Individual Written Essay (15%) Service Encounter The purpose of this assignment is for you to understand and evaluate service encounters from your own perspective as a customer as well as from the perspective of a services marketing scholar. The assignment is limited to 1,000 words (using double spacing, 12 font, Times New Roman) (excluding references, exhibits). Based on your VISIT TO A CLINIC (PHYSICIAN) or A RIDE ON A PUBLIC TRANSPORT, you are required to describe ANY ONE (1) of the TWO services experiences: 1. Your BEST service encounter (a clinic or public transport that is doing an excellent overall job of services marketing) OR 2. Your WORST service encounter (a clinic or public transport that has the worst service of any you encountered) We all have a number of such encounters every day, including (but not limited to) restaurants, hair salons, banks, airlines, travel agents, doctors, phone companies, libraries and education institutions. Keep a record of your services encounters either visits to clinics or riding public transports that you have had in the past few months. The purpose is for you to identify important issues that cause customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with services. Consider these factors in recoding and evaluating your service encounters: (This list is not exhaustive!!!) • Type of company and service provided • Level of involvement • Circumstances that influence this encounter • What was your level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction based on? • What did the firm/employee say or do? • What made you feel that way? For your best service encounter – Discuss what this organisation does that makes it successful. For your worst service encounter – Diagnose the problem(s) with the service and recommend important action(s) management should take to improve the service. In both cases you are required to take account of at least TWO services marketing concepts and theories that are relevant to explain the issues (example: decision making process, services characteristics, 7 Ps, marketing environment, positioning strategy, Servuction Framework, Theatre Framework etc.) The paper is evaluated based on the depth and substance of your observation and your ability to apply relevant services marketing concepts and theories. There are no rules regarding the format of your paper. However, where theory is cited references should be provided and topic headings could be used to guide the reader through the key themes as they relate to each service encounter. Assignment format This assignment must be typed written with the following criteria: 10 • Time News Roman font, sized 12 and double line spacing. • Length: 1,000 words (plus minus 10%); exclusive of reference list, tables, charts, illustrations. Marks will be deducted for insufficient/excessive length. • Please include the word count at the end of your assignment. • Number all the pages of your assignment. Staple all the pages (binding is not required). • The assignment should also contain references from relevant books, journals, articles from newspapers and/or magazines. • The Harvard Referencing guidelines are to be followed and plagiarised work will be penalised. Arrange the pages in the following order: 1. Marking rubric (see Appendix) 2. Content of the assignment 3. Reference list 4. Appendixes