Describe the challenges faced by managers in providing high-quality service to all guests. What ...

Because service is intangible, managers face that unique service challenge, as well as the additional challenges of consistency, inseparability, and capacity. The characteristics of good service are intangible because they cannot be seen, touched, or held. As a result, they cannot always be easily evaluated. Consistency refers to the delivery of the same level of service every time the guest visits the establishment. Because a guest's view of the service quality depends upon the person delivering it, consistency in the delivery of service is more challenging than consistency in the delivery of products. Inseparability refers to the fact that customers associate the quality of service provided with the personal characteristics of the staff member who delivers it. Thus, a guest's positive or negative view of a server directly affects the guest's assessment of service quality delivered. Capacity refers to staffing an operation to ensure service excellence both when it is busy and when it is slow.