Business and Services Marketing: Yo Shusi

Business and Services Marketing: Yo Shusi

Question 1: Analysis of the theatre analogy

The operation at Yo! Shushi (YS) fits perfectly into the theatre analogy. YS is in the hotel industry. The staff and the customers at YS form the actors and audience of the theatre. The staff at YS must are trained to be immaculate in their performance during the service encounter. A successful service encounter is critical for the creation of a repeat customer. Service encounter is said to have occurred at the point where the customer directly interacts with a service. Service encounter may include personal exchange between the customer and the service or an impersonal interaction between the customer and technology or equipment.

Evidently, service encounters at YS happens at both levels. That is to say, the customers interact directly with the servers who are the main actors in the restaurant. These main actors are supported by a cast of chefs who work behind the scenes to design and deliver the food that has been ordered by the customer (Wilson et al., 2012). The second level comprises the customers’ interaction with the ordering system and the conveyer belt. This service encounter allows the customers to take charge of their own orders by picking them off the conveyer belt system.

Similar to a theatre play in which the success of the play depends on the acumen of the actor, at YS the success of the restaurant is pegged on the service experience afforded to the customers by the servers. The servers at YS strive at portraying desirable impression before their audience (customers). The servers play their role with a high level of excellence understanding that their dedication to service performance will yield either satisfaction or dissatisfaction on the part of the audience (consumers). The servers being the people at the point of contact between the customer and the service present themselves as well groomed individuals with a demeanour that imparts good attitude and mood to their audience.

The skill of the servers and chefs at YS is reflected in their courtesy, knowledge, communication, and competence. This is seen at that point, where servers ask their customers as to whether they are virgins, regulars, or regulars, or ambassadors. The sole purpose for asking this question rests in the desire of the servers to afford best and quality service to the customers tailored to respond to the specific type of customers. For instance, new customers (virgins) are given an orientation by the servers whose role allows them to explain the working of the whole system from ordering to paying for the meals at YS.

Another semblance between a theatre and the service at YS rests in the fact that the customers at YS are expected to contribute towards the creation of a positive service encounter. The customers are expected to place their order and pick their food from the conveyer belt. Additionally, customers are also expected to order special meals that are not on the menu by talking to the servers. Without the customer’s participation then the service performance will not be complete (Lovelock & Gummesson, 2004). Moreover, both the servers and the customers at YS follow a service script. This script outlines the sequence of behaviour that the customers and servers must abide by. The servers and chefs are trained on their role while customers are expected to learn their role via experience.

However, unlike the typical theatre where the support and production cast are hidden at the back stage, the YS’s backstage is open to the public. The kitchen represents the production centre. The audience is allowed to see the happenings at the backstage. They get to see how the chefs are working on designing and cooking their foods. This gives the customers a unique experience. Customers whose food choices are not listed on the menu can order through the servers. The servers then communicate the orders to the chefs (production team) who work on cooking the desired meal. Once the meal is ready, the chefs can then deliver the cooked meal to customers seated around the kitchen table or give the dish to a server who will then deliver it to the customer.

The theatre analogy provides insight into the consumer and employee behaviour by mapping them out as audience and actor in a theatre, which is the setting of the play (service delivery). Successful service delivery depends on the performance of both the actor (employees) and the audience (customers). The employees must endeavour to put up the best show by offering the best service and selling a variety of meals and dishes to their audience. Additionally, the audience expects the theatre (restaurant) to give them special offers and capture their interest by introducing new deals and dishes.

Question 2: What are the implications of viewing consumers as co-producers in the service process at Yo! Sushi?

The implication of viewing the consumer as a co-producer in the service process at YS is huge. The customer is seen as a co-producer because he partakes in the service delivery process. The customer plays an active role in ensuring that the service flows in the intended direction. It is the role of the customer to select a correct dish and drink from the menu. Supposing the food a customer desires is missing on the menu then the customer is expected to raise a special order with a server who will in turn communicate the wishes of the customer to the chefs. The chefs will work with speed to deliver the desired dish in record time. In this instance, the customer is a co-producer because it is his demand that has set the whole wheel of service on motion.

