Understanding Services: Concepts, Classifications & Selection

In the modern business world, services play a crucial role, creating differentiation and competition among businesses. Understanding the concepts, classifications, and selection of appropriate services is essential for both consumers and businesses.

Concept of Services

Services are intangible activities provided to satisfy customer needs. Unlike tangible products, services cannot be owned, stored, or transported. Service quality depends heavily on the interaction between the provider and the consumer.

Classification of Services

Services are classified in many ways, based on criteria such as:

By Nature:

• Business services: Include financial, banking, insurance, consulting activities…
• Public services: Provided by the government, such as healthcare, education, security…
• Personal services: For personal needs such as hairdressing, healthcare, home repairs…

By Level of Customer Contact:

• High-contact services: Require direct interaction between the provider and the customer, such as restaurants, hotels, healthcare…
• Low-contact services: Little or no direct interaction, such as delivery services, postal services…

By Durability:

• One-time services: Provided once and finished such as haircut, car repair…
• Ongoing services: Provided over a long period of time such as insurance, renting…

Selecting the Right Service

Choosing the right service requires careful consideration. You should consider the following factors:

• Your needs: Clearly define your needs to find a service that meets them.
• Service quality: Assess service quality through customer reviews and the provider’s reputation.
• Price: Compare prices among different providers to find the best option.
• Delivery time: Determine the time you need to receive the service to choose a suitable provider.
• After-sales service: Pay attention to the warranty and post-sales support policy of the provider.

Conclusion: Understanding services, classifications, and selection methods will help you find quality services that meet your needs and bring satisfaction.