Book excerpt: Dedication -- Preface -- Introduction -- Understanding service products, consumers, and markets -- Creating and capturing value in the service economy -- Understanding service consumers -- Positioning services in competitive markets -- Applying the 4 PS of marketing to services -- Developing service products and brands -- Distributing services through physical and electronic channels -- Service pricing and revenue management -- Service marketing communications -- Managing the customer interface -- Designing service processes -- Balancing demand and capacity -- Crafting the service environment -- Managing people for service advantage -- Developing customer relationships -- Managing relationship and building loyalty -- Complaint handling and service recovery -- Striving for service excellence -- Improving service quality and productivity -- Organizing for service leadership -- Notes -- Index -- Acknowledgements -- About the author