Question

- Explain the Flower of Service concept and identify each of its petals. Select a specific service product you are familiar with and identify its core product and supplementary services. Select a competing service and analyse the differences between the two in terms of the core product and supplementary services

Answer 1

THE FLOWER SERVICE CONCEPT WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTOPHER LOVELOCK. HE DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN ENHANCING AND FACILITATING THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES. HE CLASSIFIED THESE SERVICES INTO 8 PETALS NAMELY: INFORMATION, BILLING, ORDER TAKING, PAYMENT, SAFEKEEPING, CONSULTATION, HOSPITALITY, EXCEPTION, SAFEKEEPING. THE FIRST FOUR ARE KNOWN AS THE FACILITATING SERVICES WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR THE CORE DELIVERY. WHILE THE LAST FOUR ARE KNOWN AS THE ENHANCING SERVICES WHICH ADD MORE VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS.

A SPECIFIC SERVICE PRODUCT WE KNOW IS GOOGLE WHOSE CORE PRODUCT WAS A SEARCH ENGINE AND NOW THE SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES ARE GOOGLE DOCS, GOOGLE DRIVE, GOOGLE ANALYTICS ETC.

YAHOO IS ONE OF THE COMPETITORS OF GOOGLE'S CORE PRODUCT BUT THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THE NUMBER OF AUDIENCES BOTH HAVE. YAHOO HAVE A LESSER NUMBER AS COMPARED TO GOOGLE. COMING ON TO SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES, THOUGH GOOGLE PROVIDES MORE SERVICES BUT IT STILL CANNOT BEAT SOME SERVICES OF YAHOO LIKE YAHOO FINANCE, FLICKR, YAHOO Q& A, AND ENTERTAINMENT. GOOGLE PROVIDED GOOGLE + AS ITS SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES WHEREAS YAHOO HAD TUMBLR AND FLICKR.