🔄 The extended marketing mix — 7 Ps
Big Idea: The original 4 Ps (product, price, place, promotion) work well for goods. But for services, three extra Ps are needed: People, Process and Physical evidence. Together they make the 7 Ps! 7️⃣
Services are intangible — you can't touch or see them before you buy. The extra 3 Ps help customers feel confident about what they're buying.
🧑💼 People
- The staff who deliver the service
- Their skills, attitude and appearance shape customer experience
- Good training → better service → happier customers
- Applies to everyone: frontline staff, managers, customer support
🔄 Process
- The systems and steps used to deliver the service
- Smooth, efficient processes = happy customers
- Slow, confusing processes = frustrated customers
- Examples: online booking systems, check-in procedures, delivery tracking
🏢 Physical evidence
- The tangible clues that show the quality of the service
- Decor, cleanliness, uniforms, website design, packaging
- Helps customers judge quality before (and during) the experience
- A messy restaurant or a badly designed website sends the wrong message
Example: A luxury hotel invests in friendly, well-trained staff (people), a seamless online booking system (process), and elegant decor with high-quality toiletries (physical evidence).
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❓ Why do the extra 3 Ps matter?
- Services can't be tried before buying — the 3 extra Ps build trust
- Customer experience IS the product for service businesses
- Small details (clean toilets, friendly staff, fast wifi) can make or break a service
- Helps service businesses differentiate from competitors
Exam tip: If the case study is a service business (hotel, school, airline, restaurant), you MUST discuss people, process and physical evidence — not just the basic 4 Ps.