Differentiating Between Services and Goods Marketing - Essay Example

tics of services, to wit: (1) intangible, (2) inseparability in terms of delivery and consumption, (3) heterogeneous in kind, and (4) perishable as it cannot be saved, stored, or returned. Having delineated services, goods naturally are services’ antithesis, meaning, they are tangible, are distinctly separate in kind, and can be stored, saved, and returned as needed. The intangibility of services simply describes their quality of not being able to touch and thus cannot be evaluated in terms of its physical availability prior to purchase.

Services are inseparable that the organization offering it needs the assistance of a customer representative as contact to provide explanation and detailed information on the offered service. Likewise, the characteristic of inseparability takes into account its inability to cater to the specific needs of the customer. Services are also considered heterogeneous in kind since they are highly variable with dissimilar parts or elements. Finally, the perishability characteristic of services implies that they can not be stored, saved, or returned.

The fast pace of technological developments in the last century drastically influenced diverse facets of customer service. With the predominance of business organizations using the internet, more organizations have resorted to a mobile workforce where customers’ needs are being serviced by electronic means. As technological improvements continue, more service features are offered through the internet, through virtual teams, teleconferencing, and the like. The benefits of technology are: unlimited time to access service providers regardless of location of the customers, queuing time is eliminated, more secure in terms of doing business at the convenience of one’s home.

On the other hand, technology has totally eradicated the concept of direct reciprocity in soliciting immediate response to inquiries and transactions. Also the element of differences in time across the globe could delay