Another instance where customers are seen as co-producer is during the service delivery process. The customers are expected to use the technology based self-service system. They are also expected to maintain open communication with the servers. The customers are also expected to tolerate little shortcomings that might occur in the course of the service delivery process (Bateson, 1989). However, they are also expected to communicate their major grievances to the management by mail. This feedback mechanism is important as it helps the management of YS to respond to the needs of the customers and improve service delivery. In this instance, the customer is seen to have partaken in the process of value creation and has thus acted as a co-producer.

The third implication of viewing a customer as a co-producer relates to the customers ability to promote and advertise the restaurant to friend s and family. Once a customer’s need is met by a service provider, such a customer might end up becoming a regular at the restaurant (Jacoby & Oslon, 1986). The regulars at YS are rightfully called ambassadors because they not only frequent the eatery but also advertise YS to their friends through positive word of mouth and reviews. By so doing, the customers are acting as co-producers working on producing demand for YS’s service and product offering.

The work of a co-producer is to work with his or her colleague to ensure that the production exceeds expectations. In this regard, the customers at YS are expected to cooperate with the employees in ensuring that the service encounter and delivery is of high quality (Bitner, 1990). As a co-producer, the new visitor has to reach out to the other co-producer (server) who will explain to the new customer how the whole system works. The repeat customer on the other hand must keep himself abreast with the changes and innovations happening at YS.

Q3: From the information in the case study, identify what constitutes quality at Yo! Sushi. How could it be managed and measured across the Yo! Sushi chain of restaurants?

Every aspect of YS is designed to mirror and reflect excellence. The management at YS appreciates the fact that customers come into the restaurant expecting to get value for their money. Additionally, the management is alive to the fact that customer satisfaction is crucial for the success of the business. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) define service quality as the discrepancy between customer expectations of a service offering and the actual service offered (Langevin, 1988). Accordingly, the service quality is evaluated and judged by the customer. It is also assumed that the perception of service quality precedes the actual satisfaction (Caruana, 2002). Various components make up service quality (Berry, 1986). Evidently, all these components work together to constitute what is seen as service quality by the customers. The dimensions or components of service quality include the tangibles, reliability of the server, empathy from the part of the server, assurance from the eatery, and responsiveness of the server.

YS has erected and implemented all these service dimensions and they can be used by their customers to evaluate the quality of service offered. Customers encounter numerous tangibles when they enter into any YS Restaurant. For instance, the conveyer system is a perfect example of a tangible asset that the customers can use to evaluate YS’s quality. When there is food going around the conveyer belt, the customer can assume that the kitchen staffs are maintaining the speed that characterizes eatery. The GAPS model can also be used to check the discrepancy between expected and actual service offerings. SERVQUAL as a measuring tool can be applied to measure the quality of the service offered at YS (Hoffman, & Bateson, 2009).

The reliability dimension can be evaluated by looking at how the eatery keeps to its promises. Repeat customers at YS expect the restaurant to deliver quality meals and services. They also expect the servers to deliver the service quickly without compromising on the quality of the service offering. The customers are also concerned with the responsiveness of the employees. Whenever a customer misses an item from the menu, he is expected to raise the issue with a server who will then communicate the order to the chef who will in turn act on the order and come up with a dish that meets the customer’s wishes. New customers also need much help in getting to understand the system at YS. Once a server realizes that the customer he or she is attending to is a “virgin” (first-time visitor), it is his obligation to orientate the customer and brief him or her on the workings of the system from ordering to billing. The next service dimension touches on the aspect of assurance; customers always want to feel assured that their needs will be met (Kurtz & Clow, 1998). At YS, the employees have been trained on how to be courteous and competent when dealing with the customers. Additionally, Customers desire to feel that the servers show empathy. First impression matters a lot. Matter of fact, visitors will either be retained or repelled by the service they encounter during their first visit at a food joint. YS’s management appreciates the importance of customer retention and as thus, they ensure that they respond to all grievances raised by the customers (Wilson et al, 1989).

