Provider Gap 4
      CUSTOMER
                                Service Delivery                        External 
      COMPANY                                                        Communication
                                                          The        s to Customers
                                                     Communicatio
                                                         n Gap
    Part 6 Opener
                     Communications and the Services
   Figure                        Marketing Triangle
   16.1
                                         Company
         Internal Marketing                                              External 
        Vertical communications                                       Marketing     
                 Horizontal                                         Communication 
             communications                                              Advertising
                                                                   Sales promotion           
                                                                       Public relations
                                                                      Direct marketing 
                                                                         Sponsorship 
                                                                          Marketing
                                                                    Database Marketing 
        Employees Interactive Marketing  Customers
                                 Personal selling            
                                Customer service center  
                                Service encounters          
                                      Servicescapes
    Source: Kotler, Philip, Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, 
    Implementation, and Control, 9th Edition, © 1997.
  Why are services more difficult to promote 
       than physical products? 
       Key Reasons for Service Communication 
                           Challenges
   
     Inadequate management of service promises
      Usually and issue internally between departments or 
       employees.
   
     Inadequate management of customer expectations
      Can be a result of external marketing providing unrealistic 
       expectations.
   
     Inadequate customer education
      This often exists with high involvement services – i.e., 
       certain medical services, certain financial services, etc.
   
     Inadequate internal marketing communications
      Both horizontal and vertical communication is important – 
       i.e., between service employees and between management 
       and employees
     Approaches for Integrating Services Marketing 
  Figure 16.2       Communication
                         Manage
                         customer
                        expectations
                          Goal:
           Manage       Delivery is    Improve
           service      greater than  customer
           promises     or equal to   education
                          promises
                         Manage
                         internal 
                         marketing
                       communication