Service Sector

Service sector is the lifeline for the social economic growth of a country. It is today the largest and fastest growing sector globally contributing more to the global output and employing more people than any other sector. The real reason for the growth of the service sector is due to the increase in urbanization, privatization and more demand for intermediate and final consumer services.

Service Sector

Availability of quality services is vital for the well being of the economy.
In advanced economies the growth in the primary and secondary sectors are directly dependent on the growth of services like banking, insurance, trade, commerce, entertainment etc.

Indian Service Sector

Indian service sector has witnessed a major boom and is one of the major contributors to both employment and national income in recent times.
The activities under the purview of the service sector are quite diverse. Trading, transportation and communication, financial, real estate and business services, community, social and personal services come within the gambit of the service industry.

One of the key service industry in India would be health and education. They are vital for the countrys economic stability. A robust healthcare system helps to create a strong and diligent human capital, who in turn can contribute productively to the nations growth.

Post Liberalization

The Indian economy has moved from agriculture based economy to a knowledge based economy.
Today the IT industry and ITE'S industry are the dominant industry in the service sector. Media and entertainment have also seen tremendous growth in the past few years.

Sub Sectors for Service Industry

Information Technology Industry ITES sector Retailing Financial Services-Banking And Insurance

Information Technology Industry

The Information Technology industry has achieved phenomenal growth after liberalization.
The industry has performed exceedingly well amidst tough global competition. Being knowledge based industry; India has been able to leverage the global markets, because of the huge pool of engineering talent available and the proficiency in English language among the middle class.

ITES sector
The ITES sector has also leveraged the global changes positively to emerge as one of the prominent industries.
Some of the services covered by the ITES industry would be: Customer interaction services -Non voice and Voice. Back office, revenue accounting, data entry, data conversion, HR services. Medical Transcription. Content development and animation. Remote education, market research and GIS

Retailing

Prior to liberalization, India had one of the most underdeveloped retail sectors in the world. After liberalization the scenario changed dramatically. Organized retailing with prominence on self service and chain stores has changed the dynamics of retailing. In most of the tier I and tier II cities supermarket chains mushroomed, catering to the needs of vibrant middle class. This indirectly contributed to the growth of the packaged food industry and other consumer goods.

Banking Sector
The major changes in the banking sector after liberalization are:

Nationalized banks including SBI were allowed to sell stakes to private sector and private investors were allowed to enter the banking domain. Foreign banks were given greater access to the domestic market, both as subsidiaries and branches, provided the foreign banks maintained a minimum assigned capital and would be governed by the same rules and regulations governing domestic banks.

Banking Sector contd.

Banks were given greater freedom to leverage the capital markets and determine their asset portfolios. The banks were allowed to provide advances against equity provided as collateral and provide bank guarantees to the broking community.

Insurance Sector

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act 1999 (IRDA Act) allowed the participation of private insurance companies in the insurance sector. The primary role of IRDA was to safeguard the interest of insurance policy holders, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the insurance industry. The insurance sector could invest in the capital markets and other than traditional insurance products, various market link insurance products were available to the end customer to choose from.

Future Trends in Services Industry

Globally outsourcing industry would continue to grow.

Following the success of US and UK, more countries in the European Union would outsource their business.

Technological power shift from the West to the East as India and China emerge as major players.
Political backlash over outsourcing would come down as companies reap the benefit of outsourcing.

Definition of Service

Activities, benefits or satisfaction, which are offered for sale, or provided in connection with the sale of goods. ---- AMA

Growing Importance of Services in Marketing

Economic well being of population Changing lifestyle Complexity of product Focus on core work Government Policies Technology as a key driver for service innovation Internationalization

Nature of Services

Intangibility Heterogeneity Inseparability Perishability

Intangibility

Service cannot be measured Service is not consistent Quality of services cannot be measured
SO WHAT MEASURES ARE TO BE TAKEN TO STANDARDIZE SERVICES BY ORGANIZATIONS???

Heterogeneity
Services are not identical It depends on person time place WHAT IS BENEFIT OF SERVICES BEING HETEROGENIOUS IN NATURE??

Inseparability

Services cannot be stored So there has to be greater interaction between customers and service provider Production and consumption occurs simultaneously

WHAT SHOULD COMPANY DO??

Perishability

Services cannot be stored

WHAT SHOULD BE SERVICE PROVIDER STRATEGY ???

Classification of services

Degree of Involvement of the customer Service Tangibility Skills and expertise Required Business Orientation of Service Provider Type of End-user

Classification on Basis of the Degree if Involvement of the customer

People Processing Possession Processing Mental stimulus Processing Information Processing

Examples

Classification on the basis of the Service Tangibility

Highly tangible
Service linked to tangible goods Tangible goods linked to services Highly Intangible

Examples

Classification on basis of skills and expertise Required

Professional services

Non-Professional services

Examples

Classification on the basis of the business Orientation of Service Provider

Not- for profit Organization Commercial organization

Examples

Classification on basis of the Type of End-user

Consumer services Business- to- business services Industrial Services

Examples

Thats all for today !!!