Many recent studies suggest that undergraduate education needs to be more effective. Accordingly, individuals involved in higher education continue to search for ways to improve student learning. This article describes a team-based experiential learning project that integrates three marketing courses: principles of marketing, principles of selling, and sales management. Working in teams, students in the principles of marketing course develop new product concepts and create corresponding marketing promotional materials for use in a mock trade show. Students from the personal selling and sales management courses, also working in teams, attend the trade show to identify and select products they wish to use to complete a sales call exercise. This project provides students an opportunity to work in teams and combine their efforts with teams from other courses to successfully complete their respective experiential exercises. The article includes students' reactions to the project and steps for implementation. Inanefforttoascertainthemosteffectivemethodsforlearn-ing, universities across the country are experimenting with a variety of innovative techniques. While scholars may differ in their opinions of which methods are most effective, most agree that the traditional lecture format is not the most effective method for today's classroom. In an article that focuses on the shift from teaching to learning, Guskin (1994) suggests that "the primary learning environment for undergraduate students, the fairly passive lecture-discussion format where faculty talk and most students listen, is contrary to almost every principle of optimal settings for student learning" (p. 20). While it is noted that lectures have a place in the learning environment, it is clear that lectures alone are not the most effective pedagogy for universities. The importance of using cooperative experiential learning projects has received a significant amount of attention in the marketing education literature (Dommeyer 1986;Graeff 1997;Titus and Petroshius 1993;Williams, Beard, and Rymer 1991). There are many opportunities in the marketing curriculum to develop term projects that can provide practical experience for students. These projects range from designing promotional campaigns for existing companies to designing and implementing marketing research studies.The purpose of this article is to describe an experiential learning project that has been used successfully to integrate the efforts of three marketing undergraduate courses and to present student reactions to its implementation. Students in principles of marketing classes develop a new business-tobusiness product (good or service) and develop a marketing strategy to fit the product. Their communication plans include the design of a trade show booth that is exhibited in a mock trade show. Students from sales management courses and personal selling courses choose products from the trade show to use in their semester selling projects.

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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the variables most often associated with customer dissatisfaction and to discern which variables result in customer defection. Identification of these variables can aid managers as they develop strategies to prevent their occurrence.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study examined customer service dissatisfaction from a respondent group of customer service representatives employed by a call center. These employees deal with customers as their exclusive job function and are trained to correct customer concerns. The customer service respondents were surveyed and asked to list their top service complaints. From this list they were also asked to indicate the top ranked poor service issue that would cause them, as customers, to defect and select a competitor to provide a substitute product or service.FindingsResults of the study parallel those in other customer dissatisfaction research and indicate interesting characteristics of customer dissatisfaction arising from service failure. Interestingly, the top four categories (rude employees/poor attitudes; overall poor service; employees socializing and not paying attention to customers; and slow service) were noted most often as service problems by respondents and also ranked as the top reasons for defection. Areas for future research are also considered.Practical implicationsBy understanding and anticipating poor service delivery, managers can regard these complaint categories as critical market research information. In addition, such information may help managers anticipate customer needs. They can re‐structure service experiences and train employees to avoid problem behaviors and actions.Originality/valueWhile past research has focused on end‐user customers and their dissatisfaction, this research considers the opinions of consumers who are trained in, and work in, customer service.

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Retaining students is a critical topic in higher education. A plethora of research has investigated demographic, age, life stage, ethnicity, and a host of other variables that influence retention. Colleges have responded to retention issues with a host of classes, workshops, and orientation or mentoring programs to aid student retention. Specifically, this study compares the retention concerns of high school students considering college vs the concerns of existing college students in a variety of degree programs to see if factors vary over time. Using a case study approach, the study found three key variables associated with retention problems. The discussion and conclusions identify ways for colleges to alter both marketing and assistance programs for both groups. Suggestions for replication and areas for future research as well as implications for policy directions are included.