“Zipcar: Influencing Customer Behavior" by Frances X. Frei
https://hbr.org/product/zipcar-influencing-customer-behavior/an/605054-PDF-ENG
Question 1. Discuss the three roles of service customers (productive resources, contributors to service quality and satisfaction, and competitors) in the context of Zipcar. What roles are customers expected to play in co-creating the Zipcar service?
Question 2. What mechanisms does Zipcar have in place to manage behavior? What actions are these mechanisms intended to influence?
Question 3. What adjustments, if any, would you recommend that the company make to these mechanisms? That is, how could Zipcar enhance customer participation?
Question 4. Think of a time that a service firm successfully attempted to influence your actions before, after, or during the service (other than increasing or decreasing your purchase behavior).
a. Name a service firm that successfully got you to do something, take action, behave in certain way.
b. Briefly describe the service.
c. Which behavior was the organization trying to influence?
d. What mechanism(s) were used in the attempt to influence your behavior?
e. In your opinion, why was the attempt successful?
Question 5. Think of a time that a service firm was not successful in attempting to influence your behavior - here again, NOT purchase behavior but other behavior before, after, or during the service.
a. Name a service firm that was not successful in getting you to do something.
b. Briefly describe the service.
c. Which behavior was the organization trying to influence?
d. What mechanism(s) were used in the attempt to influence your behavior?
e. In your opinion, why was the attempt unsuccessful?