1. Service Design –
understanding and enhancing
the student experience
Jean Mutton
Student Experience Project Manager
AUA Midlands Conference
27 June 2013

2. Services
• are intangible
• have benefits
• are perishable (time and place dependent)
– cannot be stored or transported
• are inseparable from the service provider
• are often inconsistent or variable in quality
– especially personal services eg hairdressing
• cannot be owned

3. Definition of a service ‘process’
‘The actual procedures, mechanisms, and
flow of activities by which the service is
delivered – the service delivery and
operating systems’
(Zeithaml, Bitner & Gremler, 2006)

4. Advantages of Service Blueprinting
• Maps the customer experience through service
‘touchpoints’;
• Differentiates between what customers
experience “front stage” and the activities of
employees and support process “backstage” –
equally important
• Shows how customers and employees interact
(tangible and intangible communication)
• Provides an in-depth and holistic analysis of
service encounter – a springboard for service
process redesign.

6. Identifying Fail and Wait Points
• High risk areas in service delivery where things could go
wrong;
• Errors include:
– Treatment errors—human failures during contact with
customer
• e.g. lack of courteous or professional behavior, failure to
acknowledge, listen to, or react appropriately to the
customer
• Areas of excessive wait – could annoy customers and lead
to negative customer experience
– Tangible errors—failures in physical elements of service
• e.g. noise pollution, improper standards for cleaning of
facilities and uniforms, equipment breakdown
• Aim of fail-safe procedures is to prevent errors
• Areas of wait – reducing an opportunity for excessive wait
F
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7. Your turn………
• Map the experience of your persona buying a
cuppa in a cafe
• Decide on the start and finish points
• Identify the ‘touchpoints’
• Think about the front stage and back stage
operations (above and below the line of visibility)
• What information do they receive/access?
• Who do they interact with?
• What IT or other systems are supporting the
processes?

8. Any Questions?
More info at:
www.derby.ac.uk/experience/JISC-enrolment-project
@myderbi