A Customer-oriented Manager for B2B Services

6Identifying Service Targets

6.1. Different types of targets

The targets of the service appear during the delivery of the service. This notion of service targets refers to the people who come into contact with the service provider and its teams during the service delivery stage. While most of the service targets are generally found with the direct client, others, some of whom may be at the heart of the service relationship, belong to other players in the sector. The manager must first identify them and then anticipate the issues related to their satisfaction.

6.1.1. Targets within the direct client organization

Even considering a simple service, performed by a single person over a short period of time, in contact exclusively with employees of its direct client, the number and nature of the targets are surprising (Box 6.1).

This situation, described in Box 6.1, reveals three different targets: the beneficiary, the facilitator and the observer.

Box 6.1. Direct client service targets

Samir arrives well in advance this morning at his client’s place. He likes to have time to get acquainted with the place, set up, check that everything is working well, and especially to welcome the first participants.

Samir works in a large national training group and specializes in safety at work. His company won a tender with a manufacturer to deliver two days of safety training to its managers and supervisors. The training is to be repeated at the client’s five largest production sites. Today, ...