The customer contact model suggests that the proportion of time the customer is in contact with the service delivery system influences its efficiency. This is because the customer introduces uncertainty and inefficiency into the service delivery system. Thus, the design of a service delivery system should focus on separating those parts that involve customer contact from those that do not. Thus a critique of the customer contact model might be that it is not the amount of customer contact that decreases the efficiency of a service delivery system, but the amount of uncertainty that the customer is permitted to introduce to the service delivery system that lowers efficiency.

Please refer to your book for Customer Contact Matrix (see Fig. 5.3), pg. 83

Service-Product Bundle

Service – explicit service

• what the provider does for customer
• Psychological benefits – implicit service
• how customer feels after service
• Physical goods – facilitating goods
• used during service or received by customer
• Discussion Question: After watching the short video for Pike Fish, what customer contact model do they use? What process do they use for service recovery? You can also visit www.pikeplacefish.com.
• Discuss and interact with your fellow classmates: be professional, courteous and encouraging. In each discussion you will be asked to engage in critical discussions with your fellow classmates. Make a minimum of two substantive postings per week: one as your main contribution (due by 11:59PM, EST, Wednesday) to the discussion topic and one that responds to the posting(s) of other classmate(s) (due by 11:59PM, EST, Sunday. Please go beyond the “I agree” or “Great answer”; respectfully challenge one another’s assumptions, just as you would in a traditional class. Explain where you disagree, ask questions, make suggestions for improvement and discuss why you feel the way you do.

This is the Pike’s Fish video!