“Technology-Based Service Delivery: A Classification Scheme for Developing Marketing Strategies”
Abstract: Past classifications of services have pigeonholed industries into cells to highlight differences among service industries and in turn to develop industry-specific marketing implications. However, the acceleration of technological advances in recent years is making it possible for service firms across different industries to deliver similar forms of technology-based service with similar marketing implications. At the same time, service firms (irrespective of industry) are able to offer customers a wide range of technology-based service delivery options with different marketing implications for each. A framework is proposed for classifying technology-based service delivery options that could be applied to any service industry where technology can be used in delivery. The classification scheme would allow a given service firm to systematically investigate technology-based service delivery options in terms of customer needs and marketing potential and as a basis for market segmentation. The framework may be used to organize the literature as well as to facilitate raising research questions on issues such as service quality and customer satisfaction, employee and/or customer training and appropriate marketing strategies.
(Email: pratibha@love-and-learning.info)