Q&A Hero

Q: A group of product or service items that are closely related because they satisfy a class of needs, are used together, are sold to the same customer group, are distributed through the same types of outlets, or fall within a given price range is referred to as a __________. A. product class B. product mix C. product category D. marketing category E. product line

Q: A __________ is the unique identification number that defines an item for ordering or inventory purposes. A. unique stock mark B. QR code C. stock keeping unit D. order quantity code E. NAICS stock code

Q: The Vermont Teddy Bear Company sells handmade Teddy bears designed to be given as gifts for almost every occasion imaginable. The Love Bandit Bear is one bear it designed for people to give to each other on Valentine's Day. The Love Bandit Bear is an example of a A. product item. B. product mix. C. product class. D. product form. E. product line.

Q: A product item refers toA. the variations within a product class.B. the entire product category or industry.C. a group of SKUs that are closely related.D. a specific product that has a unique brand, size, or price.E. the services offered by an organization.

Q: Variations of a product (shape, configuration) within a product class are referred to as the A. product form. B. product item. C. product line. D. product class. E. product mix.

Q: The term product class refers to A. the NAICS designation of an individual product or brand. B. the designation of an individual product based upon its form. C. a variation of a product within a product mix. D. the designation of a product based on whether it is a consumer product or business product. E. the entire product category or industry a set of offerings belong to.

Q: Which of the following are key dimensions of service quality that might be used to perform a gap analysis for airline travel? A. gap analysis, intangibility, and reliability B. respect, diligence, and honesty C. honesty, intangibility, and diligence D. alacrity, fairness, and product knowledge E. reliability, tangibility, and responsiveness

Q: Many restaurants now ask consumers to evaluate their experience on a short questionnaire when they pay their bill. This assessment of consumer expectations compared to the actual experience they had is a form of __________. A. service encounter survey B. customer profile analysis C. gap analysis D. customer contact audit E. service audit

Q: In a gap analysis, a person can establish expectations for a service he or she has not yet experienced through word-of-mouth communications, personal needs, past experiences, and promotional activities. However, the actual experiences are determined by A. the way the organization delivers its service. B. the positive reinforcement from friends, family, and peers, after the service was provided. C. repeat encounters with the same service provider. D. psychological feelings of well-being. E. a formal post-purchase evaluation or questionnaire.

Q: How a person establishes expectations for a service not yet experienced is influenced by word-of-mouth communications, personal needs, past experiences, and __________. A. the economy B. consumer income C. competitive trends D. promotional activities E. how the organization delivers its service

Q: How a person establishes expectations for a service not yet experienced is influenced by word-of-mouth communications, personal needs, __________, and promotional activities. A. how the organization delivers its service B. past experiences C. competitive trends D. the economy E. consumer income

Q: How a person establishes expectations for a service not yet experienced is influenced by word-of-mouth communications, __________, past experiences, and promotional activities. A. personal needs B. the economy C. consumer income D. competitive trends E. how the organization delivers its service

Q: How a person establishes expectations for a service not yet experienced is influenced by __________, personal needs, past experiences, and promotional activities. A. the economy B. consumer income C. word-of-mouth communications D. competitive trends E. how the organization delivers its service

Q: In using a gap analysis, the two basic components of a customer's evaluation of a service areA. expectations and customer contact.B. expectations and experience.C. intangibility and inconsistency.D. experience and credence.E. inconsistency and inseparability.

Q: The type of analysis that compares the differences between consumers' expectations about a service and their experience with it based on dimensions of service quality is referred to as A. customer relationship management. B. service encounter differential. C. gap analysis. D. a customer contact audit. E. a service audit.

Q: Southwest Airlines operates five flights daily between Chicago and Phoenix during the winter. One flight leaves Phoenix at 12:10 p.m. The plane, a Boeing 737, has a capacity of 120 passengers. During the past month, the flight has averaged 24 passengers, a load factor of only 20 percent. Once the plane takes off, the empty seats generate no revenue for the airline for that flight. What unique aspect of services does this situation describe? A. incongruity B. intangibility C. inconsistency D. inseparability E. idle production capacity

Q: Andrea Arenas is the owner of 2 Places at 1 Time, a concierge company. She and her staff of 60 perform everyday services such as walking the dog, picking up cleaning, waiting for the repairman, and going to the post office for people who are too busy to perform these simple acts. She has often been hired by major corporations to perform services for their harried executives, and even other employees. Her staff is overworked and she will soon hire more employees to fill demand. Arenas is not currently experiencing __________; in fact, all of her employees and equipment are fully being used. A. off-peak pricing B. idle production capacity C. static demand D. capacity marketing E. capacity inventory

Q: The emergency room staff in Houston's largest hospital is pleasantly surprised when a four-day Fourth of July weekend brings in few accident victims for treatment. They know from experience that such public holidays usually have high rates of accidents. For the hospital's business office, the lower demand for the emergency room services means A. a break in the service continuum. B. its services are no longer tangible. C. its services can be separated from the staff. D. the hospital has idle production capacity. E. an opportunity for gap analysis.

