Service Personnel and Boundary Spanners Quiz
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Service Personnel and Boundary Spanners Quiz

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the seven tests of rewards that encourage service excellence?

  • Complication (correct)
  • Availability
  • Reversibility
  • Visibility

    • Empowerment focuses on restricting the initiative of employees.

    False

    What does enfranchisement couple with to enhance employee performance?

    compensation method

    The empowerment approach encourages employees to exercise __________ and imaginations.

    <p>initiative</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the levels of empowerment with their descriptions:

    <p>High involvement = Develop skills in teamwork and business operations Job involvement = Opening up of job content and using more skills Control oriented = Higher level decisions remain with senior management Suggestion involvement = Encouraging employee feedback and input</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following does NOT represent a level of empowerment?

    <p>Task focused</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Pay alone is an effective method for promoting service excellence.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    List two characteristics of high involvement in empowerment.

    <p>Train people to manage themselves; Profit-sharing and employee ownership.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one major complaint customers have about service workers?

    <p>Lack of concern</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Wegmans was ranked as one of the worst companies to work for in 2005.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do boundary spanners do?

    <p>They link the service organization with the outside world.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Service personnel provide a sustainable __________ advantage.

    <p>competitive</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following complaints about service workers with their descriptions:

    <p>Apathy = Lack of concern Brush-off = Rejection of customer inquiries Coldness = Lack of motivation Condescension = Displaying disrespect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which role is at the center of driving all HR systems in the service business?

    <p>Service employee role definition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Service employees face minimal stress in their jobs.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of Wegmans' operational highlights mentioned?

    <p>It has over 30,000 employees in its 67 stores.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of conflict is illustrated by a customer requesting a service that violates organizational rules?

    <p>Organization/client conflict</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Boundary spanners generally face no conflicts in their roles.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one common reaction of employees to stress caused by conflicting demands?

    <p>Dissatisfaction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    An example of a __________ conflict is when a serious person is required to adopt a casual attitude in a business.

    <p>person/role</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the type of conflict with its description:

    <p>Person/role conflict = Mismatch of self-perception with job role Organization/client conflict = Customer requests against organizational rules Inter-client conflict = Disagreements between clients affecting their experience Boundary spanner conflict = Conflict arising from dual pressures of organization and clients</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT listed as a coping strategy for employees to reduce stress?

    <p>Ignoring organizational rules</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The climate for service is solely based on customer feedback.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is meant by 'job stress' in the context of service personnel?

    <p>Job stress refers to the stress employees feel due to conflicting demands and roles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main purpose of the HR Wheel in service organizations?

    <p>To integrate culture, people, and resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Interdepartmental support is unnecessary for service providers to do their job effectively.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Name one characteristic of 'Egocentric Edgar'.

    <p>Selfish or self-centered</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The first layer of the Service HR Wheel is __________.

    <p>Recruiting the right people</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following customer profiles with their descriptions:

    <p>Egocentric Edgar = Selfish customer who appeals to his ego Bad-Mouth Betty = Rude customer known for harsh language Hysterical Harold = Wild and uncontrolled customer Dictatorial Idiot = Arrogant or bossy customer</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a layer of the Service HR Wheel?

    <p>Creating customer profiles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The strategy for handling 'Hysterical Harold' is to let him vent and take responsibility for solving the problem.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What technique can be used when dealing with 'Bad-Mouth Betty'?

    <p>Ignore his/her language</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Service Personnel Importance

    • Competitive Advantage: Service personnel offer a sustainable competitive edge.
    • Major Customer Complaints:
      • Apathy or lack of concern
      • Brush-off or rejection
      • Coldness or lack of motivation
      • Condescension or disrespect
      • Robotism or uncountable
      • Rulebook or system doesn’t allow me
      • Runaround or evasive or non-committal treatment

    Boundary Spanners

    • Link Organizations and Customers: Act as a bridge between an organization and its external environment.
    • Primary Purposes:
      • Information transfer
      • Representation
    • Service Spectrum: Range from professionals to subordinate service roles, influencing how boundary spanners are managed.

