In-class exercises

EasyMoney is a fintech start-up whose core service offering is an app that allows users to conveniently carry out banking transactions on the go at any time. The young company's expertise lies in IT and app development. The company has already gained numerous customers through word of mouth, but there is still plenty of potential for further growth. EasyMoney therefore wants to invest in a professional marketing concept. The company is asking for your support in providing initial ideas for the marketing design. Explain to the entrepreneurs the features/characteristics of a service, especially for financial services, and what needs to be considered when designing the offering

Case: BrightWave Electronics, a mid-size consumer electronics retailer, has experienced a steady decline in customer satisfaction over the past 12 months. During this period, customer expectations have changed significantly due to faster service standards set by competitors and increasing demand for omnichannel support. However, BrightWave has struggled to keep pace, leading to gaps in understanding customer needs, inconsistencies in internal service standards, and mismatches between promised and delivered service.

Customer feedback indicates several recurring issues:

• Long response times across email and chat (often exceeding 9 hours).
• Repeated requests for the same information, causing customer frustration.
• Contradictory or inconsistent answers from different agents and channels.
• High number of escalations for simple problems due to lack of clear procedures.
• Perceived lack of availability, especially during evenings and weekends.

Internal audits revealed foundational issues contributing to these customer complaints. Management has limited visibility into real customer expectations and relies primarily on outdated annual surveys. Service procedures, product knowledge documents, and troubleshooting guides are inconsistent across departments, resulting in limited standards and unclear expectations for frontline staff. Training completion rates are low (only 60%), and many agents report not having access to up-to-date tools or unified knowledge sources. Operational processes, such as ticket triaging and CRM integration, are outdated, leading to backlogs and slow execution. Additionally, BrightWave’s marketing materials and website promise “fast, reliable, expert support,” which does not reflect the current service experience.