Q: What does idle production capacity refer to? A. a situation where the demand for exceeds the availability of service providers and as a result, no services can be offered B. when the supply of service providers exceeds the primary demand for the service C. a situation where a service provider is available but there is no demand for the service D. integrating the service component of the marketing mix with efforts to influence consumer demand E. the potential profits of one service provider serving multiple clients at the same time

Q: Idle production capacity refers toA. the minimum number of customers that a service provider can serve and still remain profitable.B. the maximum number of customers that a service provider must serve in order to remain profitable.C. the ability of a service provider to redirect its efforts so even when there is no primary demand, employees are still able to meet selective demand.D. a situation that occurs when a service provider is available but there is no demand for the service.E. a situation that occurs when the primary demand for a service exceeds that number of service deliverers available to meet that demand.

Q: A situation that occurs when a service provider is available but there is no demand is referred to as A. off-peak pricing. B. idle production capacity. C. static demand. D. capacity management. E. excess inventory.

Q: Inventory of services differs from that of products in what way?A. Time is less important to customers of services than customers of products.B. Only service inventory can be reduced through more efficient movement of products.C. There are larger costs associated with the handling of service inventory.D. Unlike goods providers, the service provider is often unavailable when there is a demand for the service.E. Service inventory costs are related to idle production capacity rather than storage or handling.

Q: When Mandy last got her drive-thru order at the fast-food restaurant, she thought the employee who helped her was cold and unfriendly. The food tasted good but was overshadowed by the employee's demeanor. Since then, Mandy often says something derogatory to her friends about the restaurant based on this single experience. This is an example of which issue associated with services? A. inseparability B. intangibility C. impressionability D. incongruity E. inflexibility

Q: If you find that the staff who work in your college's career center give you poor advise or otherwise did not provide sufficient help in finding you employment after graduation, you may be dissatisfied with your entire college experience. This is an example of which issue associated with services? A. inseparability B. intangibility C. impressionability D. incongruity E. inflexibility

Q: Inseparability in services means consumers A. see little variation from one service provider in an industry to another. B. cannot separate the service itself from the deliverer of the service. C. are unable to differentiate price from quality. D. cannot evaluate a service until it is being or has been used. E. cannot separate themselves from the deliverer of the service.

Q: Jason graduated from law school and took his mom to dinner after the ceremony. At the restaurant, the server filled their water glasses, checked on their table, and took care of their requests. Jason noted that the last time he was at this same restaurant, the experience was much worse. This scenario illustrates the ___________ of services. A. impressionability B. intangibility C. inseparability D. uniqueness of the service E. inconsistency

Q: Alana operates a wedding preparation service that aids brides-to-be in the planning of their weddings. To maintain a quality image and a standardized offering, Alana provides extensive training for each of her employees. What unique aspect of services is Alana trying to address?A. impressionabilityB. intangibilityC. inconsistencyD. inseparabilityE. uniqueness of the service

Q: Andrea Arenas is the owner of 2 Places at 1 Time, a concierge company. She and her staff of 60 perform everyday services, such as walking the dog, picking up cleaning, waiting for the repairman, and going to the post office, for people who are too busy to perform these simple acts. One way she tries to avoid ___________ of services for her regular customers is to make sure that the same well-trained person is always assigned to work for her clients. A. inseparability B. inconsistency C. incongruity D. inflexibility E. intangibility

Q: A local band performed on campus during a pre-graduation party. The students enjoyed the performance, and some of them were interested enough to buy tickets to see another show at a club downtown. But when they went to that concert, the quality of the performance was much poorer than they had heard and seen on campus. The students' disappointment was the direct result of which characteristic of services? A. inconsistency B. impressionability C. intangibility D. invisibility E. uniqueness of the service

Q: The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team may have great hitting and pitching one day, and lose by 10 runs on the next. This is an example of a service being A. inseparable. B. inconsistent. C. inventoried. D. tied to a product. E. independent of the quality delivered.

Q: Developing, pricing, promoting, and delivering services are challenging because the quality of the service is often inconsistent. Organizations attempt to reduce this inconsistency by A. paying higher incentives to employees to encourage satisfactory performance. B. reducing incentives available to employees because of poor performance. C. reducing the customer contact points in the service delivery process. D. providing standardization and training. E. exercising better hiring practices.

