Process Mix in services marketing

The process element in the extended marketing mix (7Ps) refers to the series of actions, operations, or steps involved in delivering a service to the customer. It encompasses everything from initial customer interaction to post-service support and plays a vital role in ensuring service quality and efficiency (Lovelock & Wirtz, 2011). The process mix in the marketing mix of services refers to the design and management of these steps or activities to ensure that the service is delivered efficiently, effectively, and consistently to meet the needs and expectations of customers.

Components of the Process Mix

• Service Blueprinting: A detailed diagram that visualizes service delivery from the customer's viewpoint, identifying front-stage and back-stage activities. It helps identify potential fail points and opportunities for improvement.
• Customer Involvement: Many services require active customer participation (e.g., online banking, ATM use), making it essential that processes are customer-centric and user-friendly.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): SOPs are formalized guidelines that ensure uniform performance, especially in multi-location service firms like hotels and restaurants.
• Automation and Technology Integration: Digitalization through self-service kiosks, chatbots, or mobile apps increases efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of the service process.
• Queue Management Systems: Effective queue systems reduce perceived waiting time, enhancing service satisfaction. Techniques such as priority queues or virtual lines are widely adopted in retail and healthcare settings.
• Service Recovery Processes: Robust procedures for handling service failures are essential for maintaining customer trust. A well-designed recovery process can even increase customer satisfaction post-failure.

Strategies for Managing the Process Mix:

• Blueprinting and Process Mapping: Blueprinting and process mapping are analytical tools used to visually represent and analyze the flow of service delivery from the customer’s and provider’s perspectives. These tools help identify all customer touchpoints, frontstage (visible) and backstage (invisible) service actions, and support systems. They are crucial for detecting inefficiencies, service gaps, and potential points of failure in the delivery process. A hospital might use a service blueprint to map a patient’s journey from admission to discharge, helping staff identify delays during diagnostics or consultation and redesign the process for better patient care.
• Lean Service Design: Lean service design applies lean thinking principles to service operations, focusing on eliminating non-value-adding activities and improving overall service efficiency. It enhances speed, reduces cost, and ensures value creation from the customer’s perspective by streamlining processes and continuously improving them. This strategy emphasizes minimal waste, customer-centricity, and optimal resource use. A retail bank may apply lean principles to reduce the time required for loan processing by removing duplicate verification steps and automating form submissions, leading to faster approvals and improved customer experience.
• Standardization vs. Customization: Standardization involves delivering services through uniform procedures and practices, while customization refers to tailoring services to individual customer needs. Standardization ensures consistency, efficiency, and brand uniformity, ideal for routine, high-volume services. Customization, on the other hand, is more suited to complex, variable services where personal interaction and adaptation are required. While McDonald's uses standardized processes to deliver the same product experience worldwide, a management consulting firm customizes its services based on each client’s strategic needs.