Marketing and Customer Service Marathon

Request: This is an important ask which requires all parts to be completed. I attached instructions for each section to ensure nothing is missing. Briefly stated these are the parts which are then explained below:

Part 1 – Scorecards completed together with store pictures; receipt of product bought. (you should have 10 sets of scorecards completed, each of each visit -5 visits to a store, 5 to another store)

Part 2 – Powerpoint presentation which answer all the questions and includes graphics

Part 3 – Word document report.

Guideline:

1. Pick a business you go to frequently. Then pick a competitor. Pick one location for each and visit each location five times (preferably at different times of day). Evaluation points are – what were the differences in (1) how you were greeted; (2) how easy it was to get the help needed; (3) the consistency of service from one visit to the next; (4) what other factors impacted the differences in the level of service you received.

2. Review the Customer Service Marathon Scorecard

Note the observations you are to make in order to complete the scorecard. Add four questions of your own that you think are relevant to the businesses.

For each visit:

1. Visit the location (I prefer to focus on stores which can be found in the area of Ohio)
2. Take a picture of the store (you MUST take a photo of the store you visited)
3. Buy something that is inexpensive. Submit a photo of the receipts with the scorecards. (I know you might not be able to actually buy something, but in that case please use this site to generate receipts https://makereceipt.com/ – it is IMPORTANT to have the receipts together with the store photo and the scorecard, otherwise the work can NOT be accepted)
4. Make the observations asked about in the Customer Service Marathon scorecard.
5. Complete the scorecards as soon as you can after leaving the location. Remember to fill out the name, location, date and time of visit, level of activity in the location, and item bought with amount spent. Also remember to add in the notes requested

Analysis:

1. Analyze all ten sets of scorecards. Do a statistical analysis of the results. Do charts of each question comparing your score from visit to visit based on that question. Average out your scores.
2. What do they tell you about the customer service and customer satisfaction at this location for this business?
   1. Does it look good or bad? Why?
   2. What are the strengths and weaknesses?
   3. What about the customer service that needs to be improved?
   4. What conclusions are you able to draw from visiting the same location multiple times?
   5. Is the service consistent or inconsistent? Why do you think that is?
   6. Do you think the customer service is the same at other locations?
   7. What would you do if you were them?
   8. Compare and contrast the two businesses.
3. Research – find three articles (from business publications) that discuss customer service from both a marketing and management perspective.
   1. Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions in the articles?
   2. What do the authors consider in utilizing strategic management principles to be the most important considerations to impact customer service, both from the consumer experience and the management of customer-centric employees? How were these points reflected in your experience
4. Select three references from the textbook about how to use strategic management to influence the customer experience.
5. Summarize what you learned from each article and reference. (Cite all six sources).

Report and Powerpoint presentation

1. Pull together the information requested. Use this information throughout your analysis. You need to make both a PowerPoint and also a word report
2. PowerPoint or Prezi Presentation Deck (summarize findings):
   1. Introduction & Overview
   2. Cover each of the information and analysis areas discussed above.
   3. What are the marketing, customer service, and strategic management concepts applicable to this project?
   4. What did you learn about customer service theory from a consumer perspective? Utilize marketing principles.
   5. What did you learn about customer service from the perspective of the organization managing and organizing customer-centric employees? Utilize management principles.
   6. Evaluate how a firm can create a customer-focused strategy across the organization and make it part of their strategic direction.
   7. Were your findings consistent with the conclusions of the articles and references you researched? Where did they differ?
   8. Conclusion: what specific customer service lessons did you learn from the project?

1. Report:
   1. 8 pages, single spaced.
   2. Sections (see instructions for what goes into each section)
      1. Introduction
      2. Project Details (why, how, who, what, when, where – emphasize why and how)
      3. Scorecards w/ Photos & Receipts
      4. Analysis:
         1. Analyze and explore the data gathered in your visits.
         2. Cover each of the information and analysis areas discussed above.
         3. Explore the marketing, customer service, and strategic management concepts applicable to this project that was summarized in the presentation deck.
         4. Make sure you use the research you did (3 references) and the principles from the text (3 references).
      5. Future work applications (3 well thought out ideas on what you would have done differently in the project)
      6. Conclusion
      7. Textbook: Strategic Management 4e, Rothaermel, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 978-1-259-92762.