This document discusses key aspects of service marketing. It notes that the services sector accounts for over 50% of family spending and 60% of GDP in many countries. Some major benefits of the services sector are its ability to provide jobs, stability even during recessions, and potential for global trade growth. Characteristics that make services different than goods include intangibility, inseparability of production and consumption, variability, and customer participation. Services are also classified in various ways such as by industry, target effect, skill level of provider, and degree of customer involvement. Service encounters and blueprints are also discussed as tools for understanding and improving service interactions.