Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing Notes are critical concepts in understanding how businesses interact with their customers. Consumer Behavior examines the decision-making processes, preferences, and actions of individuals when purchasing goods and services. It helps marketers understand the psychological, social, and emotional factors that influence buying behavior.
“Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing Notes“ On the other hand, Services Marketing focuses on promoting and delivering intangible services rather than physical products. It addresses unique challenges such as service quality, customer satisfaction, and relationship management, recognizing that customer experience plays a significant role in service success. It also provides valuable insights into resource utilization and cost-saving All notes provided by Study Hub Zone
Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing Notes: ALL UNITS
Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing focus on understanding consumer decision-making processes and crafting strategies to market intangible services effectively. These notes provide insights into consumer psychology and the unique challenges of service-based industries.
Key topics include:
Consumer Behaviour:
- Decision-Making Process: Stages consumers go through from need recognition to post-purchase evaluation.
- Factors Influencing Behaviour: Cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors shaping consumer preferences.
- Consumer Motivation and Perception: Understanding what drives consumers and how they interpret information.
- Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: Building long-term relationships through positive experiences.
Services Marketing:
- Characteristics of Services: Intangibility, inseparability, variability, and perishability (4 I’s of services).
- Service Marketing Mix (7 Ps): Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence.
- Service Quality: Models like SERVQUAL to measure and improve service delivery.
- Managing Customer Relationships: Strategies for enhancing customer engagement and retention in service industries.
Unit 1: Introduction to Consumer Behaviour
Introduction to Consumer Behavior focuses on understanding the actions and decisions of individuals and groups when purchasing goods and services.
Unit 2: Consumer Behaviour Models
Consumer Behavior Models are theoretical frameworks that explain and predict the decision-making processes of consumers when purchasing goods and services.
Unit 3: Introduction to Services Marketing
Introduction to Services Marketing focuses on the unique aspects of marketing services as opposed to tangible products.
Unit 4: Designing and Delivering Services
Designing and Delivering Services involves creating and implementing strategies to ensure that services meet customer expectations and are efficiently delivered.
Unit 5: Issues in Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing
Issues in Consumer Behavior and Services Marketing involve understanding the complexities of consumer decision-making.
Syllabus of Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing Notes.
Unit 1: Introduction to Consumer Behaviour
- Definition and Importance:
- Understanding consumer behavior and its role in marketing decisions.
- Factors influencing consumer behavior: Psychological, social, cultural, and personal.
- Consumer Decision-Making Process:
- Stages: Problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase behavior.
- Consumer involvement and its impact on decision-making.
- Types of Consumer Behavior:
- Complex buying behavior, variety-seeking behavior, dissonance-reducing behavior, and habitual buying behavior.
- Situational factors and their influence on consumer decisions.
Unit 2: Consumer Behaviour Models
- Psychological Models:
- Freudian, Pavlovian, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theories.
- Learning, motivation, perception, and attitude formation.
- Economic Models:
- Utility theory and how consumers make choices to maximize satisfaction.
- The concept of diminishing marginal utility.
- Sociocultural Models:
- Social and cultural influences on consumer behavior.
- The role of reference groups, family, culture, and social class in shaping consumer decisions.
- Comprehensive Models of Consumer Behavior:
- Howard-Sheth model, Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) model, and Nicosia model.
- The application of these models in understanding complex consumer behavior.
Unit 3: Introduction to Services Marketing
- Nature and Characteristics of Services:
- Intangibility, inseparability, perishability, and variability (IISP model).
- Differences between goods and services and their impact on marketing strategies.
- Service Marketing Environment:
- Micro and macro environment factors influencing services marketing.
- The role of technology, globalization, and competition in shaping services marketing.
- Classification of Services:
- Types of services based on the level of customer involvement: High-contact vs. low-contact services.
- Services in various sectors: Financial, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, etc.
- Service Marketing Mix (7Ps):
- Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence.
Unit 4: Designing and Delivering Services
- Service Design:
- Principles of service design and strategies for creating customer-focused service offerings.
- The service blueprinting process: Identifying customer touchpoints and backstage/frontstage activities.
- Service Delivery:
- Ensuring consistency in service delivery: The role of employees, technology, and service processes.
- Service quality: The SERVQUAL model and the dimensions of service quality (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy).
- Managing Service Expectations:
- Understanding and managing customer expectations: Zone of tolerance and expectations management strategies.
- Service recovery strategies for handling customer complaints and dissatisfaction.
- Customer Experience Management (CEM):
- Designing and managing the entire customer journey to ensure a positive and memorable experience.