Q: Inconsistency of services refers to the fact that A. there is no regulation of service industries in terms of basic standards of quality. B. the quality of service provided by a firm is often inconsistent with its image. C. the performance of one employee may vary from the performance of another employee even though the same firm employs both. D. training and standardization of service delivery procedures cannot be accomplished. E. services have a varying degree of durability.

Q: Services depend on the people who provide them. As a result, their quality varies with each person's capabilities and day-to-day job performance. This element of services is referred to as __________. A. incongruity B. differentiation C. variation D. inconsistency E. intangibility

Q: Because services depend on the people who provide them, the quality of a service is often A. independent of managerial policies. B. inconsistent. C. inventoried. D. tied to a product. E. independent of the quality delivered.

Q: The brochure for Spa Sydell has photographs of people enjoying the various spa amenities. By seeing the pictures of available treatments at the spa, a customer has a better idea of what she is buying. Spa Sydell uses a brochure to help customers deal with the __________ that is associated with using the service. A. incongruity B. inconsistency C. inventory costs D. inseparability E. intangibility

Q: Before moving out of their apartment, Kelly and Doug decided to have their carpets cleaned by Stanley Steemer, a company specializing in professional carpet cleaning. The carpet cleaners arrived on time, cleaned the carpets, and drove away in their bright yellow van; only then did the couple see that they did a good job. Kelly and Doug were unable to judge the service before they bought it, which illustrates the __________ of services. A. inconsistency B. inseparability C. inventory costs D. intangibility E. interdependence

Q: Sarah has a backache due to overexertion. She believes a massage would loosen her back muscles and help her feel better. She is concerned because a massage, unlike a pair of shoes, cannot be experienced or seen before she buys it. Which characteristic of services is she concerned about? A. incongruity B. inconsistency C. intangibility D. inventory costs E. inseparability

Q: Singapore Airlines has advertising that shows a traveler in the airline's new seats and emphasizes food and other amenities to overcome the __________ of its service. A. incongruity B. inconsistency C. inventory costs D. inseparability E. intangibility

Q: To help consumers assess and compare services, marketers try to make them tangible or __________. A. temporal B. consistent C. adaptable D. measurable E. show the benefits of using the service

Q: To help consumers assess and compare services, marketers try to make them __________ or show the benefits of using the service. A. intangible B. consistent C. tangible D. timely E. measurable

Q: Consumers have more difficulty evaluating services than they do products; the difficulty results from the A. intangibility of services. B. incongruity of services. C. inseparability of services. D. inflexibility of services. E. interdependence of services.

Q: Because services tend to be a(n) __________ rather than an object, they are much more difficult for consumers to evaluate. A. opportunity B. good C. risk D. decision E. performance

Q: The intangibility element of a service refers to the fact that it A. has value that can only be determined by using subjective criteria. B. can't be held, seen, or touched before the purchase decision. C. requires the ability to provide the service even in times of no demand. D. can maintain or accumulate good will with customers. E. can be objectively evaluated.

Q: The four I's of services consist of A. intangibility, inconsistency, inseparability, and innovation. B. intangibility, inventory, inflexibility, and impression. C. intangibility, inconsistency, inseparability, and inventory. D. intangibility, inventory, innovation, and impression. E. intangibility, inconsistency, innovation, and impression.

Q: There are four unique elements to services - intangibility, inconsistency, inseparability, and inventory - which are referred to as the __________. A. service mix B. four I's of services C. service matrix D. 4Ps of services E. service continuum

Q: What do the United States Post Service, the Connecticut Department of Social Services, and the Phoenix Fire Department have in common? A. They are all privately owned companies. B. None fit on the service continuum. C. They never experience idle production capacity. D. Capacity management is not an issue for these organizations. E. They are all government agency service providers.

Q: What type of organization is the U.S. Forest Service, which manages our national park system? A. It is a privately owned firm. B. It is a government agency service provider. C. It is a good-dominate organization on the service continuum. D. It is manufacturer's agency. E. It is a regional non-profit.

Q: Sterile Feral, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that catches wild or stray cats. It then neuters, vaccinates, and releases them back into the wild. In recent years, nonprofit organizations such as Sterile Feral have turned to marketing to help it A. receive additional government funding. B. expand its business to stray dogs. C. maintain its nonprofit status. D. to achieve its goals of better serving the communities in which it operates. E. compete with other similar organizations.

Q: The American Red Cross uses marketing to help achieve its goals. As a service, it can be classified as A. a nonprofit organization. B. equipment-based. C. a for-profit organization. D. a business firm. E. a governmental agency.

Q: Explain why NOT all products can use test markets.

