Service Management

Over 75% of graduates currently find work in the service industries, but there are very few books that deal specifically with the subject of service management.

This third edition of Service Management: An Integrated Approach provides a comprehensive insight into the service management industry, exploring the nature and importance of services in today’s economies. Over 75 per cent of graduates currently find work in the service industries, but there are very few books that deal specifically with the subject of service management. Paul Gemmel, Bart Van Looy, and Roland Van Dierdonck delve into the question of how service firms can create value for their customers by relying on four D’s: Define, Design, Deliver and Develop service activities. The definition stage stresses the importance of being explicit about the value envisaged by service activities and anchoring this in a service concept. In line with this service concept, services need to be designed and delivered by integrating processes which involve service employees and customers alike. No single service concept – nor the implied service delivery system – is made to last forever. In the final part of the book, avenues that allow the development of the service concept in a sustainable manner are introduced.

Based on a series of research workshops with academics and practitioners at the Service Management Centre of the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School and at the Center for Service Intelligence of Ghent University, the authors have produced in-depth case studies and survey research to develop a thorough understanding of the specific challenges and issues of service management today. This third edition retains and builds on the original’s distinctive features:

• Real-life examples and short case descriptions
• Clear objectives and chapter summaries
• A guiding framework to translate the concepts into practice
• Selected reading list

In addition to this, the content has been expanded to reflect service industry advances in areas such as service blueprinting, service experience management, service branding, service innovation and servitisation.

Service Management is an invaluable resource for both students and practitioners who wish to gain an understanding of this wide-ranging subject.