
Nature of Education: Education, classified as a marketable service has offered a conceptual foundation that involves five criteria i.e. nature of service, relations with customers, level of customization & judgement, the nature of demand relative to supply, and the method of service delivery. Using Lovelock’s framework given by (Mazzarol & Norman, 1999), education services can be described as having the following characteristics: The education service is directed at people i.e. their minds, rather than their bodies and is predominantly a people based rather than a product- based service. If narrowed down, education as a service is a mental stimulus process, which has the potential to affect people’s attitude, and influence their behavior & outlook. The relationship with the customer in an education service involves a prolonged & formal relationship, where a continual delivery of the service is required. Students have what Lovelock refers to as a ``membership'' relationship with the service provider, offering an opportunity to develop strong client loyalty and enhanced client services (Mazzarol & Norman, 1999). In the context of customization and judgment, some services require greater customization & judgment from the service providers, than others. In the case of education service, the level of customization varies. Individual guidance, private tutorials or personalized supervision are good examples of customized service.
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