Principles of Service Management
Your customers are your key resource. Explore a service-based approach to marketing and management that can better serve them.
11,008 enrolled on this course
Duration
5 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Principles of Service Management
Find out what the discipline of service management can do for your business
Today an increasing number of companies compete on service, not product. As a result, understanding a service-based approach to business is essential - even for product-based businesses.
On this course you’ll learn the latest thinking in service management, exploring a service-centric perspective to marketing and management. You’ll examine service as a business model, the value creation process, customer perceived quality and promise management.
Ultimately, you’ll discover how service-based thinking can help you better serve your customer, and overcome a range of business challenges.
Syllabus
Week 1
Service as a perspective on business
Welcome to the course!
A welcome from Professor Christian Grönroos and Professor Jaakko Aspara, an introduction to what we will cover in the course and to the educators, as well as the opportunity for you to introduce yourselves to each other.
Service as a business model
What does service mean in the context of a service perspective on business?
Customer value and value creation
What is customer value and how is it created?
Week 1 Wrap-Up
Weekly test and an opportunity to reflect on your learning.
Week 2
The importance of service orientation
How customers perceive quality
What does customer perceived quality mean and what implications does it have for management?
Service orientation and customer focus
How to focus on customers and how to avoid the strategic management trap?
Customer expectations management
How to successfully manage customer expectations?
Customer-focused marketing
How do service orientation and a true customer focus affect marketing?
Week 2 Wrap-Up
Weekly test and an opportunity to reflect on your learning.
Week 3
A profitable service business
How does the service profit work?
What is profit logic and how does a service profit logic differ from a manufacturing profit logic?
Managing customer promises
Marketing is about relationships with customers.
Service profitability
A look into the profitability and costs of customer relationships.
Reciprocal return on relationships (ROR)
How to increase profits through mutually beneficial business relationships.
Week 3 Wrap-Up
Weekly test and an opportunity to reflect on your learning.
Week 4
Managing a service business
Service productivity
Developing and maintaining a productive service business.
Internal marketing
Why is internal marketing important for a service business?
Customer-driven marketing communication
Marketing communication from a service perspective.
Service branding
Branding your service offering.
Week 4 Wrap-Up
Weekly test and an opportunity to reflect on your learning.
Week 5
From manufacturing to service
Managing a service culture
A service culture is fundamental for a service business.
Transforming manufacturing into a service business
How the adoption of a service logic will benefit your business.
Conclusions, guiding rules and barriers
Conclusion of the course content.
Week 5 Wrap-Up
Weekly test, an opportunity to reflect on your learning, and some concluding thoughts on the future of service management.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify and understand central theories, concepts and models within service management
- Apply relevant theories, concepts and models to common service management challenges
- Explore the relevance of and opportunities for service-based thinking in business operations
Who is the course for?
This course would be particularly relevant to business professionals and managers interested in the potential of adopting a service-based strategy, whether their firms are currently operating in an industrial or consumer context, or a manufactured goods or services context. It is also relevant for business students wishing to specialise in service management and marketing.
Who will you learn with?
Professor emeritus at Hanken School of Economics. Internationally respected specialist in service management. Received the honourary title Legend in Marketing for his research in service management.
Researcher and teacher at the Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management (CERS), Department of Marketing, Hanken School of Economics. Expert on service management and marketing.
Who developed the course?
Hanken School of Economics
Hanken is a triple crown accredited Finnish university with long experience in education and research in business. Located in Helsinki and Vaasa, Hanken has 2,500 students from all around the world.
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $134/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
| Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 17 Oct 2024 |
| Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
| Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Tests to check your learning | tick | tick | cross |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$134/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 17 Oct 2024
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 31 October 2024 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 31 October 2024 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
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- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
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Map your progress
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- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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