Services Marketing Mix of Bon-Appetite

The service marketing mix is also known as an extended marketing mix and is an integral part of a
service blueprint design. The service marketing mix consists of 7 Ps as compared to the 4 Ps of a
product marketing mix. Simply said, the service marketing mix assumes the service as a product
itself. However it adds 3 more Ps which are required for optimum service delivery.

1. PRODUCT
The products offered by Bon Appetite are a comfortable atmosphere, striking dcor, entertainment
and an engaging clientele along with an international menu comprising of multi-cuisines: INDIAN,
ITALIAN, CONTINENTAL, CHINESE etc. The Core Product however for the restaurant is its food. This
restaurant is well known for its exceptionally good food, and people come from far and wide to
sample it. The restaurant knows it can sell its food to many customers, and will strive to maintain the
quality, plus providing new and seasonal variants. There is scope of customizing the product offering
at the time production, which allows the consumer to tailor the dish according to his/her taste.
However the level of customization is limited so as to maintain the standard delivery and quality of
service.

2. PRICE
The reputation of the food and the restaurant commands high prices. This is calculated to be the
correct value for the food that is served, and satisfies the kind of clientele that is willing to pay for it.
Pricing of services is tougher than pricing of goods. While the latter can be priced easily by taking into
account the raw material costs, in case of services attendant costs - such as labour and overhead costs
- also need to be factored in. Thus a restaurant not only has to charge for the cost of the food served
but also has to calculate a price for the ambience provided. Pricing decisions are made by setting a
pricing objective, determining demand, estimating costs, analysing competing offers, deciding on a
pricing method and then finalizing a price. The final price for the service is then arrived at by including
a mark-up for an adequate profit margin.
3. PLACE
Obviously this is the establishment where the food can be sourced, served and eaten. It will contain
enough seating during busy periods, and will be where the distributors will deliver the raw ingredients
and other commodities that go towards what the restaurant provides. Since service delivery is
concurrent with its production and cannot be stored or transported, the location of the service
product assumes importance. Service providers have to give special thought to where the service
would be provided. Thus, a fine dine restaurant is better located in a busy, upscale market. Bon
Appetite believes in strategic expansion that focuses on a locations long term potential.

4. PROMOTION
The restaurant may be full at the weekends, but special mid-week or early bird offers will provide
more covers to make the business viable. The restaurants reputation will also ensure word-of-mouth
referral and other awareness methods. Since a service offering can be easily replicated promotion
becomes crucial in differentiating a service offering in the mind of the consumer. Thus, service
providers offering identical services such as airlines or banks and insurance companies invest heavily
in advertising their services. This is crucial in attracting customers in a segment where the services
providers have nearly identical offerings.

These 4 Ps are known as the physical elements of the marketing mix, because they are tangible and
can be touched; even promotion is apparent through leaflets and coupons advertising their special
offers, and price is the monetary value that is exchanged. We now look at the 3 new elements of the
services marketing mix - people, process and physical evidence - which are unique to the marketing of
services.

5. PEOPLE
The people involved in service delivery are the waiters, chefs and cleaners. These are the people who
are involved in the marketing process, such as serving the customers, cooking the food and cleaning
up afterwards, as without them the restaurant would fail to exist. In this case it does not represent
the customers. They are a defining factor in a service delivery process, since a service is inseparable
from the person providing it. Thus, a restaurant is known as much for its food as for the service
provided by its staff. The restaurant staffs locally and also promotes from within. This allows the team
managing the operations to understand consumer preferences as well as the corporate philosophy.
The people chosen are trained in both technical skills and customer focus. This training helps
standardize product and service delivery.

6. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
The environment of the restaurant, especially which provides a good experience for its customers, is
vital to ensure consistency, continuity and good practice. This includes the staffs uniforms, table
linen, plates and cutlery, restaurants dcor and style of the menus, all relevant to continue the
reputation of the establishment. Since services are intangible in nature most service providers strive
to incorporate certain tangible elements into their offering to enhance customer experience. Hence
Bon-Appetite has invested heavily in their interior design and decorations to offer a tangible and
unique experience to their guests.

7. PROCESS
How the restaurant is managed and the methodology of providing the service is paramount to a
good business, as unless everyone involved knows what their functions are to ensure the smooth
running of the establishment, none of the customers will receive good service, or the excellent food
they expect, or a clean and respectable place to eat it in. The process of service delivery is crucial
since it ensures that the same standard of service is repeatedly delivered to the customers. Therefore,
most companies have a service blue print which provides the details of the service delivery process,
often going down to even defining the service script and the greeting phrases to be used by the
service staff. For Bon-Appetite, the consumer is first greeted and seated at the table. Post which the
waiter hands over the Menu to the consumer while simultaneously pouring water in their glasses.
Once the consumer is ready is ready to order, the waiter assists the consumer in deciding what to try
and confirms the order. The order is then relayed to the kitchen where it is prepared. The order once
ready is served to the consumer. Upon finishing the meal, the consumer is provided with finger bowls
and the used plates are cleared. Bill is presented to the consumer as the last step of the process.

These last 3 Ps are the service elements of the marketing mix, because they represent the intangible
side of the business. Service cannot be termed as a touchable commodity, it is what makes or breaks
a business, establishes its reputation, style and value, and when performed correctly can ensure
continued and escalated success that can be developed to a higher realm.