- The role of customer touchpoints and creating seamless experiences across multiple channels.
Unit 5: Issues in Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing
- Consumer Behavior Issues:
- Post-purchase dissonance and consumer regret.
- The impact of digital media on consumer behavior and decision-making.
- Ethical issues and consumer privacy concerns in modern marketing.
- Challenges in Services Marketing:
- Managing service quality and overcoming service variability.
- The challenge of maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction in competitive markets.
- Service Failures and Recovery:
- Types of service failures and the impact on customer loyalty.
- Effective service recovery strategies: Apology, compensation, and service guarantees.
- Future Trends in Services Marketing:
- The role of digital transformation in service delivery and customer engagement.
- The rise of self-service technologies (SSTs), AI-driven services, and customer-centric business models.
Scope of Consumer Behaviour
Understanding Consumer Needs
Analyzing how consumers make decisions, their preferences, and how these can be influenced by internal and external factors.Segmentation and Targeting
Identifying distinct consumer segments and targeting the right demographic for products and services.Psychological and Social Factors
Studying how social, psychological, and cultural factors influence consumer decisions.Consumer Buying Process
Understanding the stages a consumer goes through before, during, and after purchasing a product or service.Brand Loyalty and Consumer Attitudes
Exploring how consumer attitudes and loyalty impact brand perception and buying behavior.
Objectives of Consumer Behaviour
Predict Consumer Actions
Understanding consumer behavior helps businesses predict how consumers will react to products, advertisements, or marketing campaigns.Product Development
Insights from consumer behavior are used in designing and improving products and services.Marketing Strategy Formation
To create personalized and effective marketing strategies that resonate with the target audience.Build Brand Loyalty
Helping businesses understand the factors that lead to brand loyalty and repeat purchases.Consumer Satisfaction
Identifying key drivers of consumer satisfaction to create products and services that meet consumer expectations.
Scope of Services Marketing
Service Design and Delivery
Understanding how services are designed, delivered, and consumed by customers.Service Quality and Satisfaction
Assessing the role of service quality in building customer satisfaction and loyalty.Relationship Marketing
Emphasizing long-term customer relationships through effective service marketing strategies.Managing Service Operations
Analyzing how to efficiently manage service delivery processes to enhance customer experience.Service Innovations
Keeping track of new service offerings and innovations to stay competitive in the market.
Objectives of Services Marketing
Enhance Customer Experience
Designing and delivering services that exceed customer expectations, creating positive experiences.Build Strong Customer Relationships
Developing long-term relationships with customers through personalized and consistent service delivery.Increase Customer Loyalty
Strategies to foster repeat business and customer retention.Improve Service Quality
Constantly improving service quality to meet customer demands and expectations.Expand Market Reach
Expanding the service’s market through effective branding and marketing strategies.
Recommended Books on Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing
Consumer Behaviour Books
“Consumer Behavior” by Leon G. Schiffman and Joseph L. Wisenblit
- Key Focus: A comprehensive study of consumer behavior with a focus on psychological and sociological influences.
- Amazon Link: Consumer Behavior by Leon G. Schiffman
“Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy” by J. Paul Peter and Jerry C. Olson
- Key Focus: Understanding consumer behavior from a marketing perspective, with actionable insights for marketers.
- Amazon Link: Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy
Services Marketing Books
“Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy” by Christopher Lovelock and Jochen Wirtz
- Key Focus: A widely used textbook that covers all aspects of services marketing with a global perspective.
- Amazon Link: Services Marketing by Christopher Lovelock
“Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm” by Valarie A. Zeithaml, Mary Jo Bitner, and Dwayne D. Gremler
- Key Focus: Examines how to manage and market services in a way that focuses on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Amazon Link: Services Marketing by Valarie A. Zeithaml
FAQs on Consumer Behaviour and Services Marketing
What is Consumer Behavior?
Consumer Behavior is the study of how individuals make decisions to spend their resources on consumption-related items. It explores why consumers prefer certain products or brands.Why is Services Marketing important?
Services Marketing focuses on promoting intangible products and managing customer relationships to create positive experiences and ensure customer loyalty.How does Consumer Behavior impact marketing strategies?
Understanding consumer behavior helps businesses to tailor their marketing strategies to meet the specific needs and wants of their target audience.What are the key components of Services Marketing?
The key components include service quality, customer satisfaction, relationship marketing, and service innovation.Which is the best book for learning Consumer Behavior?
“Consumer Behavior” by Leon G. Schiffman and Joseph L. Wisenblit is a great resource for an in-depth understanding of consumer psychology and decision-making.