Module 4 case study analysis

Service Reviews

Customer responses to services can be strongly influenced by emotion. For this paper, three individuals were interviewed about positive and negative service experiences. As will be shown, none of the interviewees directly mentioned emotions, yet it was clear they played an influential role in shaping perceptions of the service providers.

Ken is an alert and active eighty-two-year-old who was experiencing many problems with his teeth. Although he enjoyed good dental health for most of his life, he has had several issues in the last ten to fifteen years and thought it might be time to get dentures. His regular dentist tried to talk Ken out of dentures, suggesting instead that Ken save the "good" teeth and replace the damaged ones with implants. Although Ken is fairly well-to-do and could have easily afforded the implants, he was adamant about spending that much money on his teeth. Nor was he willing to devote the time to getting implants done. He was quite irritated with his dentist, as he felt she should have abided by his wishes rather than continually press him to spend the time and money for what he called "fancy Cadillac dentistry." Ken went to his local office of Aspen Dental, eventually got his dentures, and could not have been more pleased. He specifically noted the friendliness and helpfulness of the front desk staff, the prompt response to his request for an appointment, and the "fantastic" team of dentists who performed the extractions and fitted him for dentures.

During his working career, Ken owned his own business and just retired completely three years ago. He prides himself on his business acumen and the fact that he "can squeeze a dollar till Washington hollers." He did not like that his dentist appeared to have little regard for his wishes. He felt everyone in the practice condescended to him because of his age and perhaps weakened decision-making capacity. At Aspen, Ken got the service he asked for at the price he was willing to pay. Above all, he felt he was treated with respect and not "like a doddering old fool."

Carol recently had a similar type of experience when purchasing a new car. Newly divorced, it was the first time in her life she had purchased a car without her father or husband accompanying her. She walked out of the first dealership because the salesperson treated her, she felt, condescendingly. Carol is an avid reader of Consumer Reports and actually quite knowledgeable about cars, so she resented it deeply when it was implied that she, as a woman, she was not as qualified to buy a car as the average man. At the second dealership, Carol felt the salesperson respected her knowledge about cars and answered her questions without talking down to her. She was very pleased with her purchase and told the salesperson she would be happy to recommend the dealership to her friends.

Kathy, a plus-sized lady who is sensitive about her size, was shopping for a dress to wear to her son's wedding. She went into an independently-owned dress shop that had come highly recommended. A young saleswoman "breezed by" and told Kathy to let her know if she needed help with anything, then promptly disappeared. Kathy felt overwhelmed by the choices among dresses and left the shop within a few minutes. She drove to David's Bridal, a move she had been resisting because she likes to shop independent stores rather than chains if she can. As soon as she walked in the door, Kathy was greeted by a pleasant young saleswoman who asked questions about the wedding venue, colors for the bridal party, and Kathy's preferences for colors and styles. Kathy tried on several dresses and really appreciated the fact that the saleswoman was objective in her assessments, rather than merely telling Kathy that everything looked wonderful on her. Kathy felt that, with the saleswoman's help, she eventually chose a beautiful dress that was perfectly suited to her taste and body type.