This clear, accessible book presents an integrated approach to the study of services that places marketing issues within a broader general management context. It emphasizes the fact that service organizations differ in many important respects from manufacturing businesses, requiring a distinctive approach to planning and implementing marketing strategy. The text includes a strong managerial orientation and strategic focus, use of memorable and conceptual frameworks, references to both recent and classic research findings, use of interesting examples linking theory to practice, and nine classroom-tested cases. Key chapters define services and their importance to the economy, focus on understanding service processes, explore technology and service design and delivery, and look at marketing's role in the service firm. For service managers facing varied challenges in different service settings. - from Amzon