IMPORTANT: QUESTIONS ONE (1) TO FOUR (4) WILL BE BASED ON THE CASE STUDY BELOW

Most major cities in Asia have one stand out classic luxury hotel. Singapore has the Raffles, Bangkok has the Oriental, Hong Kong has the Peninsula, Rangoon has the Strand and Penang has the Eastern & Oriental. In Kuala Lumpur (KL), The Majestic is a hotel that was built in 1932 on a site facing KL's famous old moghul-style railway station. The German Consul's official residence and gardens used to occupy this plot until World War 1.

The hotel was once the top hotel in town and hosted many swanky parties and glamorous wedding receptions. Famous actors, singers, artists and writers used to stay here.

A separate annex is set aside for smokers with its own bar, a pool table, private dining room, a card room and a cigar lounge. They also have a screening room which is a mini-cinema with comfy armchairs. A unique feature of the hotel is the Orchid Conservatory with its beautiful selection of orchids. There is also a Drawing Room and a Reading Room which both look wonderful.

As you would expect of a hotel of this standard, they have a luxurious spa with its own swimming pool overlooking the railway station. There is another swimming pool for hotel guests.

Having said that, it is within walking distance of top tourist attractions like the Old Railway Station, the State Mosque, the Islamic Arts Museum, Police Museum and, somewhat further, the Lake Gardens.

The hotel provides shuttle buses (or "luxury coaches" as the hotel calls them) for guests to KL Sentral and Starhill Gallery (Bukit Bintang), so getting around should not be a problem.

Sourced from: M. (2018, September 14). Majestic Hotel: Set to become KL's best? Retrieved from https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2018/09/15/majestic-hotel-set-to-becomekls-best/

QUESTION 1

Based on M.E. Sharpe's (2006) work on marketing efforts in services, the Services Marketing Triangle is used to project marketing activities towards three components, namely customers, providers and the organization. Elaborate and discuss the Services Marketing triangle and how it can be used on a hotel like the Majestic Hotel(15 marks)

QUESTION 2

As in the case discussed, it is seen that the hotel industry is a service oriented industry. In services marketing, it is known that services are different from goods. State the FIVE (5) unique characteristics of a service, as compared to physical goods. (15 marks)

QUESTION 3

Assume that you are the new Marketing Manager of the Majestic Hotel. State TWO (2) ways on how advancements in IT may help the Majestic Hotel communicate their services to prospective customers. (10 marks)

QUESTION 4

Based on the case discussed, state any FIVE (5) unique selling points (USP) of the hotel. (10 marks)

QUESTION 5

a) A service setting, sometimes called a servicescape, includes all aspects of the physical environment in which the service provider and customer interact. Discuss the THREE (3) main dimensions in the Serviscescape Model (15 marks)

b) The Three-Stage Model of Service Consumption is a model to explain the consumption process when dealing with services. The three stages involved are namely the Pre-purchase Stage, the Service Encounter Stage and the Post-encounter Stage. In the Service Encounter Stage, one common framework used to capture the stage is known as the Servuction Model/Framework. State and explain a service's invisible and visible elements as mentioned by the Servuction Model/Framework. (10 marks)

QUESTION 6

The service concept is denoted by a core product and its supplementary services. A popular notion in describing supplementary service elements is by using the Flower of Service framework. Based on your understanding of the Flower of Service framework, explain the EIGHT (8) petals denoting the supplementary aspects of the service provided by a restaurant of your choice. Use examples for each petal. (25 marks)

QUESTION 7

a) A service product comprises all elements of service performance, both tangible and intangible, that create value for customers. State the THREE (3) classifications of service products. Please provide examples for each classification. (9 marks)

b) Branding is a process that is important in creating a distinct name and image for a product in the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding has a significant importance to both the buyer and seller of a service or physical good. State FOUR (4) benefits of branding to the buyer and the seller of a service or physical good. (8 Marks)

c) State any THREE (3) benefits of using social media to introduce a service product. (3 marks)

QUESTION 8

Global service companies such as American Express and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) measure customer satisfaction often to maintain excellent service quality. Assume that you are the new Marketing Manager of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). You are interested in using the SERVQUAL scale to measure the service quality in your firm. State the FIVE (5) key dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale. (15 marks)

QUESTION 9

The service economy is changing rapidly all over the world. It is seen that global economic leaders such as China and the United States of America are reducing its focus on manufacturing and attempts to revamp toward a service-based economy. State any FOUR (4) powerful force that is transforming service markets. (15 marks)