The service delivery process.

Abstract

This chapter takes a pragmatic approach to the theories surrounding the service concept, service quality and managing services. It begins with a discussion on the background to the topic and outlines some of the external issues influencing organizations operating in the eating-out market. It then focuses on the service delivery processes of the hospitality industry with a specific focus on the fast-food and fast-casual dining sectors. It goes on to explore the importance of the customer experience and how this is influenced through the 'servicescape'. The chapter then discusses relevant quality management theory and investigates how some of the quality control techniques can be applied in the service environment. The role technology plays in the service delivery is also discussed in this chapter with a particular emphasis on self-service technologies (SSTs). Real-world examples from the hospitality industry are included throughout to demonstrate the importance of service delivery and process design.

“From the lease’s point of view”: the role of tied leases in shaping the UK pub sector

“…Finally, the PubCo could buy a premises and appoint a salaried manager. Indeed, this is a model that is used routinely in much of the sector and dominates the largest pub-chains in the UK, such as Wetherspoons [19]. There are varieties of salaried management, going from fixed annual salaries, to more complex arrangements where the pub manager can receive a share of the establishment's turnover [20].…”