The document discusses and critiques 8 different definitions of services: 1. Negative approach (all that's not a product) 2. Service as a process 3. Service as an outcome of a process 4. Service as a contact-intensive product 5. "Service-Dominant Logic" (everything is a service) 6. "IHIP" properties (intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability, perishability) 7. No change in ownership rights 8. Customer input into the production process While each definition provides some insight, they all have limitations in fully describing what a service is. A unified definition that incorporates the customer experience may be needed.

1. Service Definitions
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Definitions

3. 1. Negative approach (all that’s not…)
2. Action based (product = process)
3. Action result (change of state)
4. Degree of contact
5. “Service-Dominant Logic”
6. List of properties
7. Non-ownership (temporary disposition)
8. Customer’s input
Actually, eight
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4. + No-brainer
- Negative definitions are incapable of
describing the defined object
Definition 1
Negative approach
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5. + It's hard to oppose
- Erroneous separation of visible actions
from invisible
(any economic activity is a process)
Service as a process
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Definition 2

6. + Service substitutes for self-service
- Interaction with any product also has
some outcome (change of state)
Both service and product do the same job
Definition 3
Service as an outcome of some process
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7. + High degree of contact with customer
is characteristic of many services
- Many but not all!
Definition 4
Service as a contact-intensive product
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8. + Does solve the definition problem
- Can’t solve all other problems
Definition 5
“Service-Dominant Logic”
(everything is service)
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9. ± Intangibility
± Heterogeneity
± Inseparability
± Perishability
- No list of properties makes a good
definition
Definition 6
“IHIP”
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10. + Important attribute of all and any service
- No use for service design
Definition 7
No change in ownership rights
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11. + Explains all distinctive features of service
vs. manufactured good
+ Irreprehensible
Definition 8
Customer’s input
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12. With services, the customer provides significant
inputs into the production process.
Without those inputs the end product cannot be
produced.
The input may be the customer him(her)self,
his(her) property, or the information he(she)
possesses.
Unified Services Theory
Scott E. Sampson, 2001
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13. Unified Services Theory
S.Fließ, M.Kleinaltenkamp, 2004
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14. What service ACTUALLY is
Imagine that your employees:
- Incompetent
- Dictate how you should do your work
- Come and go whenever they want
- Shift on you the blame for their own
faults and mistakes
- And with all this you can’t fire them!
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If you’re in the service business –
Meet your customer!

15. Thank you!
Sergey Khromov-Borisov
khromov@sensecraft.eu
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