Service transaction analysis: assessing and improving the customer’s experience

Describes a service design technique that allows managers to systematically analyse the quality of their service processes at a detailed, or transaction level, from a customer’s perspective. Following a review of alternative approaches the author argues for an approach which combines four critical elements; the service concept, the service process, transaction quality assessment, and messages ‐ the customer’s interpretation of the service. Two case studies are used to illustrate the simplicity yet power of the technique. The key benefits of this technique are that it instils a “customer orientation” in managers and staff and encourages managers to “engineer” their service processes by identifying the root causes of transactions which do not accord with the organisation’s intentions.