Various factors affecting services marketing are as follows:
1) Size and Structure of the Firm: Usually, several service providers are specialized and work on a small scale such as lawyers, plumbers, accountants, carpenter, etc. Previously, they served the local community. Moreover, there was no need to employ marketing experts in these firms as the competition was not much, operation size was limited, and they served only the local community.
2) Restrictions by Regulatory Bodies: Several service providers were limited by the regulatory bodies. At present, restrictions are imposed by the regulatory bodies for curbing the quantity and the kind of advertising, especially in the arena of medical and legal professions. Rules and regulations also curb the trade activities of the charitable services and the public sectors.
3) Expansion of Service Sector: The expansion of the service sector like banking, hospitality, tourism, etc., has led to novel ideas of marketing. Novel technologies and thoughts are provoked with the advancement of the service sector. Marketing is responsible for the advancement and achievement of service sectors in several respects. The service sector is designed today as per the consumers; it is catering to the market’s actual needs and not to die perceived ideas about the same.
4) Features of Services: Depending upon the features of the services such as intangible, undividable, heterogeneous, and perishable, the marketing strategies have to be devised. Based on these variations, the assorted market strategies have to be planned by highlighting those features that the consumers consider significant.
5) Customer-Employee Interaction: In the marketing of services, it is important to establish a good relationship with the customers. Hence, soft skills and business etiquettes play a significant role in the marketing of the services. A few more related concepts which have come out recently are relationship marketing and internal marketing. These ideas are widely accepted in conventional marketing and are also used beyond the marketing of the services.
6) Service Quality: The quality of the services and the programs for rendering quality services also play a crucial role in services marketing. The marketing of the services has emphasized improving the quality of the services based on a better understanding of what is considered to be ‘quality services* by the customers.
7) Particular Service Sectors: Recently, a few particular services have attracted the interests of marketers, specifically the professional services and non-profit organizations. Moral values and principles are considered vital in these sectors. Even some public sectors also have such obligations. These service sectors have flourished by adopting the market strategies devised by experts.
8) Brand of the Service Provider: Sometimes, what the customers are looking for is the ‘brand.’ Branded organization is considered important for the customers, and the brand helps in creating brand loyalty.
9) Accessibility of Place and Time: The interaction with the customers plays a vital role in marketing the services. It is the moral duty of the service provider to provide the given services to the customer as per his/her desires. The inability to do so may lead to losing the customer’s trust, who might resort to some other brand.
10) Customer Participation: This factor should be given due importance by all the firms while marketing the services. Only by involving the customer with the service organization, he/she can develop a sense of belongings. However, the amount of participation by the customer can vary depending upon his/her past experiences and personal choices. Hence, while marketing the services, this factor should be given due importance.