At the moment, the use of information technology has enabled the airlines to benefit from online bookings and reservations. The airline can use online payment systems that save the customers from making queue at the airport terminal. There are also online reservations and ticket payments companies that the airline can linkup with to offer better services. The check in system can use the luggage adjustment system for extra luggage. Baggage claim can be improved by making sure there is appropriate funding for the area in order to have all appropriate equipments. The use of RFID systems have been a major advantage in the modern baggage claim centers. The airports can use the technology to ensure that they are able to handle baggage without any problem (Fojt, 2006). 5. Discuss how a service blueprint might be used in each of the following areas in your chosen organization: marketing, human resource management, and operations; (5 marks) Use of blueprint in marketing Understanding where the customers are not satisfied and where they are satisfied in service delivery is very vital in marketing. The marketers are focused on making sure that they give the consumers higher quality services than the competitors at a fair price (Sharma, 2008). In the airline industry, the marketing team can use the service blueprint in coming up with service modifications that will ensure an increase in sales. The marketing team is able to gain insight on how the customers perceive their organisation relative to their customers. The marketers have to ensure they are ahead of their competitors using the service blueprint. In the airline industry, quality service is one of the most important ways to attract customers. The marketers thus benefit by knowing what the customers’ needs and how to easily market the airline (Johnson, Scheuing & Gaida, 1986). Human resource management The service blueprint may require the human resource management to recruit more personnel or to develop the existing skills. If the customers are not able to attain the required services, the human resource management may be required to increase the number of staff. The problem on service delivery can also be as a result of poor skills which may lead to staff retraining. The service blueprint also gives hint on the needs for employees’ motivation. This occurs if the poor service delivery in the airport is as a result of demotivated employees (Sen, 2008). Operations Service blueprint have been used by the airliners to structure their operations. The blueprint may give the airline a hint that their operations need to be changed. For example, once the passengers arrive, they are supposed to wait for the employees to offer them services. The operations include baggage check, support services, ticketing and making reservations (Sen, 2008). Service blueprint will give the airline the areas of operations where the customers are not satisfied. The information from the service blueprint can be used to improve service delivery in the airport through addressing fails in operations (Fojt, 2006). 6. Discuss what was learned in doing this assignment and how it could be applied in the real business world. In the real business world, service blueprint is a major effort. If an organisation puts a lot of effort in coming up with a good service blueprint, they are able to optimize their performance. This is through optimizing the value that the customer is able to gain from the service delivery and attaining a good service mix (Voudouris, 2008). The business is able to perform its functions better than the competitors and at a fair cost. The business is also able to recognize the things that the customer value and optimize in delivering quality service on them. At the end of utilizing a service blueprint it is able to pay off (Kerner & Crawford, 2000). Using a service blueprint, it is more clear and precise than utilizing a verbal definition. The service blueprint also encourages the company to boost its creativity and skills in solving problems. Thus, a well drafted service delivery blueprint is needed for a service company to prosper in the industry. References Disend, J. E. (1991). How to provide excellent service in any organization: A blueprint for making all the theories work. Radnor, Pa: Chilton Book Co. Fojt, M. (2006). The airline industry. Bradford, England: Emerald Group Pub. Johnson, E. M., Scheuing, E. E., & Gaida, K. A. (1986). Profitable service marketing. Homewood, Ill: Dow Jones-Irwin. Kerner, C., & Crawford, E. D. (2000). Blueprint. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company. Pearce, D. W., & Barbier, E. (2000). Blueprint for a sustainable economy. London: Earthscan. Sen, M. (2008). Business management. Jaipur: Oxford Book Co. Sharma, S. P. (2008). Service marketing. Jaipur: Paradise Publishers. Voudouris, C. (2008). Service chain management: Technology innovation for the service business. Berlin: Springer. Read More