THE 8 P'S OF MARKETING SERVICES

1 P - Product elements (elements of the Product) All components of the service p

erformance that create value for customers. Managers should select the character
istics of the main product (good or service) and the package of additional facto
rs that involve, in relation to the benefits desired by customers and the musica
l performance of competing products. 2 P - Place and Time (Time and Place) Manag
erial decisions about when, where and how to deliver services to clients. The de
livery of elements of the product to customers involves decisions about the plac
e and time of delivery and distribution channels may involve physical or electro
nic (or both), depending on the nature of the service being provided. Companies
can deliver the service directly to customers or to intermediary organizations,
such as retail outlets of other companies that receive a percentage of the selli
ng price for certain tasks associated with sales, service and customer contact.
3 P - Case One particular method of operation or series of actions, usually invo
lving steps that need to be given in a defined sequence. The creation and delive
ry of product information to customers requiring the design and implementation o
f effective processes. The process describes the method and sequence of operatin
g systems services. It is likely that poorly designed processes irritate custome
rs because of slow delivery, bureaucratic and inefficient service. Likewise, def
icient processes hinder the performance of front-line staff, resulting in low pr
oductivity and increase the likelihood of service failures. 4 P - Productivity a
nd Quality Productivity - The degree of effectiveness with which service inputs
are transformed into products that add value for customers. Quality - The degree
to which a service satisfies customers to meet their needs, desires and expecta
tions. Productivity and quality often addressed separately, must be seen as two
sides of same coin. No service company can afford to address any element separat
ely. Improved productivity is essential to keep costs under control, but manager
s must take care not to unduly reduce the levels of services, which customers wi
ll be mourned by him and perhaps also by employees. The quality of the service,
as defined by customers, is essential for product differentiation and increase c
ustomer loyalty. However, investing in improving quality without understanding t
he balance between costs and increases in revenue could jeopardize the company's
profitability. 5 P - People Professionals and sometimes other clients involved
in the production of the service. Many services depend on direct, personal inter
action between customers and employees of a company (like the hair cut or eat at
a restaurant). The nature of these interactions greatly influence perceptions o
f quality of service by the customer. Customers often judge the quality of servi
ce they receive in large part by the assessment of people who are providing the
service. Service enterprises successful commit considerable
effort in recruiting, training and motivation of its staff, mainly - but not exc
lusively - those who come into direct contact with customers. 6 P - Promotion an
d Education All activities and incentives of communication to increase customer
preference for a particular service or service provider. No marketing program ca
n succeed without an effective communications program that provides education an
d promotion. This component has three key roles: providing information and advic
e necessary to persuade clientesalvo the merits of a particular product and enco
urage customers to come into play at specific times. In services marketing, much
of communication is by its nature, educational, particularly for new customers.
Companies may have to teach them the benefits of the service, when and where to
obtain them and how to participate in service processes. Communications may be
made by individuals and vendors and trainers or through media such as television
, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, brochures and websites. 7 P - Physic
al evidence (physical evidence) Ski visual or other clues that provide tangible
evidence of service quality. The appearance of buildings, gardens, vehicles, int
erior furniture, equipment, members of staff, boards, printed materials and othe
r visible indications provide tangible evidence of service quality of an organiz
ation.€Service companies need to carefully manage the physical evidence because
it can have a profound impact on the impressions of customers. Services provide
d with few tangible items such as insurance, advertising is often used to create
 meaningful symbols. An umbrella, for example, may symbolize protection, and a f
ortress, security. P 8 - The price and other costs of the service costs money, t
ime and effort that customers incur when buying and consuming services. The pric
e and other costs of the service component refers to the various administration
costs incurred by clients to obtain benefits of the product of service. The resp
onsibilities are not limited to the traditional tasks of establishing the sale p
rice to the customers, setting margins for trade and setting credit terms, the s
ervice managers also recognize and seek to minimize other costs that customers m
ay incur when buying and use a service, including, time, physical effort and men
tal and sensory experiences negative.