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.Ahaircutrequiresyoutositin...
