The 7Ps Of The Extended Marketing Mix

On top of the 4Ps, which were gone over in the previous post, the 7Ps additional three are designed to augment the marketing mix and make it more relevant to the service industry, which is expected to deliver more than physical products:

Physical evidence: People like to see something and have something tangible to hold after they pay for something, even if what they have paid for is a service rendered. This doesn't have to be anything big or spectacular, and usually something as simple as a receipt, certificate or official notice will be enough to placate the customer and reassure them that a service was performed.

Process: When performing a service it is not just about the action you are paying for, but the overall experience that went into the securing of the service. Process is simply the way in which the service is attained and can include things such as the luxuriousness of a waiting room, the number of tellers available, available reading material, the speed of the service, etc. Naturally, process also includes how the service is carried out, but it is a combination of both, the 'overall service' that will truly influence a customers opinion of the business, if any one element is lacking or inefficient, then that disappointment will likely be transferred onto the other.

People: A service cannot be enacted without people to carry it out and these people cannot simply be good at their jobs. When someone carries out a service and is interacting with a customer, it doesn't matter how efficient they are, if they're abrasive, lecherous, look or smell unclean, etc. then the service will be tarnished. It is important to remember that every company representative is just that, they embody the company and for the duration of the service, in the eyes of the customer they are the company.

This is why it is important for employees to hold the values of a business and remember that when dealing with customers or clients that they have the power to make or break the business's reputation in the eyes of the customer. In fact there are many recorded instances of poor services being redeemed by good service providers, who has been able to turn disgruntled customers into happy, loyal ones.