IL32620 - MARKETING OF SERVICES

Module Identifier

IL32620

Module Title

MARKETING OF SERVICES

Academic Year

2005/2006

Co-ordinator

Dr Judith E Preston

Semester

Semester 1

Course delivery

Lecture

9 x 2 hour lecture sessions

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment Length/Details	Proportion
Semester Exam	2 Hours A 2 hour written examination weighted 50%.
Semester Assessment	A 2,500 word report weighted 50%.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

Define marketing in the service environment

Critically appraise differing paradigms in relation to services marketing theory

Describe and discuss the characteristics of services and the services marketing mix

Assess service strategies and customer expectations of service

Evaluate means of building and sustaining customer relationships

Critically assess service accessibility issues, especially in relation to e-marketing of services

Evaluate internal marketing strategies

Describe and discuss the concept of brands and image in the service sector

Critically appraise means of managing service delivery

Discuss the nature of competition

Content

Topics to be covered in the module are as follows:

Definitions of marketing
Transaction versus CRM
Characteristics of services
Services marketing mix
Service offer, strategies, positioning and trading
Customer behaviour
Market research and customer expectations of service
Building and sustaining customer relationships
Service accessibility issues, especially in relation to the Internet and e-marketing
Quality issues
Internal marketing strategies
Brands and image
Communication
Competition

Module Skills

Team work	There will be general group practical work in the timetabled sessions
Information Technology	Students will be expected to prepare a professional standard report using appropriate software. In addition, most of the set texts have student website access via the publisher, and they will be expected to develop their knowledge via their interactive use of such sites.
Personal Development and Career planning	Careers needs are met continually during the UG programmes. The Department also runs a week long programme `Gis a job? helping students find suitable employment, and recruitment agencies in the discipline are invited to Aberystwyth and interview the students.
Subject Specific Skills	* Writing in an academic context: the report must be of a professional standard. * Oral discussion and presentation: the majority of sessions will be interactive, and students will be expected to contribute and present topics. * Self-management: important in preparing and writing up of the report.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Background
Gronroos, C (2000) Service management and marketing: a customer relationship management approach 2nd. Chichester: John Wiley
Palmer, A (2001) Principles of services marketing 3rd. London: McGraw-Hill
Zeithaml, V.A. and Bitner, M.J (2003) Service marketing: integrating customer focus across the firm 3rd. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6