    Sources of Conflict on Contact Service Personnel

    • Person/Role Conflicts: Conflict between an individual's self-perception and their role within the organization.
    • Organization/Client Conflicts: Disagreements due to customer requests contradicting organizational rules.
    • Inter-Client Conflicts: Disagreements between customers affecting one another's experience.

    Coping Strategies and Implications for Customers

    • Job Stress: Results in dissatisfaction, frustration, and turnover intention.
    • Employee Coping Mechanisms:
      • Avoiding customer interactions
      • Entering "people-processing" mode
      • Adding physical symbols for control
      • Overacting their role
      • Fully siding with the customer

    Creating a Climate for Service

    • Climate Definition: Employee perceptions regarding organizational strategies and rules.
    • Core Drivers:
      • Work Facilitation: Providing infrastructure and technology to support service delivery.
      • Interdepartmental Support: Assistance from other departments to enable successful service provision.
      • Human Resource Practices: The HR Wheel

    The Services HR Wheel

    • Purpose: Aligning HR strategies to positively affect employee experience and organizational culture, integrating people and systems.
    • Layers:
      • Recruiting the Right People
      • Developing Competent Service Employees
      • Controlling, Rewarding, and Evaluating Employees
      • Retaining Service Employees

    Five Customer Profiles

    • Customer from Hell: Five customer profiles categorized by their behavior:
      • Egocentric Edgar: Selfish, demanding customer.
      • Bad-Mouth Betty: Rude and disrespectful customer.
      • Hysterical Harold: Wild, uncontrolled, and emotional customer.
      • Dictatorial Idiot: Bossy, arrogant, and controlling customer.
      • Freeloading Freda: Free-rider or bloodsucker customer.

    Dealing with Challenging Customer Profiles

    • Egocentric Edgar:
      • Approach: Appeal to his ego.
      • Demonstrate Action: Show tangible results.
      • Rephrasing Policies: "For you, I can... (policy)."
      • Avoid Ego Destruction: Protect your own self-esteem.
    • Bad-Mouth Betty:
      • Approach: Ignore rude language.
      • Force the Issue: Confrontation.
      • Selective Agreement: Agree with some statements.
    • Hysterical Harold:
      • Approach: Let him vent.
      • Take it Backstage: Address the issue privately.
      • Take Responsibility: Solve the problem.

    Rewards that Encourage Service Excellence

    • Seven Tests of Rewards:
      • Availability
      • Flexibility
      • Reversibility
      • Contingent
      • Visibility
      • Timeliness
      • Durability
    • Pay Alone is Insufficient: Pay alone does not meet these effectiveness tests.

    Empowerment and Enfranchisement

    • Empowerment:
      • Loosening frontline restrictions.
      • Encouraging and rewarding employee initiative.
    • Enfranchisement:
      • Combines empowerment with performance-based compensation.

    Levels of Empowerment

    • High Involvement:
      • Characteristics: High involvement in job, suggesting ideas, participating in production.
      • Key Strategies:
        • Employee self-management training.
        • Profit-sharing and employee ownership.
        • Teamwork, problem-solving, and business operation skills development.
    • Job Involvement:
      • Characteristics: Expanded job content, skill utilization, freedom, and feedback.
      • Key Strategies:
        • Job expansion and enrichment.
        • Increased skill utilization and autonomy.
        • Extensive teamwork.
        • Senior management maintains decision-making and reward allocation.
    • Control-Oriented: Employees are less involved in decision-making and have limited autonomy.

    Stick with your game

    • Consistency with Customers: Provide consistent service to customers.
    • Offer Solutions: Communicate how you can assist customers.

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    Chapter 9 People as Strategy: Managing Service Employees PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on the critical roles and challenges faced by service personnel and boundary spanners within organizations. This quiz explores competitive advantages, customer complaints, and conflict sources in service interactions. Understand the importance of these roles in linking organizations with their customers.

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