Essentials of services marketing

by K. Douglas Hoffman

The primary objective of [this book] is to provide instructional materials that not only introduce the student to the field of services marketing but also acquaint the student with specific customer service issues.... The [book first] concentrates on defining services marketing and providing the basic concepts that differentiate the marketing of services from the marketing of tangibles.... [It then discusses] topics that concern the management of the service encounter.... [The book also] focuses on customer satisfaction and service quality issues. Methods for tracking service failures and employee recovery efforts as well as customer retention strategies are also presented.... [The book concludes with] nine cases that illustrate the topics discussed throughout the book. -Pref.