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Taco Bell CEO, John Martin, boldly proclaims a growth goal of 200,000 points of access by the year 2000 (the company had approximately 3,600 in 1991). To realize such growth, Martin embraces a philosophy of continual change. The implications for Taco Bell are dramatic changes in organizational structure, culture, human resources, technology, and communications. In redefining its market and "thinking outside the box" in all aspects of its business, Taco Bell hopes to become a "super brand"--transcending not only categories but industries as well.

Supplements the (A) case.

The vice president of operations at Kuman Educational Institute USA is faced with the pressures of transferring a successful Japanese educational service concept to the United States. Kumon, a for-profit after-school supplementary educative center, specializes in teaching math to children. A highly successful model in Japan, Kumon has yet to be profitable in its 10 years in the United States, though significant progress has been made in the past 5 years. The founder is not satisfied with the results thus far and wants faster growth. In light of an upcoming meeting with Japanese headquarters, the vice president reviews potential strategies for positioning, marketing, and franchising to grow Kumon.

Habitat for Humanity, a not-for-profit, volunteer-based home builder, is coping with years of rapid growth and success. They now face a series of options to continue their successful course and must make corresponding organizational adjustments. Teaching objectives involve applying lessons learned in the Service Management course to this unique organization: specifically, can they think of themselves as a customer-focused organization and maintain their mission and culture, what are their best options for strategic growth, and how do they mobilize human resources and a headquarters organization at a grassroots nonprofit?

Southwest Airlines, the only major U.S. airline to be profitable in 1992, makes a decision as to which of two new cities to open, or to add a new long-haul route. Provides windows into Southwest's strategy, operations, marketing, and culture.

Air Miles Canada both increases customer loyalty by rewarding shopping frequency at specified merchants, and enables its sponsors to develop a new, more complex understanding of their customers' (and potential customers') shopping habits, thus making future customer acquisition more efficient.

The vice president of the Lab and Clinical Services at Central Blood Bank is faced with the challenge of convincing a hospital to use economical shared patient transfusion testing services.

Many industry-leading service providers are expanding internationally, with varying degrees of success. This note presents a framework for understanding the managerial challenges facing service firms as they enter foreign markets. In particular, focuses on key managerial tasks for successful internationalization and expands the concept of the "strategic service vision" to include the specific issues associated with cross-border growth.

Timothy Firnstahl, restaurateur, faced rising costs, inefficient management, and a recession. Firnstahl got the answer to his problem from Mikhail Gorbachev: slash the centralized command and liberate the company. In doing so, he would also transfer virtually all power and responsibility to his line managers. And after five months of intensive study and planning, he accomplished what he set out to do. He fired most of his corporate staff, empowered his restaurant managers with "100% Power and Responsibility," and undertook a massive promotion campaign.

Few companies have systematically revamped their operations with customer loyalty in mind. MBNA credit cards and State Farm Insurance are successful because they have designed their business around customer loyalty--a self-reinforcing system in which the company delivers superior value and reinvents cash flows to find and keep customers and employees. When a company consistently delivers superior value and wins customer loyalty, market share and revenues go up and the cost of acquiring new customers goes down. The company then can pay workers better. Increased pay boosts employee morale and commitment; as employees stay longer, their productivity goes up and training costs fall; employees' overall job satisfaction, combined with their experience, helps them serve customers better; and customers are then more inclined to stay loyal to the company. Finally, as the best customers and employees become part of the loyalty-based system, competitors are left to survive with less desirable customers and less talented employees.

Illustrates a simple technique for diagramming operations flows in service companies. Can be used to help structure analysis and discussion of cases involving sequenced operations.

A state college seeks to boost enrollment in its extension courses and continuing education programs. Competition from other educational institutions is strong. Satellite campuses, developed to offer students greater convenience, have not proved popular. The college president has authorized an enlarged communication budget for the coming year in a last attempt to improve the situation. The dean of extension studies must develop a plan for 1983-87. Exhibits (nine pages) include market research data, a competitive profile, a regional map, and costs and availability of different advertising media. An updated version of an earlier case.

Greater Southeast Community Hospital is located in the center of one of Washington, D.C.'s most troubled and isolated neighborhoods. Like so many inner-city hospitals, it serves a population struggling with high rates of poverty, crime, and illiteracy. As a result, the area suffers from the highest rate of infant mortality, cancer, and coronary disease in the D.C. area. When Tom Chapman joined the hospital in 1984, it was giving away roughly 11% of its care--or about $11.5 million worth of medical services to indigent residents. If that rate continued, the hospital would soon go out of business. His challenge: to keep Greater Southeast solvent while shoring up the community that surrounds it. Working in tandem with community residents, Greater Southeast has developed a broad range of preventive and supportive programs, such as housing, day care for children and the elderly, nursing home services, and literacy training.

In an effort to improve its global distribution system and thus enhance customer service in its shops around the world, Laura Ashley entered into a path-breaking strategic alliance with Federal Express Business Logistics Services. Under the terms of a loosely structured partnership, Federal Express essentially takes over the warehouse and distribution activities formerly handled by Laura Ashley. The alliance is path breaking due to its largely informal structure, based more on trust and mutual benefit than on complicated rules and measures.

A very successful luxury hotel in Warsaw, Poland is faced with its first serious competition as new luxury hotels enter the Warsaw market. The case raises the general issue of how to sustain a competitive advantage in an international service business. A variety of strategic and organizational options are available and students must consider which are most appropriate given detailed information about the market.

A frequent flyer for a large international airline encounters typical but recurring service problems. The marketing management of the company explores the use of information technology in understanding and dealing with the issues involved. Concepts of database marketing are introduced in a concrete setting.

Courtyard by Marriott, a chain of modestly priced hotels, weighs its future options regarding human resources, its service delivery system, and management structure. Fairfield Inn, another Marriott product, is discussed for contrast.

The Walt Disney Co. theme parks historically have thrived on the basis of a formula stressing excellent customer service and a magnificent physical environment. The formula has proven successful in Japan, as well as the United States. With the controversial opening of Euro Disney in France, however, there has become reason to doubt the international appeal of the formula. The case documents issues involved with Euro Disney. Examines the transferability of a successful service concept across international boundaries.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 693-013.

Multinational professional services firm Coopers & Lybrand has decided to enter the Hungarian market and weighs its strategic options in light of the environment in which it will operate and its resources.