Problem
A. Give five reasons research objectives must be established before customer research is conducted.
B. Why are both qualitative and quantitative research methods needed in a service marketing research program?
C. Why does the frequency of research differ across the research methods shown in Exhibit 5.1?
D. Compare and contrast the types of research that help a company identify common failure points (see column 2 in Exhibit 5.1). Which of the types do you think produces better information? Why?
E. In what situations does a service company need requirements research?
F. What reasons can you give for companies' lack of use of research information? How might you motivate managers to use the information to a greater extent? How might you motivate frontline workers to use the information?
G. Given a specific customer research budget, what would be your recommendations for the percentage to be spent on customer research versus upward communication? Why?
H. What kinds of information could be gleaned from research on intermediate customers? What would intermediate customers know that service providers might not?
I. For what types of products and services would research on the Internet be preferable to traditional research?