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管理学院营销10013100806022赵潮(1~24)May1979LooktoConsumerstoIncreaseProductivitybyChristopherH.LovelockandRobertF.YoungWhenproductivityisaprobleminmanufacturing,managersturntotheR&Ddepartmentoroperationsforhelp.Inservices,however,especiallyoneswherethereisalotofcontactwiththecustomer,suchin-housegroupscannotbythemselvesimproveproductivity.Becauseservicesinvolvethecustomerinproduction,arelaborintensive,andaretime-bound,consumerbehavioritselfiscritical.Increasingproductivity,then,becomesamatterofchangingconsumerbehaviorandexpectations,andthatdependsonenlistingconsumeracceptanceofthechange.Theauthorsdescribefiveinstanceswheremanagershavebeenlesssuccessfulthantheymightinimprovingproductivityinservicesbecausetheydidnottaketheneedsofconsumersintoaccount.Then,drawinglessonsfromtheseexperiences,theydiscussthreemarketingstrategiesmanagerscanemployininfluencingconsumerstobecomeapartoftheserviceprocessitself.Mostpeopleagreethatlowproductivityisamajorcontributortoinflation.Laggingproductivitygainsareparticularlyaproblemfortheservicesectoroftheeconomy,whichnowaccountsforclosetotwo-thirdsoftheGNPintheUnitedStates.Lowproductivityafflictsallthreecategoriesofserviceorganizations—forprofit,public,andnonprofit.Inprivatecompanies,managersworryabouttheirabilitytomaintainprofits,yetfearthatpassingonhighercostsintheformofhigherpricesmightdriveawayconsumers.Manypublicagenciesfindthemselveswithrisingdeficitsatatimewhentaxpayersareangrilydemandingtaxcuts;yetastrategyofservicecutbackscouldhaveseriousconsequencesforthewelfareofdisadvantagedcitizensandthequalityoflifeingeneral.Somenonprofitorganizationsthathavereliedunrealisticallyonincreaseddonationsorhigheruserchargeshavebeenhitparticularlyhard,someeventothepointofcollapse.PeopleusuallythinkthatimprovingproductivityisataskfortheR&Ddepartment,forthefinancecommittee,orforoperationsandpersonnelmanagement.Economiststellusthatthethreewaystoincreaseproductivityare(1)toimprovethequalityofthelaborforce,(2)toinvestinmoreefficientcapitalequipment,and(3)toautomatetaskspreviouslyundertakenbylabor.Inthisarticle,wearegoingtoarguethatthereisafourthcomponenttoimprovingproductivityinserviceindustries—thatis,tochangethewaysconsumersinteractwithserviceproducers.Thisisataskthatmarketing—theartofdemandmanagement—cantacklebest.Servicemanagerscanusemarketingtoolstoencourageconsumerstomodifytheirbehaviorsothatservicescanbedeliveredinamoreproductiveandeconomicallyefficientmanner.OurprimaryfocuswillbeonwhatRichardB.Chasehastermed“highcontact”servicesystems,wherethereisahighlevelofinteractionbetweenserviceproducersandtheircustomers.1Onecandivideservicesintotwobroadcategories:thosethatdosomethingforconsumersthemselves—suchastransportingthemtodistantlocations,cuttingtheirhair,andhealingtheirbodies;andthosethatdosomethingforconsumers’possessions—suchastransportingtheirmail,cuttingtheirgrass,andrepairingtheircars.Theformer,ofcourse,involveahigherlevelofpersonalcontactthanthelatter,butconsumerbehaviorisimportantinbothinstances,andwewillconsiderbothhere.Understandingconsumerbehavioristhefirststepindetermininghowtochangeit.ImpactofConsumeronServicesWhyisconsumerbehavioraparticularlycriticalfactorforproductivitygainsintheservicesectoroftheeconomy?Threebasicreasonscometomind.First,serviceindustriestypicallyinvolvetheconsumerintheproductionprocess.Ahaircutrequiresyoutositinthebarber’schair;astayatahotelrequiresthatyoucheckinandenteryourroominperson;tomailaletterrequiresthatyouaddress,stamp,anddepositit.Ifyoufailtocompleteyourbankwithdrawalslipcorrectlyandarguewiththeteller,thenyouwillslowdowntheserviceanddelayothercustomersaswell.Second,serviceindustriesaretypicallylaborintensive,withtheservicebeingpartandparceloftheoverall“product”beingpurchased.Sometimes,though,consumerscandosomeoftheworkthemselves,replacingallorpartofthatpreviouslydonebytheserviceemployee.Consumersnowservethemselvesatbuffetsinrestaurantsanddiallong-distancetelephonecallsdirectlyinsteadofgoingthroughtheoperator.Third,aserviceindustry’sproducttendstobetime-bound:itcannotbestockpiled.Thustheopportunitytosellanemptyseatonthe9:00p.m.flighttoBostonislostoncetheaircrafttakesoff.Conversely,theatergoersturnedawayby“housefull”signscannotbereliedontowaitforthenextavailableshow.Becauseofthetime-boundnatureofservice,managersplaceaheavyemphasisoncapacityutilization.Theproductivitygoalistosmooththepeaksandvalleysofdemandtoavoidbothexcessdemand(whichcannotbesatisfied)andexcesscapacity(whichrepresentsunproductiveuseofresources).2Inserviceswherethereisagreatdealofpersonalcontact,managerscanincreaseproductivitybychangingproceduresatpointofdelivery.Butthesechanges,suchasreplacingabanktellerorawaiterwithmachines,directlyaffectconsumers,andtheiracceptanceofthechangecannotbeassumed.Sometimes,asChasepointsout,the“technicalcore”or“backroomoperations”ofaservicecanbeseparatedfromthepersonalserviceaspect.Inrecentyears,manyoftheproductivitygainsmadebyserviceorganizationshavebeenachievedwithinthetechnicalcore.Computersnowhandleaccountingproceduresandhotel/airlinereservationsystems,larger