Delifrance Service Firm Audit

Essay by zenith3111University, Bachelor'sA, September 2006

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325-662Services and Relationship

Marketing

DeborahHui.170623

AslinaRahim.173933

JoshuaLoe.179019

KimMcArthur.146989

4,284words

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Anthony Smith and the team at Delifrance for their support and assistance in preparing

this service audit report.

ExecutiveSummary

Delifrance operates in a highly competitive environment and must meet and exceed customer value

expectations if the business is to have a long-term future. To improve customer perceptions of value, both

pre and post-purchase, Delifrance must focus on the five dimensions of service quality:reliability,

responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles.

The Service Audit conducted by our team reveals that Delifrance needs to rectify a number of service

shortcomings that directly influence customer perception of value and satisfaction. These areas identified

include:reducing customer waiting and queuing times;lack of appropriate directional signage and cues for

customers, including pricing information;lack of behind-counter process for coffee ordering and delivery

to customers;and, the general cleanliness of the store.

SituationAnalysis

Delifrance is located on Bourke Street in Melbourne, close to RMIT.s

city campus and opposite the

Target Shopping Centre. This French-style cafébakery is situated in a highly competitive environment,

densely populated with numerous alternative providers. All of these businesses compete for the lunchtime

crowd that is the main staple of the city cafébusiness.

Subway, Delifrance.s main direct competitor is located next door. This franchise business prides itself in

it.s healthy .Eat Fresh. image and has well-developed production processes, customer and service provider

role scripts. Laurent Bakery has a very similar product offering to Delifrance and competes as an

upmarket French cafébakery. The main direct and indirect competitors are outlined in Appendix1.

Customer expectations of service quality at all caféand fast food environments have increased

significantly in the past decade, largely due to the emergence of franchise fast food businesses and their

process driven service factories.

Recently two social cultural trends have strongly influenced competitive...