One semester

36 contact hours over the semester, normally 3 hours per week

Lilydale, Online, Singapore

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Related Course/s:

Aims & Objectives:

Services is the fastest growing business sector, nationally as well as globally. This unit explores the major differences between the marketing of services as distinct from marketing tangible products, and aims at providing students with the special skills required to develop and implement marketing strategies in service-based businesses.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is more about culture, human resources and organisational issues than simply the use of information technology (IT) systems. This unit views the overall development of CRM systems for Marketing use, and particularly their impact on services marketing and management.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
• understand the relationship between services marketing theory and practice, and be able to apply that theory to diverse business/marketing situations
• undertake further or extended research with a view to identifying CRM and service opportunities within the marketplace
• appreciate the internal and external factors that may contribute to success with innovations in service provision and CRM systems
• respect and analyse multiple and diverse points of view
• understand the need for ethical marketing behaviour in the services area
• be aware of the need for socially responsible Services Marketing and CRM practices
• analyse changes in the dynamic services market environments, and devise appropriate marketing strategies (including CRM strategies) to accommodate such changes
• understand the differing and dynamic Macro and Micro-environments in which a services organisation operates
• understand the overall business context within which service provision operates, and relate the role/place of services marketing to that larger context
• understand the particular business context within which the organisation operates, and relate the role/place of CRM to that context
• be aware of the cultural and social factors which can lead to more successful services provision, and which must be taken into account with CRM systems

Teaching Methods:

This unit will be taught in a variety of modes including face to face, online, distance and blended modes. Delivery of this unit may be through a mixture of lectures, tutorials, laboratories, seminars and online.

Assessment:

Minor assignment 15-25%
Major assignment 30-40%
Examination 40-50%

Generic Skills Outcomes:

This unit will provide discipline-based knowledge and professional capabilities and experiences contributing to students progress in attaining generic skills such as:
• teamwork skills
• analysis skills
• problem solving skills
• communications skills
• ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• ability to work independently

Content:

Topics that support a thorough knowledge of the Services Marketing environment, and the role of CRM within that area in particular, will be explored. These include:
• Distinctive aspects of service marketing
• Market research in the services environment
• Communications and CRM within the services environment
• Demand management
• Service quality, including CRM response standards
• Managing the service culture
• Implementing the service strategy, including CRM systems to support that strategy
• International services and its future
• CRM developments and their future impact on the organisation
• Solving problems in CRM for customer acquisition, customer retention and cross selling
• Analysis of the risk and compliance issues relating to managing customers
• Channels of communication and value chain issues in relation to services, including retail, the Internet, intermediary relationships, direct or partnership selling and direct mail
• Understanding how to work in the role of marketer in business teams developing strategic response to change
• Investigating a service industry of your choice (eg. financial services, hospital services, insurance industry, catering services, etc.), and developing a realistic and appropriate Services Marketing Plan

Textbooks:

Recommended Reading: