An effective service development process needs stories. : Product: Evaluation form

Abstract

This thesis is an analysis, which focuses on the service development process where the story-based service design method is used. It aims to improve the effectiveness of the service development process, to ensure better quality level and final customer satisfac-tion. The purpose is to increase business via customer-minded service through one of the service design methods. The thesis is written from the point of view of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The process flow starts after the introduction with the presentation of different service development models and then continues to evaluating the aspects of cascading the models. In this part dimensions are evaluated using story-based service design method. The last chapter studies the details and challenges of evaluation surveys. The outcome of the thesis, the product is found in appendices.

This is a product thesis, and the outcome is an evaluation form for the business opera-tions where themes and stories are used. The purpose is to give a method for self evaluation to follow up the service and quality level of the story. The thesis does not focus strongly on the measurement process itself. The scope of the thesis is limited to these questions; how to develop a new effective hospitality service, what are the factors that should be considered and how cab the final outcome be evaluated and monitored after the development? The product called SBSD evaluation (story-based service de-sign evaluation) is created as the outcome.

The thesis is made in year 2013, when the story based design and customer orientated approaches were growing themes. How to use the stories in development and how they are really adapted to the operations after the development process? These are important questions at the moment for consultants, trainers and teachers in many fields such as marketing, brand management and service industry.