An Introduction to Services Marketing - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Expert on Cambridge IELTS 08 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–40 Note Completion
Complete the lecture USING NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
Lecture on 31
Example: tourism and 32
Common misconception is that marketing points to 33 in what is being provided.
Marketing is actually essential in maintaining 34
Selling a product is easier because is 35 and customers don't have such different 36
Aim: offer' service beyond hopes of 37
Important to
a. keep informed
b. 38
One way to achieve this: 39
40 must always be available for any queries or problems.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | services marketing | Now I understand that many of you here today are interested in a career in services marketing | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that the speaker's presentation or lecture is focused on the subject of "services marketing" for an audience interested in that field. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the business of advertising and selling services (activities or help provided to customers, such as travel or legal advice) rather than physical goods. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "services marketing" because the speaker announces the topic of his presentation right at the beginning. He mentions that the audience is interested in a career in "services marketing" and proceeds to clarify and discuss the key aspects and challenges of this specific field. |
| Q32 | legal advice | This not only means aspects like holiday destinations but also professional services such as legal advice | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that marketing a service includes travel options like holiday trips as well as professional help like guidance from a lawyer. Answer Explanation: The answer means professional help or suggestions given by a lawyer about the law. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "legal advice" because the speaker defines what services marketing covers. He gives examples to explain this, mentioning "holiday destinations" (which represents tourism) and "professional services such as legal advice". Therefore, "legal advice" fits the note listing examples alongside tourism. |
| Q33 | weakness | It's almost perceived in industries such as these that the need to market indicates a weakness in the services provided | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that some businesses mistakenly believe needing to advertise or market their work shows that their service has a flaw or weakness. Answer Explanation: The answer means a fault, flaw, or lack of quality in something. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "weakness" because the speaker discusses a common misunderstanding in traditional service industries. In the transcript, Brian Kinsella explains that some people believe "the need to market indicates a weakness in the services provided." Here, "misconception" matches the idea of being falsely "perceived", and "points to" means "indicates". |
| Q34 | customer numbers | However, more and more such industries are realising the importance of marketing to sustain their customer numbers, especially when their competitors are marketing themselves | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that companies are learning that marketing is very important if they want to keep their amount of clients from dropping, especially when rival companies are also advertising. Answer Explanation: The answer means the total count of clients or buyers that a business has. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "customer numbers" because the speaker discusses how businesses now understand that marketing is necessary to keep their clients. In the notes, the phrase "essential in maintaining" corresponds directly to the transcript's phrase "importance of marketing to sustain". Here, "maintaining" is a synonym for "to sustain", showing that the missing phrase is "customer numbers". |
| Q35 | tangible | They can see a product and can comprehend exactly what that product will do for them. A service is more intangible - by that I mean whatever each customer gains from the service is often very personal | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that customers can clearly see a physical product and understand what it does, whereas a service is intangible because each person experiences it differently. Answer Explanation: The answer means something physical that you can touch, see, or easily understand. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "tangible" because the speaker contrasts products and services. While a service is described as "intangible" (hard to see or define), a product is something customers "can see" and touch, making it tangible and therefore easier to market and understand. |
| Q36 | expectations | Obviously, our clients will not be judging what we offer by the same standards, and travel agents, like other such service industries, have an extremely difficult job in satisfying a range of customers from diverse backgrounds with different expectations | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that travel agents and similar service businesses find it very hard to please many different customers because every customer comes from a different background and wants or expects different things. Answer Explanation: The answer means what people hope, look forward to, or predict they will receive. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "expectations" because the speaker explains that selling a service is much harder than selling a product due to clients having diverse backgrounds with different hopes and standards. In contrast, people buying a product have clearer ideas, so service providers face a tough challenge in meeting varied customer "expectations". |
| Q37 | clients | Our mission statement, in fact, is primarily to offer a service which is above and beyond the hopes of our clients | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the company's main goal is to deliver a service that exceeds what their customers (clients) hope for. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the customers or people who purchase and use the company's travel services. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is confirmed by Brian Kinsella when he describes the main goal (mission statement) of his company. He explicitly states that their primary aim is to provide a service that goes above and beyond the hopes of their "clients". |
