Characteristics of services
Intangibility
One of the differences between goods and services is that goods can be perceived through a sense of touch. Services on the other side cannot be touched. The definition of tangibility lies in the picture that can be formed on the mind about something. The nature of services is that only the outcome can be seen and then a conclusion is made that a service has been offered. For example, a barber will be said to have shaven a client only after the evidence that the client does not have their initial hair.
Inseparability
The nature of services means that an individual cannot be separated from the service they offer. Keh (2015) says that the inseparability nature of services implies that the service provider and the customer have to be present for a service to be offered. For example, a doctor and a patient have to be present before the service of treatment can be said to have taken place. Goods on the other side do not necessarily have to be bound to the producer. In most cases, a producer does not interact with the consumer.
Perishability
Services are sensitive to the passing of time. The nature of services is that the passing of time affects the offering of services. The nature of the perishability of services comes in because services cannot be stored for future use. The cost of service provision of services is affected by time since a missed opportunity may imply that financial losses will be incurred. For example, a doctor may decide to charge a patient for missing an appointment.
Client relationship
The provision of a service has to involve all the relevant parties. The parties involved in service provision are the provider as well as the client. The client is the driving force of the provision of a service. The issue of the client relationship is brought about by the inseparable nature of service. The service provider has to be in good terms with the client for a successful service provision.
Customer effort
In as much as the customer is valued in any service provision instance, some effort has to be put by the customer before getting a service. The maximum that a service provider can do is to be available in a position where clients can find them. The client has to put some efforts to find service providers who will meet their service needs. For example, it is the responsibility of a patient to find a doctor.
Uniformity
Services tend to be heterogeneous. In general, terms, setting uniform features for a service might be difficult. For example, the cost of a service provision depends on the agreement between the provider and the client. Although the pricing of a certain service might be set within a given range, the final price remains non-uniform.
References
Keh, H. T. (2015). service separation. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-1.