Cronin &Taylor (1992) assert that there is a relationship, which exists between service quality, purchase intention, and customer satisfaction. This means that when a customer comes to a place like YS and encounters poor service quality, he or she might decide not to purchase the service or might persevere through the first purchase but might never return to the restaurant. Grönroos (1984) points out that service quality is made up of both the functional and technical dimension. SERVQUAL is a measurement tool used to measure service quality (Hill & Alexander, 2006). There is a marked difference between perceived and objective quality. According to Garvin (1983), market researchers and consumers define quality using different parameters. Perceived quality is the consumer’s definition of service quality while objective quality is the quality as defined by market researchers (Holbrook & Corfman, 1985).

Managing and measuring service quality is a taunting task (Zeithaml, 1985). The GAPS model can be used to determine the reasons behind service quality shortfalls. This model shows the potential gaps existing between the expected and perceived levels of service delivery in five key areas. For YS, the service quality can be managed through all its chains by establishing a standard by which all employees are supposed to abide by when offering their services to their customers. The service quality can be assessed and monitored by applying the SERVQUAL measurement tool (Carman, 1990). The gaps discovered from the analysis of the service at different branches can then be addressed.

Q4: Critically analyse the capacity and demand issues that Yo! Sushi faces. How might it manage these issues

YS faces multiple capacity and demand issues. The seating capacity at YS is primarily determined by the available space. The available space at YS is majorly used for the construction of dining area for the customers. Only a small portion is left for the offices. The Kitchen is placed in an open area and the customers get a unique opportunity of seeing what is happening at the kitchen area. Additionally, customers are allowed to sit on a counter table that faces the kitchen. This layout maximizes on the available floor space ensuring that as many customers are seated at one particular time.

The ability of the eatery to offer quick services also plays an important role in ensuring that as many customers are served per day. The average time taken by a diner visiting YS is pegged at about 45 minutes. This is the amount of time a customer spends between placing an order and paying his or her bill. However, most of the customers spend lesser amount of time. Some come to the restaurant to “refill and run.” Busy businesspersons and other workers stop by the eatery for a quick bite before going back to work. Additionally, the restaurant also offer “Yo to go”, this is a take-away alternative for those not willing to dine at the restaurant.

The restaurant opens its doors to different classes of diners who may include couples, singles, families, or groups. The eatery serves food and drinks tailored to meet the demand of any group of diners. The popularity of YS among its ambassadors earns the restaurant franchise many repeat customers who often come along with new customers or virgins. YS is continuously expanding its restaurant outlets to be able to deal with the growing demands.

Whenever YS is opening a new outlet in a new environment, the management always utilize forecasted numbers to be able to come up with an ideal outlet. Before setting up the outlet, the management must know the expected number and type of diners (Parasuraman et al, 1996). They should also get estimate of the expected weekly demand. These measurements will help the design time in designing a restaurant that will adequately serve the target market.

The ambiance and decor at YS serve to attract one of the three main categories of customers. The customer categories include the urban intelligence that are attracted by the fun and cool design of the restaurant. The second group comprises of the symbols of success who are the households that enjoy eating out. Both the urban intelligence and symbols of success constitute the biggest percentage of those who frequent YS. These two groups appreciate the speed of service and the freshness of the food served at YS. The third group are the Welfare borderline; these associate with the restaurant because they are allowed to self- select their own meal pricing.

The design of the floor space is also ideal .The central kitchen is encircled by a counter where the customers sit. The counter has a conveyor belt system on which the chefs keep loading food. This system takes off the pressure of work from the servers. The pricing system is also designed to ease the burden of having to bill all the diners. The entire process that runs from the time a diner orders food to the time the diner leaves the eatery is meant to take the shortest time possible.

The short dwell time that takes about 45 minutes enables the eatery to serve as many customers as possible. The restaurant’s success stems from the fact that it opens chains in different locations and that most of these outlets are unique to the setting and location of the restaurant. Whenever the management see a need, they do their very best tom meet it. The customers at YS are the number one priority and the management has conditioned the employees to respond to the needs of the customers within the shortest time possible.

 

 

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