| Q38 | constantly improve | Not only is it important to be fully informed about every possible aspect of the service you are marketing, it is also essential to constantly improve the service offered | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that besides knowing everything about the service you sell, it is necessary to always make the service better. Answer Explanation: The answer means to always make something better and better over time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the speaker lists two key requirements for marketing a service. First, it is important to be fully informed ("keep informed"). Second, the speaker states that it is "also essential to constantly improve the service offered." The word "essential" matches "important to", meaning that "constantly improve" fills the second bullet point. |
| Q39 | conduct surveys | At Oceania Travel, we regularly conduct surveys with all of the people that visit our resorts of choice | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the company frequently collects feedback from visitors by having them answer survey questions. Answer Explanation: The answer "conduct surveys" means to give questionnaires or ask questions to customers to find out what they think about a service. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "conduct surveys" because the speaker discusses how to constantly improve the service they offer. As a specific method to do this, the speaker states that their travel agency regularly carries out or conducts surveys with the guests who visit their resorts. |
| Q40 | A representative | Our clients are not expected to have to approach the hotel reception, as we have a 24-hour contact service direct to our representatives, and this representative should always welcome any customer problems or questions | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that guests can contact a company representative at any time of day or night, and that this person is always ready to handle any questions or issues guests may have. Answer Explanation: The answer means a company worker whose job is to help customers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is confirmed because the speaker explains how Oceania Travel handles customer concerns. The company provides a 24-hour direct contact service so clients can reach a staff member, noting that 'this representative should always welcome any customer problems or questions.' In this context, 'queries or problems' directly matches 'problems or questions', showing that a representative must always be available. |
Transcript
Interviewer: Continuing our theme of business marketing, I have with me today Mr Brian Kinsella, who is here to talk about the differences between marketing a product and marketing a service.
Brian Kinsella: Good morning. Now I understand that many of you here today are interested in a career in services marketing. Well I have been the marketing director for Oceania Travel for nearly 11 years, so I feel that I can present what I consider to be the most important aspects of marketing a service. However, before I begin, I want to clarify what I mean by services marketing. This not only means aspects like holiday destinations but also professional services such as legal advice. In short, anyone that sells a service.
Actually, a lot of the traditional services such as lawyers, accountants, etc. have not felt too comfortable marketing their services. It's almost perceived in industries such as these that the need to market indicates a weakness in the services provided. However, more and more such industries are realising the importance of marketing to sustain their customer numbers, especially when their competitors are marketing themselves.
Now, the main difference between marketing a product and a service is that the customers cannot understand exactly what the service will be. They can see a product and can comprehend exactly what that product will do for them. A service is more intangible - by that I mean whatever each customer gains from the service is often very personal. For example, with a travel agency, clients choose to travel abroad for a multitude of motives. Some people travel overseas for the experience and really want to get to know the culture of the local people. Others wish to escape from reality, totally relax in sophisticated comfort and be waited on hand and foot.
Obviously, our clients will not be judging what we offer by the same standards, and travel agents, like other such service industries, have an extremely difficult job in satisfying a range of customers from diverse backgrounds with different expectations.
Our company has overcome this dilemma in a number of ways. First of all, our travel consultants are given extensive training in customer service and buyer behaviour. Our aim is not just to be a profit-making organisation, but also to meet and exceed the expectations or dreams of our clients. Our mission statement, in fact, is primarily to offer a service which is above and beyond the hopes of our clients. In addition, we regularly visit the tourist destinations we promote and inform all of our staff about any changes in specific areas.
Not only is it important to be fully informed about every possible aspect of the service you are marketing, it is also essential to constantly improve the service offered. At Oceania Travel, we regularly conduct surveys with all of the people that visit our resorts of choice. Any negative feedback we try to remedy at once. Our clients are met by a company representative during their stay, and we have a set procedure for dealing with any complaints. Our clients are not expected to have to approach the hotel reception, as we have a 24-hour contact service direct to our representatives, and this representative should always welcome any customer problems or questions. In the event of a complaint, the representative will then try to remedy the complaint with the hotel. If the problem cannot be rectified by the hotel manager, our representative is authorised to remedy the situation him or herself. For situations beyond the representative's authority, our complaints department is contacted. The complaints department guarantees a solution within the day. If the customer is still not satisfied, they are welcome to approach our head office on their return.
So you see that marketing a service is catering more for the clients' expectations than anything else and it is that which makes services marketing a very intricate business. Now that's the end of my presentation, but if there is anything you want to ask, then please feel free to do so. Thank you.