Unit rationale, description and aim
In a rapidly changing global marketplace, successful service firms are interested in enhancing service quality and creating a unique customer experience (CX) for their competitive advantage. This unit introduces contemporary services marketing strategies that can create positive customer experiences. Using models, frameworks and theories from services marketing, students will design creative service strategies and apply them to analyse the customer experience outcomes such as satisfaction, trust, commitment, word of mouth and loyalty. This unit also focuses on what a service firm can do to deliver customer experiences while considering global and ethical practices.
This unit helps students understand, analyse, and apply customers’ experience mapping and pain points for their overall journey from pre-purchase to post-purchase situations in a community-minded way. Students will learn about the ethical integration of AI technology tools in services.
This unit aims to prepare students for several service firm roles (including service marketer, service manager, service consultant, entrepreneur/small business owner, customer relationship manager) and assist them in developing skills and knowledge in managing a firm’s services through creative strategies and tactics to make effective and community-minded marketing decisions.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain core services theories and concepts in cus...
Learning Outcome 01
Use relevant services marketing theories and conce...
Learning Outcome 02
Leverage digital technologies to engage effectivel...
Learning Outcome 03
Clear and effective communication of services ana...
Learning Outcome 04
Professionally and clearly communicate relevant in...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- The concept of services marketing, models and theories
- Customer experience, experience mapping and customer experience management in the service context
- Antecedents and consequences of superior customer-centric culture in service firms
- Customer experience and contextual factors (e.g., Servicescape) in service firms
- Service strategies to create customer experience outcomes such as satisfaction, trust, commitment, word of mouth and loyalty
- Pre-purchase and post-purchase decision-making in services marketing
- Service recovery
- Service in local and global cultures
- Ethical use of artificial intelligence and other technologies in services marketing
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to demonstrate mastery of all learning outcomes and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking of each assessment task will be in accordance with rubrics specifically developed to measure student level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each assessment item.
Students will be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the unit. The assessment strategy for this unit allows participants to sequentially develop their knowledge and skills in services marketing and customer experience to the point where they can understand, examine and apply relevant models and concepts to formulate strategies for real-world service firms. At the same time, students will also need to develop and demonstrate the ability to effectively and ethically critique AI and other service technology tools in a community-minded way.
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome as indicated in the following Assessment Table.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Service Audit Presentatio...
Assessment Task 1: Service Audit Presentation
Requires students to record an 8 minute presentation about the service processes and quality of a service firm in a specific industry. Students will identify the service offering and analyse it from a customer experience perspective. As an outcome students will map the customer journey and identify flaws in customer experience management that affect service quality.
Submission Type: Individual
Assessment Method: Video Presentation
Artefact: Video and slides
20%
Assessment Task 2: Service Blueprint Report ...
Assessment Task 2: Service Blueprint Report
Students will prepare a 1500-word report, including developing a service blueprint to improve the service delivery model and making recommendations. Assessment 2 will build on the initial service marketing review conducted in Assessment 1.
Submission Type: Individual
Assessment Method: Service Modelling and Recommendation Report
Artefact: Written report
40%
Assessment Task 3: Service Improvement Report ...
Assessment Task 3: Service Improvement Report
Requires students to develop a 1500-word report featuring a service innovation or a recovery plan for the service examined in the first and second assessment. The plan should focus on services marketing strategies that improve the customer experience. Students will also need to critique recommendations made by AI before providing their own
Submission Type: Individual
Assessment Method: Recommendations Report
Artefact: Written report
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy is based on student engagement in the learning process by participation in workshops or equivalent and practical activities designed to reinforce learning. Workshops and equivalent support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge both individually and in small groups. By taking part in activities, students will systematically develop their understanding of the key aspects of services marketing and, in particular, build skills in creating a positive customer experience in pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase decision making for a service. Students will work on a project that allows them to understand the customer journey and map the service consumption process. The experiential approach underpinning this unit's learning and teaching strategy extends to practical and analytical approaches used in services marketing and user experience based on 'real-world examples. Students will also be guided to effectively engage with artificial intelligence in a community-minded way through assessing and critiquing an AI-generated response to the assessment task before improving upon it themselves.
Mode of delivery: This unit is offered in different modes. These are: "Attendance" mode, "Mixed" mode and "Online" mode. This unit is offered in three modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants and maximise effective participation for isolated and/or marginalised groups.
Mixed Mode
In a mixed-mode, students will require intermittent face-to-face attendance determined by the School. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for you to prepare and revise.
Online Mode
In an online mode, students engage in asynchronous learning and participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge, while developing their knowledge. Students are required to participate in a series of online interactive activities to enhance their learning including knowledge checks, discussion boards and self-paced exercises. This approach allows flexibility for students and facilitates learning and participation for students with a preference for virtual learning.