Return on Service Design & Customer Experience

The course "Return on Service Design & Customer Experience" deals with the long-term effects of implementing well-known service management tools on the financial performance of a company. Examples of such well-known instruments are customer satisfaction management or the creation of a service climate. In an interactive way, the course provides insights into whether and to what extent management activities in service companies improve the earnings and financial situation of companies. The course is aimed at students of all WWF master programs.

The course is based on articles from selected international journals. A special feature here is that one aspect of the content is always examined from a management as well as a theoretical perspective. This is also reflected in the selection of articles. Students are expected to prepare intensively for the individual articles and to be able to discuss the contents critically. The selection of articles will be announced in the syllabus for the respective semester.

Through the use of a management-oriented business simulation game, students not only learn about the management concepts of strategic service management, but also apply them directly to problems in practice. Student manage a virtual service company in teams and compete directly with the service companies of their fellow students. As members of the management team, students learn to identify, analyse and strategically influence the central factors of success of a service company. They develop a competitive strategy, play through various scenarios and critically reflect on the results of their forecasts and decisions. After each round, detailed reports are published supporting the teams in measuring their performance and progress and comparing it with the performance of their competitors. By providing detailed insight into the potential financial impact of operational decisions on relevant performance metrics such as customer satisfaction, costs and revenues, students develop a fact-based analytical approach to decision making.

Finally, the dynamic and interactive business simulation game promotes teamwork, shapes the competitive spirit, and strengthens the students problem-solving skills.

This course is only offered in the summer semester.

Language: English

Responsible for the course: Prof. Dr. Jens Hogreve, Ute Braun