Q: Recently, many nonprofit organizations such as The American Red Cross A. were eager to use marketing practices but were not permitted to do so since they were 501C3 organizations as classified by the IRS. B. worried that marketing would limit their profitability as nonprofit organizations. C. could not afford marketing activities. D. have increased their use of marketing practices to improve communication with constituents. E. thought that marketing activities would harm demand.

Q: How could a firm use a test market in its new-product process?

Q: What do an online travel agency, a limousine service, and a railroad have in common? A. They are all strictly tangible services. B. They are all people-based services. C. None of them has a problem with idle production capacity. D. They are all equipment-based services. E. They all require skilled operators.

Q: What is idea generation in the new-product process? From where do forward thinking marketers get their ideas?

Q: What do a dry cleaning service, an automated carwash, and a taxi service have in common? A. They are all tangible services. B. They are all people-based services. C. None of them has problems with idle production capacity. D. They never use off-peak pricing. E. They are all equipment-based services.

Q: Identify and describe each stage in the new-product process in the correct order.

Q: Which of the following is the best example of an equipment-based service? A. lawn care B. doctors C. taxis D. lawyers E. janitorial services

Q: Thirsty Dog! Thirsty Cat! Ad The Thirsty Dog! & Thirsty Cat! ad above shows an example of a product that failed in the marketplace. Identify and describe the reason(s) for this unique item's marketing-related product failure.

Q: Equipment-based services like ATMs, online brokerage firms, and automated car washes, do not have the marketing concern of A. inconsistency. B. intangibility. C. inseparability. D. inventory. E. independence.

Q: What are the eight marketing reasons for new-product failures?

Q: Equipment-based services do not have the marketing concern of inconsistency because __________ have been removed from the delivery of the service. A. risk and product liability B. people C. learning requirements D. automations E. accessories

Q: Compare continuous, dynamically continuous, and discontinuous innovations. Provide the marketing strategy and an example of each.

Q: Compared with people-based services, equipment-based services do not have the marketing concern of A. intangibility. B. insensitivity. C. inventory. D. inconsistency. E. immeasurability.

Q: Describe the different ways to define a product as new.

Q: The categories for equipment-based services include __________. A. hand tools, simple machines, complex machines B. unskilled operators, skilled operators, and professional operators C. simple machines, technical equipment, and safety equipment D. those powered by unskilled labor, those operated by skilled operators, and those operated by professionals E. automated, those operated by unskilled operators, and those operated by skilled operators

Q: Characterize the difference between a product line and a product mix. Give an example of each.

Q: What do a security guard, a plumber, and a management consultant have in common? A. They are all tangible services. B. They do not have problems with idle production capacity. C. They are all equipment-based services. D. They are all people-based services. E. They never use off-peak pricing.

Q: What is the difference between intangibility and inseparability of services?

Q: Which of the following is the best example of a people-based service? A. movie theaters B. airlines C. accounting D. vending machines E. taxis

Q: What does it mean when we say services are intangible. How do marketers of services overcome the problems associated with intangibility?

Q: The categories for people-based services include __________. A. volunteers, skilled operators, and professionals B. unskilled labor, skilled labor, and professionals C. unskilled operators, unskilled labor, and skilled labor D. automated, skilled operators, and unskilled labor E. automated, skilled operators, and professionals

Q: Services incorporate the four I's of product marketing. How would each of these four elements apply to a stock brokerage service?

Q: Figure 9-3 Consider Figure 9-3 above. Services can be classified by their method of delivery. Box B represents A. equipment-based services. B. technology-based services. C. fee-based services. D. people-based services. E. nonprofit services.

Q: Describe the three ways services can be classified.

Q: Figure 9-3 Consider Figure 9-3 above. Services can be classified by their method of delivery. Box A represents A. government-delivered services. B. people-delivered services. C. fee-delivered services. D. equipment-delivered services. E. nonprofit-delivered services.

Q: What categories of products are classified as business support products? Give an example of each category.

Q: Services can be classified according to whether they are delivered by people or equipment, whether they are for profit or nonprofit organizations, and whether they are __________. A. government agencies B. a national organization or a global organization C. privately owned or publicly owned D. performed by independent contractors E. owned by individuals or corporations

Q: Define derived demand and provide an example NOT included in the text.

Q: Services can be classified according to whether they are delivered by people or equipment, __________, or government agencies. A. national or global B. use independent contractors C. privately owned or publicly owned D. owned by individuals or corporations E. for profit or nonprofit organizations

Q: The movie The Hunger Games opened originally in a select number of theaters before opening nationwide. After its theater run, it was shown on pay-per-view channels and then on premium movie channels. The movie also was made widely available in video stores, via Netflix, and on DVD/Blue-ray. What type(s) of consumer product is this movie? Explain your answer.