Designed for executives of companies that manufacture or sell products and students in an MBA program, this book outlines the challenges of launching a service and solutions business within a product-oriented organization. You might view services and solutions as a means to financial growth, reduced revenue volatility, greater differentiation from the competition, increased share of customer budget, and improved customer satisfaction, loyalty, and lock-in; but the authors visualize the transition from products sold to services rendered and identify the challenges that leaders will face during the transformation. Inside, the authors provide a framework-the service infusion continuum-to describe the different types of services and solutions that a product-rich company can offer beyond warranties, call centers, and websites that support customers in their use of products.

Author Biography

Valarie A. Zeithaml is the David S. Van Pelt Family Distinguished Professor of Marketing and an award-winning teacher and researcher at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.