Advanced economies of the world are dominated by services, even manufacturing companies recognize that service provides sustainable competitive advantages. This text focuses on customer expectations in order to help companies develop and deliver a service that the customer will value.

European economies are now dominated by services, and virtually all companies view service as critical to retaining their customers today and in the future. This European edition provides students with a complete introduction to the unique marketing challenges that services present. Guiding students to recognize and understand these special characteristics, the text also explores frameworks for developing and implementing service strategies for competitive advantage across a wide array of industries. European examples, cases and readings have been integrated throughout the chapters, and the material has also been updated and restructured to reflect the latest thinking in services marketing. This book is ideal for services marketing modules at the undergraduate, postgraduate (both masters and doctoral courses), and executive education levels.