24706 Customer Centric Services Marketing
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): (24734 Marketing Management OR 24834 Marketing Decision Making) AND 24710 Customer Experience and Behaviour AND (24720 Applied Marketing Research OR 24761 Data-Driven Insights)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
The marketing of services poses some unique challenges. This subject provides an integrated managerial and strategic approach that places services issues within a broader general marketing management context and addresses the need for service marketers not only to understand customer needs and behaviours, but also how to use these insights to develop strategies for competing effectively in the marketplace. Organised around a strategic marketing framework, this subject develops advanced knowledge and practical competencies to develop and implement an effective services marketing strategy.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Apply theories, frameworks and concepts to address services marketing issues |
|---|---|
| 2. | Critically analyse relevant information for services marketing decisions, aiming for better performance and superior customer experience |
| 3. | Formulate and recommend services marketing strategies and tactics to drive an improved customer experience, but also consider ethical and sustainable organisational growth |
| 4. | Contribute to group decision-making, including sharing individual ideas and compromising to achieve shared goals |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject contributes to business knowledge and concepts by covering the main strategic services marketing tools from the literature and business practice, through assigned readings such as textbook chapters and academic journal articles. The students have to analyse the business situation of different companies through paper based case studies and real life consulting projects, based on which they have to develop innovative and creative recommendations. Students have to interact with a partner company when assessing its needs and communicating their results and recommendations.
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
- Intellectual rigour and innovative problem solving
- Professional and technical competence
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject is based on dynamic and interactive lecture and workshop sessions. It is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops (i.e., tutorials). The lectures involve critical debate and in-depth case deliberations; and the workshops are built around in-class exercises, case discussions and presentations. These classes will be supplemented with both printed and electronic learning materials and resources. Students will need to access materials (available on the learning management system) prior to each week's class and complete any set activities to ensure adequate preparation. Workshops will include time where students will work together in student-led discussion of the exercise and/or case with the provision of tutor and peer feedback. The UTS web-based communication tool will be used to share information and encourage interaction between staff and students. Students will also use appropriate computer software such as spreadsheets and word processors to complete assigned tasks.
Feedback throughout the session will be given verbally and formatively by the tutors to clarify student's understandings of key concepts.
Content (topics)
This subject aims to provide the student with an appreciation of the marketing of services using both a theoretical and practical approach to the subject. The following general areas are addressed:
- The importance of customer experience to organisations
- The marketing management problems involved with implementing and maintaining service quality
- The service product as an interactive experience
- The skills required for the marketing of services management functions
- The importance of service quality to organisations
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Case Study Critique (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 1000 words |
| Criteria: |
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Assessment task 2: Project Report (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1500 words |
| Criteria: |
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Assessment task 3: Project Report presentation (Group)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Maimum of
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| Criteria: |
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Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
Required texts
Zeithaml, Valarie A., Bitner, Mary Jo, Gremler, Dwayne G., 2017, Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm, Seventh Edition, McGraw Hill. (ISBN: 978-0-07-811210-2)
References
1. Guide to Writing Assignments, Faculty of Business, University of Technology Sydney. This guide is available as a FREE download from http://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/business/study-and-assessment-resources/developing-your-academic-writing#guide-to-writing-assignments. Alternatively, you may purchase a hard copy from the CoOp Bookshop.
2. Services Marketing Journals including the Journal of Service Research, the Journal of Services Marketing, the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and the Journal of Services Management (there are many more journals that are available to you via the UTS Library).
NOTE: It is expected that you source, read, and critique journal articles as part of your ongoing study programme.
Other resources
A number of recommended further resources (e.g., journal articles) are suggested as wider reading for you to grasp the subject content to a higher and more sophisticated level.