Fundamentals of Service (MHR202)

Customer service is a multifaceted phenomenon that involves a wide range of stakeholders in the creation of mutually beneficial outcomes.

In this course, students will learn about the concepts, characteristics, social and cultural components, philosophical and social theories, evaluating and choosing strategies, examining some of the business models (BM) and service design aspects of service.

Also, the participants will learn how to evaluate different incidents (ex: customer interactions) using video content, case studies, articles from real-world services in this service business and management course.

You will learn about the paradoxical nature of customer connections and how to choose right strategies, examining proper business model and services design from a cultural viewpoint via cases from of a variety of services.


Course description for study year 2024-2025. Please note that changes may occur.

Facts

Course code

MHR202

Version

1

Credits (ECTS)

10

Semester tution start

Autumn

Number of semesters

1

Exam semester

Autumn

Language of instruction

English

Content

  • What is Customer Service ?
  • Challenges of customer service
  • Problem Solving
  • Strategy for Formulating a plan for success
  • Empowerment
  • Communication in Customer Service
  • Coping With Challenging Customers
  • Motivation
  • Leadership in customer service
  • Customer Retention and Measurement of Satisfaction
  • Technology and Customer Service
  • Excellence in Customer Service

Learning outcome

After taking this course, students will be able to better understand and orient themselves to the relevant courses in our service leadership programme, as well as learn to analyze workplace problems and produce certain strategies. It may be helpful for some of the attendees to develop their own businesses or services from a holistic perspective.

Knowledge:

After completing this course, the student has:

  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge and specialized insight into the domain of customer service culture and promote a radical perspective that can be innovatively applied to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty."
  • Acquire a thorough knowledge of fundamental service concepts, terminologies, and theories with the ability to apply this knowledge innovatively to address new challenges in the academic field."
  • Develop advanced skills in interpreting and critically analyzing different sources of customer interactions, such as body language and other nonverbal cues, in order to make scholarly arguments and independently contribute to solving practical problems in service organizations.
  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge and specialized insight into linking service strategies to financial outcomes by applying analytical skills to evaluate the impact of service decisions on the financial performance of the organization in a specific domain.
  • Acquire advanced skills in conducting comprehensive internal, external, macro-, and micro-strategic analysis and demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and synthesise information for strategic decision-making in businesses."
  • Demonstrate advanced skills in creating value propositions and critically analyzing various business model examples, and apply this knowledge to propose innovative strategies in academic and professional contexts."How to think about and design single or multiple services
  • Develop advanced thinking and design skills for single or multiple services and demonstrate the ability to independently analyze, conceptualise, and create innovative service offerings in academic and professional contexts."

Skills:

After completing this course, the student can

  • Use evidence-based knowledge to solve service design challenges.
  • Apply advanced theories and methods to evaluate service culture processes.
  • Design new services and implement his or her innovative ideas to reach ultimate value creation goals

General Competence:

After completing this course, the student can

  • Analyze and formulate problem statements concerning service culture and design challenges, including the ethical issues involved.
  • Make a collaboration in a team or group in a way to support the innovation process and new service design thinking.

Required prerequisite knowledge

None

Exam

Home exam and oral exam

Form of assessment Weight Duration Marks Aid
Home exam, individually or in groups 60/100 7 Days Letter grades All
Oral exam, individual 40/100 15 Minutes Letter grades None permitted

Take home exam individually or up to 4 in a group.

Coursework requirements

Compulsory assignments

Each student must complete and pass three course assignments. All three course assignments must be passed in order to take the written home exam, and the oral exam.

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Huseyin Arasli

Method of work

Weekly 3-hour classes throughout the semester.

Active student learning by means of short seminars, case discussions, dialogues, and presentations.

Open for

Master students in Service leadership in International business program, master students on incoming exchange and other master students from UiS when vacant places.

Course assessment

There must be an early dialogue between the course supervisor, the student union representative and the students. The purpose is feedback from the students for changes and adjustments in the course for the current semester.In addition, a digital subject evaluation must be carried out at least every three years. Its purpose is to gather the students experiences with the course.

Literature

The syllabus can be found in Leganto